February 3, 2008

Heavenly Ascent on Earth

by Rev. Dr. Jim Carlson

Matthew 17:1-9

Opening Illustration – Loyola Colloquium: Paper discussed Jewish roots of superheroes. Golems – modern Superman – mild mannered by day, super power by night.

Transfiguration is the beginning of the journey to the cross. Start with clearest idea of who’s involved here.

Peter has just confessed Jesus as Messiah. Jesus responds by explaining that as the Messiah he will be executed.

Peter tries to correct Jesus. Jesus rebukes him. Jesus tells his disciples some of them will live long enough to see his second coming.

Jesus takes core disciples up a mountain. May be observing feast of tabernacles.

Jesus’ face begins shining like the sun. Jesus’ appearance is transformed. White robe.

Moses and Elijah appear and talk to Jesus. Why Moses and Elijah? Parallels to Apocalyptic literature (Slide).

Peter wants to build booths so Moses and Elijah can celebrate feast of booths.

Voice comes from the cloud, reaffirms Jesus as God’s son. Cloud associated with God’s presence.

Point is to identify Jesus as the heavenly Messiah people had been expecting. Peter identified Jesus. Now he sees the heavenly reality behind the person.

Jesus reminds them not to tell anyone else. The time for everyone to know hasn’t come yet.

This passage challenges us to try to look past the obvious and see God in other people.

First, reminds us that previous disagreements don’t have to prevent us from seeing God’s goodness in our friends and neighbors.

Peter and Jesus had argued over what kind of Messiah Jesus was going to be. Jesus called him Satan for opposing God’s purposes.

The fact that we may have disagreements with other people doesn’t mean we can’t see God at work in their lives. Seeing God in someone else may help us reconcile.

Second, this passage reminds us that we are especially likely to see God in someone else when we have entered into a faith relationship with them.

The disciples saw Jesus transfigured during their celebration of the feast of the tabernacles.

When we gather as a congregation, we have the opportunity to see God in each other.

Sometimes we look at others and only see the kind of person we wish they were. This passage challenges us to look for the best in others. That’s where we’ll see God.

Bill Donohue Vs. Bill Maher

We get caught up in interpersonal conflicts and get blinded from seeing the good in people we’re told to hate.

Jesus in his own self taught us to see beyond our biases, to look for God’s presence in someone else’s life.

MY challenge to you this morning is for you to see the people around you transfigured. See them the way God sees them.

I have no trouble seeing my daughter that way because I love her so much.

That’s the way God sees all the people in your life.

Look beyond the obvious; look beyond appearances, look beyond the way society tells you to look. Try to see what God sees. Lots of people look like Moses and Elijah. It all depends on how you look at them.