29^th March 2011

Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Sunday 06 March 2011

Lessons -- Psalm 99; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew17:1-13

Jesus ordered them, 'Tell no one about the vision until after the Son
of Man has been raised from the dead.' Matthew 17:9b NRSV

A very surprising word to end an extraordinary experience! In the presence
of three great men of courage and faith, the disciples are sworn to
silence! We might have expected encouragement to express their excitement
and 'spread the word'. But no, 'Tell no one!' Be silent!

Why suppress enthusiasm? Why refuse publicity for a spectacular event,
especially when it shows him in such a favourable light?

On the face of it, it does not make sense. This is an awe-inspiring
occasion. Jesus' appearance is 'transfigured' in the presence of two other
'figures' -- Moses and Elijah -- whose faces had also shone (v3) before
God. Here, their appearance together suggests the presence of God. Matthew
includes other features that also suggest special divine presence. 'High
mountains', 'clouds' and 'special tents' (booths) were places where God's
word had been spoken to dispirited, stubborn folk. Christ's dazzling
appearance suggests the 'splendour of God' and the resurrection of the
dead that was so eagerly awaited by long-suffering Jews. Why discourage
publicity about this event of hope?

After all, it was widely believed that the great Representative of the Law
(Moses) and the great Representative of the Prophets (Elijah) would
reappear as heralds of a time when Israel's faith would be rewarded. They
represented faith at its best, mediating the gracious will of God to the
people and the failures of the people to God.

The presence of Jesus in their company suggests an event of great
significance. Jesus stands in the tradition of faith and courage displayed
by these great figures. He too mediates the Word of God to the people and
the people's needs to God. Surely this is a great honour for Jesus, as
Peter thinks with his plan to pitch three special tents. Jesus must be
thought of alongside these heroic and faithful figures!

He does fulfil their hopes, but in a totally unexpected way. He stands in
the tradition of Moses, to whom God's law was given, and Elijah, the great
prophet of God. But it is they who are 'honoured'. He is the mediator
between God and humanity who displays God's will and embodies true
humanity.

A number of details point to this unexpected conclusion:

* His dazzling appearance reflects the radiance of God. Matthew adds a
detail not mentioned by Mark or Luke. Jesus' face was even more
dazzling than Moses' face after he had been 'talking with God' (Exodus
34:29) -- 'Jesus' face shone like the sun'. (v2). This is why in
Eastern Orthodoxy the Feast of the Transfiguration is central. It is
the moment in the Gospels when the splendour of the invisible God is
displayed in Jesus' ministry with unequalled brilliance. He is revealed
as the presence of God 'with us': 'God from God, Light from Light, true
God from true God . . . ,' as the Nicene Creed affirms.

* The voice from heaven, already heard at Jesus' baptism (3:17), declares
Jesus to be 'my beloved Son' (17:7). He has a special relationship with
God/Father. He not only fulfils the law (represented by Moses) and
prophetic hopes (represented by Elijah). He embodies the very glory of
God, a strange glory shown in his baptism by the astonishing fact that
he identified himself with broken / sinful humanity.

* Matthew includes other details that are not mentioned by Mark or Luke
(vv 6,7) . At the news that Jesus is God's beloved Son, the disciples
'fell on their faces and were filled with awe / overcome with fear'.
Such reactions often occurred in the presence of God. People were
astonished and humbled by what Jesus said and did. Fear and awe
accompany the resurrection; Jesus urges disciples to be not afraid
(Matthew 28:5,10). So here too at the transfiguration, the disciples
are filled with awe and are humbled in Jesus' presence.

In response Matthew tells us that Jesus speaks and acts as the bearer of
hope. He 'comes to the disciples' in the same way that he 'comes to' them
as the Risen Lord (28:18). When we learn that Jesus 'touched' them and
said, 'Get up and do not be afraid' (v7) we are also reminded that by word
and touch Jesus had restored many people to life (8:3,15; 9:25ff).

Thus Matthew depicts the transfiguration as being a 'review' of Jesus'
unique life-giving ministry and a 'preview' of his unique death-denying
resurrection. It is a sign of hope!

* This is confirmed by Matthew, Mark and Luke who all say that the vision
ends when 'they saw no one except Jesus himself alone' (v8). There is
no other 'figure' in history like him.

* The question of who Jesus is has already exercised the minds of the
disciples in the episode that comes before this vision (16:13-28). They
were not able to figure him out when Jesus asks them, 'Who do you say
that I am?' and speaks about his impending crucifixion and resurrection
and the necessity for them to 'take up their crosses to follow him'.

It now becomes clearer why they are sworn to silence. They do not yet
realise the full implications of Jesus' transfiguration; still tempted --
like many of us -- to regard him as a religious / moral 'figure' who is
more or less equal in honour and importance to other faithful 'figures'.

The clearest reason for silence though is that Jesus' identity will be
revealed by coming events. The 'glory' of God will be visible after the
resurrection of the crucified Christ. 'Matthew wants his readers to grasp
an essential truth. He uses the theme of secrecy to combat a tendency
among disciples in every age to be more interested in the glory of Jesus
than his shame.' (para W Clarnette, Church & Nation, 10/2/1982.)

This 'strange glory' is powerfully expressed in a sermon preached at the
court of King James I by the Bishop of Exeter. 'A strange occasion, when
his head shone with glory to think of how it must bleed with thorns; . . .
when his garments glistened with celestial brightness, to think of how
they must be stripped and divided; . . . and while he was Transfigured on
the Mount to think how he must be Disfigured on the Cross?' (para Roger
Sharr, unpublished sermon 1982)

The reason for silence now becomes very clear! Enthusiasm about Jesus'
transfiguration would be misguided if the glory of God in Christ crucified
were ignored. Jesus would then be merely another prophetic 'figure'
calling for religious, moral and social reform. He would not be the
embodiment of the costly 'glory of God' . . . 'God from God' . . .
acting 'for our sake . . . .' Silence is required to protect Jesus from
false publicity!

Regrettably, they do not get the point! Soon they want to know who is the
greatest among them (18:1ff). Soon Judas will betray Jesus and Peter will
disown him. How quickly they forget the significance of the
transfiguration when they descend to the 'noisy' world. And how easily
too we forget our calling in the midst of our mundane tasks.

CS Lewis can help us see the true 'glory of God' in the midst of life. In
his The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (one of The Chronicles of Narnia)
the great lion Aslan -- the 'Christ figure' killed by the evil witch but
risen from the dead -- speaks to the little girl, Lucy, who helps him:
'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 care that
it does not confuse your mind. And the signs that you have learned here
will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there.
That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention
to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else
matters.'

It is easy to be taken in by 'appearances'. At a time when we are
bombarded by promises to transfigure our lives, it is the Church's glad
task to direct the world to the One who truly illuminates everything by
the blinding splendour of his costly, triumphant love.

In order to carry out this task, we need to practise a proper silence.
Silence is necessary so that we will not be tempted to treat Jesus as just
another religious figure and to diminish the unparalleled splendour of
God's self- revelation of mercy-and-goodness in him. In him we are
encountered by 'the only Son of God' and 'the Lord of heaven and earth'.

Silence is necessary too so that, in the face of increasing opposition to
Christianity, we may know who it is who enables us to be courageous and
full of hope.

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Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt
Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of
Confessing Congregations within the UCA.