"Coming Off the Mountaintop"
Sermon Presented February 26, 2006
Mark 9:2-9
Last Tuesday, the Commission on Ministry of the Wisconsin Region of the American Baptist Churches met with two candidates for ordination at the Region office. These candidates prepare a paper using certain guidelines and the commission goes over it with them before they go before an ordination council. The second candidate to appear had a well-written paper, but the section on his call to ministry and faith journey didn't mention any specific time when he felt called by God to be a minister. (And not everyone has such a moment, just as not everyone has a specific time when they understand they are to follow Jesus in baptism and discipleship.)
One of the commissioners asked if he had a specific mountaintop experience when he knew he was called by God to become a minister. Without hesitation, he said (and I paraphrase): "Yes there was, but my life has been a series of moments of inspiration and moments of doubt. I didn't want this paper/my life to reflect all glory. It hasn't been. I have understood my call more clearly during times of struggle than during the peak experiences." He then went on to relate the time when he became convinced that God was calling him to a specific ministry. I could relate to what he said, and I'm sure that the three disciples in this morning's story could also relate to it. Hear that story from Mark 9:2-9. (Read text.)
Jesus takes three of his disciples (Peter, James and John) with him to the top of a mountain and there they see Jesus as they have never seen him before. It's a glorious moment! The manifestations here are similar to Old Testament appearances of God. The event happens on a mountaintop, which alerts the reader that a special revelation is at hand. There is a sudden unexplained light and brightness to Jesus clothing which signals the presence of God. An overshadowing cloud and the appearance of Moses and Elijah connect Jesus to both the law (10 Commandments) and the prophets. Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of Israel's history recognizes the divine glory being ascribed to Jesus here.
This vision gets the attention of his disciples. They didn't witness Jesus' baptism when God spoke almost the same message to Jesus as is spoken here, so the message is all new to them. Even though they are terrified, they recognize that they are in the presence of God. Peter wants to hold onto this moment of glory by building a monument to the occasion. He misreads what he is supposed to learn from the appearance and thus what Jesus is all about!
I love Peter because, like me, he lets his feelings hang out. For those of us who sometimes speak before we think, God through Peter offers us a point of grace. Because Peter doesn't understand the vision, he offers to build a monument to each of the three - Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Then a voice from heaven declares that Jesus is God's son, and admonishes those present to listen to him. They can't just observe this moment of glory, but must listen to Jesus. Life with Jesus is more about following him than experiencing his glory!
Suddenly the vision is gone and it's time to go back down the mountain. On the way down, Jesus cautions them not to tell anyone. Because they don't understand the meaning of what they saw and because they are frightened and confused, Jesus tells them not to talk about their experience until after the resurrection. They aren't ready to be witnesses to Jesus' messianic role until they learn that his upcoming suffering is intricately connected to his glory.
How can people who heard all their lives that "when the messiah comes, there will be no misery" understand suffering and death as kingdom experiences? It's easy to see why the disciples are confused! And so, between the first time Jesus announces he will die and his death, God gives the disciples this moment of glory that we call the Transfiguration. Disciples who have been hearing talk of death are given a glimpse of Jesus' glory, but they don't get it. They see a glimpse of a glorious future but can't possess it. There is still another mountain to climb - Golgotha.
Like the disciples, we can't stay on the mountaintop. Our mountaintop experiences are few in the grand scheme of our lives. So how do we use this biblical Transfiguration experience - or our own mountaintop experiences to strengthen our lives? First, we can remember them - just as the disciples did - as faith builders. These faith builders can help sustain us in dry times. Our remembrances of God's glory encourage us to keep going through adversity. Those who journal have a written record of God's working in their lives because sometimes we forget or minimize our moments of glory over time.
Next, we are to move forward instead of being locked in our memories. Because we can't stay on the mountain, nor do we want to be stuck in the valley, we must use our experiences to help us move on with our lives. Although we may not understand the glory times, they will encourage us through life's deserts. Mountaintop experiences are rare but conflict and suffering are common. Just as lightening on a dark night gives illumination, so do the bold flashes of glory illuminate our landscape and give our lives clarity and direction. Following Jesus through ordinary and hard times comprises the preponderance of our life's experiences.
This mountaintop experience was important - and necessary - for Jesus and the disciples. It kept them going - assuring them that they were on the right track. Jesus understood all too well that trials lay ahead, an understanding that would come all too soon to the disciples.
It's important that we remember our mountaintop experiences. Like moths to flames, we are drawn to glory. We both pursue it and try to avoid it. If you ever attended a religious rally or retreat for the purpose of experiencing God, you know what I'm talking about. It's good to seek new revelations of God, but these revelations aren't standard fare. When we get a glimpse of the holy and have an encounter with God, we can celebrate it, learn from it and move on to utilize what we have learned.
In my role as a minister, I have observed that the dying often have glorious encounters with God. I can't explain it, but maybe those in the throes of death realize they have no more control over anything and relinquish their lives to God. At such times, I've seen God's faithfulness time and time again. A mountaintop experience gives the dying a glimpse of God's glory when it is most needed.
People search for the holy, but we often search in the wrong places. However, I believe that those who search will be rewarded with the direction and focus they seek, even though it may be a lengthy process. In our text, God shows us Jesus and says: "This is my beloved; listen to him!" And as we listen - as we search - we see that Jesus reveals God's glory - not only through the spectacular, but through his suffering and death. As we listen, we hear wonderful words of life.
However, like the disciples, we tend to welcome the glory and reject the suffering. When we suffer, we wonder if there's something wrong with us - or with God. We look for explanations, and find none that satisfy. This is life!
I've never seen Christ transfigured nor heard God speak in an audible voice. I haven't seen visions of Jesus or angels standing before me or sitting at the foot of my bed. But just because it hasn't happened to me, doesn't mean it doesn't happen! Life is more than just plodding along, not knowing for sure if God is present or not. God is with us in life - whether glory or suffering, and we can't negate the experiences of others.
Let me reiterate: most of our life is lived in the ordinary or in the valleys. So when we come off the occasional mountaintop onto the plains or into the valley, we must deal with the realities of life. Wherever you are on the continuum right now, I invite you to pray and be faithful to what you understand God wants you to be or to do. I invite you to speak with someone who has a faith history to help you get your bearings. When we don't have any affirmation that we are doing the right things - when we have no proof that God visited us, our faith is tested. But by faith we know that God loves us and is with us, and that gives us the impetus to move forward in our lives.
God speaks to us and says: "Listen to my son, Jesus." And what is it that God's son Jesus says to us? He asks us to accompany him from the top of the mountain into whatever life holds for us, and he promises to be with us. That's a message we need to hear - and believe!
