“You Don’t Need a Magic Eye” (Luke 9:28-36)
I
have a folded up bill in my hand. What kind is it? Well, I see a
one. Is it a one dollar bill? Maybe there are a few more zeroes
hiding there. Maybe it’s a ten dollar bill. Or a hundred dollar
bill. Maybe it’s a thousand dollar bill! Not likely. Those
haven’t been printed since 1947 and are pretty much out of
circulation today. But you never know!
If
you want to know what kind of a bill this is, you’d have to have a
magic eye … or x-ray vision like Superman … so you could look
through the folded up paper and see what it really is. Then again, a
non-superhero way of doing it would be to simply unfold the bill and
examine it at each stage of the process.
When
the disciples looked at Jesus, they didn’t fully realize who he
really was. They didn’t have a magic eye to look beyond his human
flesh and see that he is also God. Throughout his earthly ministry,
Jesus “unfolded” his identity for them. This is part of what the
Gospel readings in the Epiphany season are all about. Jesus unfolds
his identity at his Baptism, through miraculous signs (changing water
into wine, healing diseases, casting out demons), and through his
authoritative teaching.
On
the mount of Transfiguration, Jesus “unfolds” his identity even
further. He gives three of his disciples a glimpse of his divine
glory shining through his human nature.
Peter,
James, and John were a bit drowsy after their climb up the mountain.
When they rubbed the sleep from their eyes, they were surprised and
delighted to see Jesus shining brightly. What’s more, they saw him
talking with Moses and Elijah, two of the greatest departed saints of
the Old Covenant. Luke says they were talking about his “departure.”
Unfortunately, we don’t get to eavesdrop on that conversation.
Perhaps Moses and Elijah were reflecting on the part they each played
in God’s plan. Moses led the people out of slavery in Egypt. He
received the Law on Mount Sinai. When he went down the mountain, he
found that the people were in utter rebellion. Later he ascended
Mount Nebo where the Lord prepared Moses for his own “departure”
from this life. Elijah boldly preached God’s Word. But when Queen
Jezebel was seeking to kill him, Elijah fled to Mount Horeb, another
name for Mt. Sinai. There, the Lord assured Elijah of his gracious
presence even though he was bitterly opposed and felt like he was the
only faithful servant of God left. But he still had to go down the
mountain and finish his work of anointing two new kings and Elisha as
his successor. Perhaps they spoke with Jesus to encourage him in his
task ahead. Jesus will also go down the mountain. He will face
opposition. He will fulfill the Law. He will fulfill the Father’s
promise of a Savior. He will finish his work of dying for the sins
of the world.
Peter
got so excited about all this that he wanted to stay on the mountain.
And wouldn’t you? Would you want this amazing experience to end?
Peter wanted to pitch three tents up there and stay awhile. Enjoy
this heavenly camping trip. But Luke writes that Peter didn’t know
what he was talking about. After all, just eight days before this
heavenly hiking trip, Jesus had told the disciples that “The Son of
Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised”
(Luke 9:22). Perhaps Peter did remember this, but he didn’t want
to think about it. Maybe he thought, “If we just stay up here,
we’ll be safe. Then those awful things that Jesus told us about
won’t have to happen.”
What
would have happened if they had indeed stayed there? They would have
enjoyed each other’s company. They would have enjoyed wonderful
fellowship there on the mountain. But Jesus would not have come down
the mountain. Jesus would not have gone to the cross to die and take
away their sins … or ours!
It
wasn’t God’s plan for Jesus and the disciples to lounge around on
the mountain. The disciples did not have magic eyes to see who Jesus
really was. But Jesus’ identity had been unfolded to them. He was
not an ordinary person. He was True God and True Man, God’s own
Son, chosen to save sinners, sent to go down the mountain into the
valley of the shadow of death and face the cross.
When
we have a meaningful spiritual experience, we sometimes call it a
“mountaintop experience” … even if it didn’t happen on a
mountain. It could be at a retreat. It could be a special time of
Bible study and prayer with other Christians. It could be at a youth
gathering. But those experiences never last. Eventually, we have to
“go back down the mountain” … back to the dull routines of
daily life. The consequences of sin strike us once again. Suffering
enters our life. Conflict. Temptation. Falling to temptation
because we have failed to “listen to” God's “Chosen One,” his
beloved Son. And each one of us will, at one time or another, pass
through the valley of the shadow of death … the death of someone
close to us or our own impending death.
But
because Jesus went down the mountain and faced suffering and death
for you, he walks with you as you walk down your mountains. He walks
with you in your suffering. He walks with you through the valley of
the shadow of death. And you do not need to fear that valley because
in his dying and rising again, Jesus conquered your enemy death once
and for all.
Think
about how it would have been for you on that mountain. What would
you have said when you saw Jesus’ appearance change before your
very eyes … and without needing any magic eyes to see his glory?
What you have felt when you heard the Father’s voice telling you,
“This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” Would this have
been a life-changing experience? I imagine it would have been. It
would have been a true “mountaintop experience.”
But
you don’t need to go up on a mountain. You don’t need any magic
eyes to see something spectacular. You had a life-changing
experience in the waters of Holy Baptism. You didn’t have any
magic eyes to see what was going on there. But God was truly at work
there. He washed away your sins. He gave you the Holy Spirit. And
you will have another life-changing experience this morning as you
receive Christ’s body and blood. Again, no magic eyes to see
what’s going on there. But Jesus has promised you in his Word that
his body and blood are truly present there and given to you for the
forgiveness of all your sins.
And
you have heard God’s voice today … not from a cloud, but from
that lectern, from this pulpit, from this book in the liturgy and the
hymns. You have heard God’s voice that tells you he loves you, you
are forgiven in Christ, and that your Lord Jesus walks with you in
your suffering, sustains you when you face trials and temptations,
and carries you through the valley of the shadow of death.
When
you go to a movie theater, you first have to sit through all the
previews. You get a sneak peek at some of the exciting scenes of
movies that will soon be in the theater. Based on those scenes, you
decide if you want to fork over a few bucks and see that movie on the
big screen when it comes out.
The
Transfiguration of Jesus is a bit like one of those movie previews.
There we get a sneak peek at the glory of Jesus, the glory of heaven,
the glory of the resurrection. We don’t need any books about
near-death experiences to tell us that “heaven is for real.” We
already have that assurance in the Book of Books. We already have
that assurance in the Transfiguration, with Moses and Elijah standing
there with Jesus. We already have that assurance in the Resurrection
and Ascension of Jesus. But we don’t get to see the entire
“theatrical release” just yet. We still have to remain here for
a while. We still have to go down the mountain and enter once again
the season of Lent where we will walk with Jesus to the cross. It’s
there where he paid your admission price to heaven with his own
blood. And then, when our last hour has come and we enter into
eternity, we will stand on the mountain with Jesus, Moses, Elijah,
Peter, James, John, and all the departed saints in Christ. We will
see the glory of Jesus … and without any magic eyes.
Amen.
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