The Light In His Touch
Exodus 24:12-18; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9
Rev. Tiare L. Mathison, Pastor & Soul-Tender
This is a pivot Sunday on the liturgical calendar. Epiphany is over, on Wednesday we begin Lent with Ash Wednesday services, the palm branches from last Palm Sunday, burnt to ash, reminding us of our death. The lectionary dispenses with its order on these pivot Sundays, to place fundamental stories in front of us. This transfiguration, this one scene answers the critical question: Who is Jesus anyway? He speaks with Moses and Elijah—the most important leaders of ancient Israel, the Law and the Prophets. Torah had been the intermediary between God and Israel. Now it is Jesus, and the covenant expands to welcome us Gentiles. There is so much glory there is no darkness. Imagine that!
Endearing words=="My Beloved, my beloved". And His touch - ‘do not be afraid.’ The Light of His Touch.
For us, Transfiguration is that moment when we are stopped, captured by unveiled light, majestic glory as Scripture calls it; or unveiled truth: of beauty, of sorrow, of suffering. We stop. It’s when two people in the doctor’s office receive the same news; the one reaches out a hand to the other. It’s the ashen face as they turn from the phone. It’s the squeal of delight when the text message says, “we’re pregnant!”
It is a broad category of change yet time stands STILL. It is the process of Transformation that opens us up to take this still moment in a turning world into ourselves over time. It is transformative. Continuous action. To change us. Like having or adopting a baby. Never the same.
The Light of His Touch.
This story requires us to set aside our instinct for disbelief, to let the mystery of God appear, like in burning bushes, or doves, or clouds in the day and pillars of fire by night. Or being born a human baby from a Virgin's womb.
I invite you to listen FOR the word of God for you today. The Lectionary starts at verse one of Matthew 17, but I want to capture a bit of the previous conversations with Jesus, as they set the stage for this magnificent encounter, 6 days later… Pray
Do you ever wonder what drew the disciples, the men and the women, to Jesus in the first place? He was introduced by John the Baptist, he of funny clothes and strange eating habits, living primarily in the wilderness until Herod went after him for his head. Jesus said off-the-wall things: Blessed are the poor, the mourners, the meek, those who hunger for righteousness. He spoke directly to the people in the midst of their daily lives - they were the ones who suffered under the rod of oppression of empire.
He did not go to the insiders, the power brokers, the well-dressed leaders - other than to argue theological fine points - rather he went to those on the margins. Like fishermen, working class guys, stinky at day’s end, ribald in their humor, just trying to make a buck. He addressed the women with respect, rather than a gaze of desire; He honored their intellect and imagination, He saw them as full bearers of the image of God.
He reached out to touch the woman with the flow of blood; the lepers, absolutely unclean. Tax collectors, prostitutes, foreigners, Gentiles no less, illegal immigrants, the unlovelies as they are called in finer circles. He created spaces that were safe and curated content that was life-giving. He engaged in deep and profound conversations with a huge variety of folk; He built worlds with His words. And he did something no one else could do for truly He is the Son of God. He recognized the peoples’ wounds as holy ground, laid his hand to staunch the blood, filled with love and mercy. (Oscar Wilde) The Light of His Touch.
Something captured the attention of these women and men. Hard to pinpoint in the moment - a transfiguration of sorts - but after the cross, the inevitable suffering of the Holy One of God, the giver of life, the source of judgment and the maker of mercy - they transformed into faithful witnesses to the truth of the gospel: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. They knew this man was not simply a bright light like Socrates or Buddha. Truly He is the Son of God. Even the Roman Soldiers at the cross could see this. The disciples gained their strength by telling the stories over and over to one another. Remember when He… yeah and what about that time…oh my, I forgot! Wow. Yeah. It was wild! He touched me, He put His hand on my arm, quietly, looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘get up, do not be afraid, everything is holy now.'
So, friends, what draws you to Jesus today? (Pause)
These compelling stories? Encounters of your own? The witness of family or friends or strangers who do extraordinary things in the name of Jesus? And what blocks you from receiving Jesus? It is this exam of our intimate thoughts and feelings that make us very uncomfortable. Conservative Christians often demand you have an exact date and time when you asked Jesus into your heart that you can name and claim. I remember as a kid at Christian camp every summer, I gave my heart to Jesus, again and again and again. In my adult faith, I had to be reminded that it was Him laying His hand on my arm rather than me making the relationship happen! I still give my heart to Jesus periodically, especially when I think I have wandered far from faithful and righteous living. His mercy is complete, it is my stumbling around that messes things up. The Light of His Touch.
In the Chronicles of Narnia, a Christian classic of 6 volumes set in the magic land through the wardrobe, C.S. Lewis, an early 20th century writer, writes in Aslan’s voice, the savior figure: quote: “Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly. I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearance. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.” Unquote
It is God’s gracious action to prepare us to live in this fallen world, a world that sometimes seems beyond all redemption. God asks us here on the ground to remind ourselves and one another, of the signs, the stories, the impulses, in the midst of the trials that will surely break us. Our task is to generate spaces where we welcome the Holy; we open the door and say come in Dear Jesus, come in. It might be the white-knuckled prayer: come in, and come in now, right now! Stop the evil, the oppression, no more harm! It might be the comfort of the dying breath: everything really is holy now. It is this light that we beg for, in the midst of all that is shadowed or terrorized by the real presence of evil in our worlds. The demonic voice can be so loud - ‘the world would be a better place without you’ - it drowns out the still voice that says “You are mine, My Beloved.” The abyss glitters for a moment. The Light of His Touch.
No wonder they fell to the ground, magnificent firmament overwhelms, of course it does, frightens. ‘Let’s stay up here!’ Sure. Glory, glory and all that stuff. But today, we live down here, in the muck of human life, some of our own making:) We are called to bear witness, to live out of the love and forgiveness we have found in Jesus Christ. We declare, He is risen, He is risen indeed as we go about the very mundane tasks of living life in relation to others. As the adage goes, ‘our lives may be the only gospel they read’. So our practice of faith is significant, it matters, as we long to hear at the end of our days, ‘well done, good and faithful servants’.
The Light of His Touch. Amen
Sing: 81. Glorious Things…