Sermon Transfiguration Sunday 2009
Sermon
Location Faith Lutheran – Date 2/22/2009
Transfiguration Sunday – Year B
Primary Text: Mark 9:2-9
In one episode of the Simpsons called “Homer’s Enemy,” a new employee and the “enemy” of Homer called Frank Grimes is hired at the Nuclear Plant where Homer works. He is constantly amazed by the way that Homer can just get through the day, often completely oblivious to the world around him. In one particular part Homer’s Safety Console (Homer is the safety technician of the plant, which itself is rather scary) goes off with multiple alarms. When Grimes tells Homer that he has a 1015 warning, Homer is confused and looks at his wristwatch, when again informed that a 1015 is a safety warning, he again looks at his watch. When finely he gets what the problem is he enters his office and instead of taking the correct precautions and setting the correct switches and buttons he pours a bucket of water over the console, causing it to short out and making the alarms stop.
In our text for today we see a similar reaction by Peter. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up to a tall mountain. And while there Jesus is Transfigured, or changed in front of them. His clothes become dazzling white, so white that no one on earth could bleach them. The story evokes the story of Moses upon Mount Sinai getting the Ten Commandments. Our reading states that this is 6 days later after Jesus teaching about his death and resurrection, and his rebuke of Peter for arguing over Jesus’ death. In the story of Moses he is on the mountain for Six days and on the seventh comes down with the tablets of the covenant, his face shining. So right off the bat Jesus is being compared to Moses, then appearing with him are Moses and Elijah. It is to this scene that we get Peter’s words of wanting to build dwellings or tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Peter’s concern about human things and not on the awesomeness of this experience is told to be because of his fear, unlike the simple stupidity of Homer.
Just like Peter, we ourselves often are afraid and often we then turn to human things. Right now the big concern seems to be surrounding the economic uncertainty that we are living in. We are afraid and we can often only think about human things, we are caught up in 401k’s, stock prices, home foreclosures, gas and oil prices, unemployment and many other things. Now there is nothing wrong with being worried about these things and letting them drive our thoughts and fears.
We will of course be worried about them, they are a part of our lives, and always will be. But the concern is when we let them become who we are. The theme of the Intern Cluster meeting that I attended the first part of this week was ministry during these economic times. One of the supervisors told the story about his grandfather, who died during the great depression. He had never heard the story before until recently when he finally asked his mother. His mother told him that his grandfather had committed suicide, after being wealthy before the depression, he lost his money and could not take it. His money became who he was, and without it he felt no reason to live. This sad story unfortunately comes up to often when we hear about economic trying times.
The text that comes before the transfiguration is Jesus teaching upon the way to Caesarea Philippi, a town north of the Sea of Galilee. In it we have Jesus asking the disciples who they think that he is, that he is the Messiah, and then Jesus teaches them about how the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, be rejected, be killed, and after three days be raised again. And unlike the rest of Mark, he says this openly. Peter is told that he must listen to Jesus, the son of God, and just before that he in fact did not, when told of Jesus’ teaching he takes Jesus aside and again concerns himself with human things, death. Peter does not hear that Christ will be raised. Peter can only see his own fear and concern about not wanting to be without Christ, but he does not see the connection between the Son of Man being raised and the transfiguration also foreshadowing Christ’s resurrection. And so Jesus rebukes him, referring to him as Satan, and telling him to get behind him.
In our story today we do not get a rebuke of Peter by Jesus though, instead a cloud overshadows them, and a voice comes from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him.” And then Moses and Elijah were gone at it is only Jesus. In the midst of Peter’s fear and concern about human dwellings, we do not see Peter rebuked and told that he is worthless for being concerned about human things, instead we hear that this is Jesus, God’s Son, and the Beloved, and are told to listen to him. In the midst of our own fear we should also listen to Christ.
God says to Listen to Jesus. But what does it mean to Listen to Jesus. In most of the large evangelical, televangelist teachings, what is being proclaimed is what Martin Luther would call a theology of Glory. If we listen to Jesus, we will all become rich, we will never be sick, and nothing bad can ever happen to us. But we are often not rich in the economic sense of the word, we are often sick, and many times bad things happen to us. Lutheran Theology is not then Theology of Glory, it is Theology of the Cross. When we listen to Jesus, we do not hear that everything will always be hunky-dory, we hear that we will have good times and we will have bad times, but Jesus, the Beloved, will be with us in all of them. For Christ came deep, deep down to us, emptied himself, and become obedient to the point of death, and then was raised, all for us. Jesus Died for us. Jesus was risen for us. And because of that we know that when economic times are tough, or when other things cause us to fear, we know that we do not have to let them overtake us, for regardless of human things, we are loved. And when we listen, we can hear Christ saying, “Do not be afraid,” for you are loved.
Let us pray,
Lord of grace and mercy,
Shine your light upon us. Be with all in these hard times, give your insight to all those in leadership that they may work to help those in need. We ask you to be with all those who fear and are concerned about their families, help them to feel your love. We give you thanks for all that you have done for us, for we know that through you we are truly rich, through you we do not need be afraid, through you we are safe.
In your name,
Amen
Location Faith Lutheran – Date 2/22/2009
Transfiguration Sunday – Year B
Primary Text: Mark 9:2-9
In one episode of the Simpsons called “Homer’s Enemy,” a new employee and the “enemy” of Homer called Frank Grimes is hired at the Nuclear Plant where Homer works. He is constantly amazed by the way that Homer can just get through the day, often completely oblivious to the world around him. In one particular part Homer’s Safety Console (Homer is the safety technician of the plant, which itself is rather scary) goes off with multiple alarms. When Grimes tells Homer that he has a 1015 warning, Homer is confused and looks at his wristwatch, when again informed that a 1015 is a safety warning, he again looks at his watch. When finely he gets what the problem is he enters his office and instead of taking the correct precautions and setting the correct switches and buttons he pours a bucket of water over the console, causing it to short out and making the alarms stop.
In our text for today we see a similar reaction by Peter. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up to a tall mountain. And while there Jesus is Transfigured, or changed in front of them. His clothes become dazzling white, so white that no one on earth could bleach them. The story evokes the story of Moses upon Mount Sinai getting the Ten Commandments. Our reading states that this is 6 days later after Jesus teaching about his death and resurrection, and his rebuke of Peter for arguing over Jesus’ death. In the story of Moses he is on the mountain for Six days and on the seventh comes down with the tablets of the covenant, his face shining. So right off the bat Jesus is being compared to Moses, then appearing with him are Moses and Elijah. It is to this scene that we get Peter’s words of wanting to build dwellings or tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Peter’s concern about human things and not on the awesomeness of this experience is told to be because of his fear, unlike the simple stupidity of Homer.
Just like Peter, we ourselves often are afraid and often we then turn to human things. Right now the big concern seems to be surrounding the economic uncertainty that we are living in. We are afraid and we can often only think about human things, we are caught up in 401k’s, stock prices, home foreclosures, gas and oil prices, unemployment and many other things. Now there is nothing wrong with being worried about these things and letting them drive our thoughts and fears.
We will of course be worried about them, they are a part of our lives, and always will be. But the concern is when we let them become who we are. The theme of the Intern Cluster meeting that I attended the first part of this week was ministry during these economic times. One of the supervisors told the story about his grandfather, who died during the great depression. He had never heard the story before until recently when he finally asked his mother. His mother told him that his grandfather had committed suicide, after being wealthy before the depression, he lost his money and could not take it. His money became who he was, and without it he felt no reason to live. This sad story unfortunately comes up to often when we hear about economic trying times.
The text that comes before the transfiguration is Jesus teaching upon the way to Caesarea Philippi, a town north of the Sea of Galilee. In it we have Jesus asking the disciples who they think that he is, that he is the Messiah, and then Jesus teaches them about how the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, be rejected, be killed, and after three days be raised again. And unlike the rest of Mark, he says this openly. Peter is told that he must listen to Jesus, the son of God, and just before that he in fact did not, when told of Jesus’ teaching he takes Jesus aside and again concerns himself with human things, death. Peter does not hear that Christ will be raised. Peter can only see his own fear and concern about not wanting to be without Christ, but he does not see the connection between the Son of Man being raised and the transfiguration also foreshadowing Christ’s resurrection. And so Jesus rebukes him, referring to him as Satan, and telling him to get behind him.
In our story today we do not get a rebuke of Peter by Jesus though, instead a cloud overshadows them, and a voice comes from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him.” And then Moses and Elijah were gone at it is only Jesus. In the midst of Peter’s fear and concern about human dwellings, we do not see Peter rebuked and told that he is worthless for being concerned about human things, instead we hear that this is Jesus, God’s Son, and the Beloved, and are told to listen to him. In the midst of our own fear we should also listen to Christ.
God says to Listen to Jesus. But what does it mean to Listen to Jesus. In most of the large evangelical, televangelist teachings, what is being proclaimed is what Martin Luther would call a theology of Glory. If we listen to Jesus, we will all become rich, we will never be sick, and nothing bad can ever happen to us. But we are often not rich in the economic sense of the word, we are often sick, and many times bad things happen to us. Lutheran Theology is not then Theology of Glory, it is Theology of the Cross. When we listen to Jesus, we do not hear that everything will always be hunky-dory, we hear that we will have good times and we will have bad times, but Jesus, the Beloved, will be with us in all of them. For Christ came deep, deep down to us, emptied himself, and become obedient to the point of death, and then was raised, all for us. Jesus Died for us. Jesus was risen for us. And because of that we know that when economic times are tough, or when other things cause us to fear, we know that we do not have to let them overtake us, for regardless of human things, we are loved. And when we listen, we can hear Christ saying, “Do not be afraid,” for you are loved.
Let us pray,
Lord of grace and mercy,
Shine your light upon us. Be with all in these hard times, give your insight to all those in leadership that they may work to help those in need. We ask you to be with all those who fear and are concerned about their families, help them to feel your love. We give you thanks for all that you have done for us, for we know that through you we are truly rich, through you we do not need be afraid, through you we are safe.
In your name,
Amen
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