Last Sunday of Epiphany 2013

Last Sunday of Epiphany 2013

Our Gospel reading today tells us that Jesus took Peter, his rash, headstrong disciple; and James and John, the Sons of Thunder up onto a mountain. All three of them were dock workers, and it’s likely that they weren’t the most subtle of individuals. Still, Jesus chose these three to take a trip to a secluded place to pray.

In Luke’s Gospel, all of this takes place just after Peter has confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, and after Jesus has explained that the requirement for discipleship is taking up one’s cross daily. Even still, these three disciples follow Jesus.

As they’re praying, we’re told that suddenly Jesus’ appearance was changed—his clothes became dazzling white, and Moses (this man representing the Law of God) and Elijah (the epitome of Prophetic office) show up and begin chatting with Jesus. It says that they were discussing what Jesus was about to accomplish in Jerusalem…

Now, I’m not sure how anyone knows what they were talking about, because Peter, James and John were falling asleep at the time. But when they realized what was happening, and just how amazing the moment was, Peter said: let us build three tents, tabernacles to house the three of you.

Now, the point of these tents, was that they were what Israel had always used to house holy things—whether it was the Ark of the Covenant, or simply a dwelling place for the divine—the tabernacle was the predecessor to the Temple. So, while Peter understood the importance of what he was experiencing, he didn’t quite understand that this was only a brief moment, and not one that could be preserved forever.

Instead, what the Transfiguration was for these disciples, was a moment of divine clarity. It was a moment in which the identity of Jesus Christ was once again affirmed, but it was also a kind of preparation for what was yet to come. Because like in the other synoptic Gospels (Mark and Matthew), the story of the Transfiguration is a major turning point in the narratives. It marks the shift from Jesus’ more broad ministry to his focus on Jerusalem, and eventually his Passion and death.

With that said, I think it’s no mistake that this is the Lectionary reading for today—the last Sunday of Epiphany, and the Sunday right before we plunge headlong into Lent. After all, this event is one which is obviously a major Epiphany, or revelation—but it also marks the beginning of the journey we take with Jesus through Lent that leads to the Cross… And while I suppose the disciples didn’t understand at the time what this moment would eventually mean—I’m sure that it was all the same some form of comfort for them when everything fell apart for them in Jerusalem.

In a similar way, there are very profound moments in our lives, grace-filled moments that call us to pay attention to God in the every-day. These are moments of clarity which we hold on to as evidence of God’s interaction with us.

They may happen when we least expect them, or they may not seem to happen at all. We may not have words for them, but these moments prepare us for the rest of our lives. This isn’t to say that like the Transfiguration these moments signal bad times ahead—rather they may indeed be the things that give us hope in troubling times. Even in times of transition, these moments may be what we need when our footing doesn’t seem so sure, and our roots are all above ground…

But God visits us in these places—these Epiphanies—to give us some touch-stones for mooring when we feel adrift. They serve as points on a compass to give us some direction when we feel lost. So in this way, they have a lasting importance for us.

Unlike the Transfiguration as a single event, however, I believe we can be given multiple revelations of God’s grace—many conversion experiences throughout our lives. Because even though these moments help us to maintain our grounding in Christ—as our spiritual selves grow and mature, our needs are different. What is necessary for us, then, is a more profound call to a deeper, more significant relationship with God. In this way, we’re compelled to grow in our faith and become more and more the people we were created to be.

What’s more, I believe that as we grow, we become more accustomed to the subtly of mystery, and open to the many, diverse ways in which God is revealed in the simplest places… But each of those moments, that we’ve had with God are all part of training us to see more clearly.

However, the most important lesson to be taken from those life-defining God-moments is the one that we learn from the Transfiguration: when everything is said and done, the one we’re supposed to see most clearly is Jesus Christ alone. Because what we know to be most true is that when all else seems to fail us, beyond moments and experience, it is him that we hold fast to at any point in our lives…and this is what truly defines us.