IT IS GOOD FOR US TO BE HERE

Mark 9:2-9; 2 Kings 2:1, 7-12

It is difficult convey the impressiveness of this transfiguration event. It starts off like a normal day in the life of Jesus. He along with his core group of disciples: Peter, James, and John, take a walk up a mountain. This isn't too unusual. But then Jesus is transfigured before them, He is changed. Something happened to Jesus' appearance that made his glory evident.

Not only does Jesus look different, but suddenly Moses and Elijah materialize and are talking with Jesus! The four started out on a hike and it turned into a reunion with two of the major figures of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Moses...the man, who confronted the Pharaoh on God's behalf, led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Land promised by God. He is the one who spoke to God on a mountain and returned to the people with the 10 commandments! And then ElijahÉ the great prophet who predicted a famine in Israel, who successfully petitioned God to return life to the dead son of a widow, who defeated the prophets of Baal by calling the fire of God upon an altar on Mt. Carmel. He too spoke with God on top of a mountain and as we heard earlier in Second Kings chapter 2, Elijah was taken up to heaven by a chariot of fire in a whirlwind.

It is obvious that these men are major figures in the Jewish faith. It is no wonder that when Peter saw them talking to Jesus his first and only response was to request to set up camp. Why return to their lives, why go down the mountain, as Peter said, "it is good for us to be here," so why not stay and enjoy the company.

While Jesus does not rebuke Peter's request, he does not entertain the idea either. Jesus had other reasons for them to make the journey up the mountain. This was not meant to be a retreat from the world, from their hectic schedules of fulltime ministry, but a journey of revelation. Jesus was showing the disciples who He IS.

After Peter's request a cloud overshadows them on the mountain, and similar to the experiences that both Moses and Elijah had with God on a mountain, God again speaks but this time God addresses the disciples.

"This is my Beloved Son. Listen to Him!"

Listen to Him....why does God need to tell the disciples to listen to Jesus. Of course they listen to him, he is Jesus. But in reality their past actions show that they didn't really understand who Jesus IS. The disciples didn't understand the meaning of the parable of the sower; they questioned Jesus' identity when he calmed the storm. And when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water they were terrified. Just prior to our scene on the mountain Jesus had asked the disciples who they say He is. Peter responded, "You are the Christ."

The Christ, the anointed one....But then as Jesus went on and told the disciples of His coming suffering, death, and resurrection, Peter rebuked him. Peter's idea of who the Christ was differed from a messiah who would be rejected, suffer greatly, and die.

So Jesus led the three up the mountain. The presence of Moses and Elijah attested to Jesus being similarly sent by God to teach and lead the people. And then God reveals Jesus' authority even further by proclaiming that Jesus is God's son to whom they are commanded to listen.

Then the cloud departs, Moses and Elijah disappear, and Jesus and his three disciples are on the mountain alone. Mark shares no further explanation but tells of the four descending the mountain where they are greeted by a large crowd seeking healing...and work resumes.

The transfiguration is such a magnificent account that it is often difficult to find ourselves within it. Yet we so often respond to God in a strikingly similar fashion as Peter. We come to a spot in our lives where everything seems to be good. We are happy, healthy, and have found contentment. Once we have reached this point like Peter we tend to want to set up camp. We start establishing roots so we won't have to move on. And often we even become frightened of the idea of changing our situation. We know that once we are on top of the mountain, if we move it is bound to include some sort of descent. We would prefer to just remain where we are.

Most of you are aware that my husband, Brandon, and I are seminary students. Prior to moving out here to New Jersey, we had been living in Flagstaff, Arizona. We both worked at a church with their educational ministry. We loved it there. It was there that we both recognized our love for ministry and our desire to devote our lives to it. Plus, we had friends close by and our families were within driving distance. We had discussed the possibility of going to seminary at some point. But we were happy with our life in Flagstaff. So happy that we started house hunting and making plans to stay there for the duration. We thought that Flagstaff was perfect for us, so why leave.

But as with Peter, God had different plans...the house we were interested in fell through, the job position we were applying for wanted more education and at the suggestion of a mentor we applied for admittance at Princeton Theological Seminary where we were accepted. Within a period of three months the plans we had made for our future had been turned upside down. We were moving to New Jersey and leaving our nice life in the mountains behind.

This tendency to become complacent doesn't only happen within our daily lives, but our faith can reach a state of complacency as well. We think we know who God is and what God is doing in our life. But often we are instead oblivious of God's will and the direction God wants our life to take. We start trying to make God work within our lives, instead of working our lives around God's will. Like Peter we create within our minds our own conceptions of who Jesus isÉ of who God is and neglect to listen to the truth of the Gospel. Instead of first considering God's greater purpose, we feel God is there to serve our own purpose.

Our notions of Christ may be different from Peter's hope for a revolutionary military leader, but our ideas may be just as far off from the self-sacrificing character of the incarnate God. Like Peter we desire comfort and security and turn to God to make our desires a reality. But God does not promise comfort and security, but risk and uncertainty. God calls us to challenge our own notions of who God is and be willing to risk everything to follow God's will, this is done in faithful assurance that God is good and can be trusted...we just have to listen.

God leads us to the mountain to show us who God is. The mountain top experiences are not meant to entice us to stay on the mountain, but to equip us to follow God's will more closely when we descend to the base of the Mountain. God uses these experiences to teach us about our faith and devotion to God and who God is. In turn we learn more about God's direction for us. When we come to times of complacency within our lives where we approach God with the statement "It is good for us to be here"....lets stay awhile, let us first try to discern what God is doing in the moment. Recognize it as a time of rejuvenation and revelation but also look forward to the descent down the mountain where God calls us to follow and listen for God's will to be revealed.

If Peter, James, and John had not had their experience on the mountain they may never have know who Jesus really IS. If they had stayed on the mountain they would not have been able to continue Jesus' ministry and begin the early church.

If Brandon and I had not had our time in Flagstaff we might not have recognized our passion and love for ministry. But if we had stayed in Flagstaff we would not have received the training and experience for ministry that we are getting here in New Jersey.

Consider today what mountain God has led you to and how God is using that experience to prepare you to follow God's will.

 

February 26, 2006