Transfiguration C

This is my Son, my chosen. Listen to Him!
Luke 9:35

Luke 9:28-36

²⁸ Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³⁰ Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. ³¹ They appeared in glory and were speaking of his exodus, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

³² Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. ³³ Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"―not knowing what he said.

³⁴ While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!"

³⁶ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

• Overview of Luke's Gospel


So Far in Luke 9

• Jesus calls the 12 together and gives them authority to heal and cast out demons.
• Sends them out to proclaim the gospel and heal; charges them to find and stay at houses of peace/shalom, with the famous exhortation to shake the dust of any place off their feet if it isn't one of peace.
• Charges the 12 to feed the crowd—"you give them something to eat." 5 loaves, 2 fish.
• Peter confesses Jesus as Messiah, the Christ of God.
• Jesus' passion prediction—suffer, die, be buried, raised.
• Jesus calls us to bear his cross, to lose our lives in order to save our lives.
• And now, Jesus transfigured on the mountain top!

Backtracking: read Exodus 34:29-35

Jesus' appearance became transformed not simply because he experienced God's glory ass Moses did, but because Jesus is the source of divine glory.


Listen to Jesus!

Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!"

Listen to Jesus! not "look at him," despite all the resplendent shiny glory and bling that surrounds him.

Martin Luther: "The eyes are hard of hearing."

Listen to Jesus, not to Moses or to Elijah, who didn't quite get everything right all the time. Listen to Jesus and not to any other cultural, economic, consumer, or ecclesiastical voices evokes the Barmen Declaration [1934] from the Confessing Church in Germany in the wake of the idolatry of National Socialism – Nazism. The declaration is fairly short and extremely clear. In the current global political climate we need to claim and take its content to heart and to the streets.


Theological Declaration of Barmen

• Barmen Declaration background

• Barmen Declaration text

Please notice the German Churches call themselves "evangelical" or "good news," which is the usual terminology for German protestant churches and the designation Martin Luther chose.

Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in holy scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death.

We reject the false doctrine, as though the church could and would have to acknowledge as a source of its proclamation, apart from and besides this one Word of God, still other events and powers, figures and truths, as God's revelation.

and further:

We reject the false doctrine, as though the church were permitted to abandon the form of its message and order to its own pleasure or to changes in prevailing ideological and political convictions.

Mountains and Revelation

Mountains and other natural expressions are special venues of divine revelation and signs of God's presence in Judaism. You remember Moses receiving the commandments on Mount Sinai–Exodus 20:1-17? Elijah on Mount Carmel—1 Kings 19:12? Jesus' Sermon on the Mount—Matthew 5, 6… Jesus of Nazareth's death on Mount Calvary as God's ultimate revelation—Mark 15:37-39?

In addition, in Hebrew cosmology, the cloud of the shekinah is a frequent feminine image of God's Spirit. Check out the revelatory cloud in Luke 9:34-35 .

We know all creation is holy, sacred, set apart, though in events like today's we experience a special meeting of heaven and earth. How about God's presence in the sacraments?


Epiphany into Lent

The Baptism of Jesus and the Feast of the Transfiguration form Trinitarian bookends, with both qualifying as theophanies, or particular revelations of God. Transfiguration concludes the Epiphany season and – depending on how you count and measure – finishes the first major segment of the church's year of grace that began with the first Sunday of Advent.

Today we looked at Jesus' transfiguration. A quote from Nelson Mandela: "We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us." So… how about us?

Epiphany 7C

Genesis 45:1-15

¹ Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, "Send everyone away from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.

³ Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.
⁵ And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶ For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. ⁷ God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. ⁸ So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

⁹ Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. ¹⁰ You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹ I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.'"

¹² "And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. ¹³ You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here." ¹⁴ Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck.

¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

Epiphany 7

This long Epiphany season will conclude next week with Transfiguration. And then? Ash Wednesday followed by six Sundays in (but not of) Lent.

This week I'll refer you to the exceptional commentary on the Joseph narrative by James Howell on his lectionary blog. I read Pastor Howell's blog most weeks, and I often find helpful ideas, but this one is extraordinary.


Joseph Forgiveness God Redemption Resurrection

The story of Jacob's son Joseph spans Genesis 37 through 50. You'll notice some backtracking and repetition because Genesis was compiled from different separate sources.

Joseph's brothers had intended serious harm (as in killing him) to Joseph, but Joseph was wise enough to recognize the action of God's Spirit in redeeming an incredibly bad situation. Joseph had enough insight, compassion, and life experience to forgive his brothers. In today's reading, and at the end of Genesis, chapter 50, Joseph credits God.

In spite of us, in spite of other people, in spite of circumstances, God heals, mends, renews, resurrects. God even redeems (literally takes back, buys back) death into new life!


Living in Empire

Among other perspectives, the story of Joseph and his brothers is about living well and fruitfully under empire—in this case Egypt.

It's impossible to escape the influence of empires, whether they're national governments (Babylon, Persia, Rome, Spain, Great Britain) or multinational corporations (Berkshire Hathaway, Eli Lilly, Walmart, Nestlé…). We need to find ways to live and sometimes thrive whether by resistance or even a degree of cooperation.

With famine all around, Jacob's family had no choice but to go to a place where crops would grow so they could be fed. At the time, Egypt was the breadbasket of the world. Until a couple of weeks ago, the USA often was called the breadbasket of the world. Ukraine has been known as the breadbasket of Europe. What does that terminology mean to you?

We may not need to leave our current city or place of residence, but political, commercial – and cultural! – empires still pursue us. What prayerful actions can we take to help change the status quo and even influence what looks like an (almost) inevitable future?

Through Christ God reconciled us to himself
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18

Epiphany 6C

They are like trees
planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never fade or dry up,
and they prosper in all they do.
Psalm 1:3

Unidentified river between mountains image with CC0 license via px here.

• Gospel According to Saint Luke Overview

Luke 6:12-26

¹² Now during those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, ¹⁵ and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶ and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

¹⁷ Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. ¹⁸ They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. ¹⁹ And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

²⁰ Then Jesus looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²² Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. ²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

²⁴ "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ²⁵ Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ²⁶ Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets."

Beatitudes

Comparing Matthew's Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12) and Luke's Sermon on the Plain or a Level Place (pasture, meadow, savannah, farmland) is a classic move. Jesus' Blessed list often is called The Beatitudes. The Greek almost always translated as "Blessed" approximately means happy, well-off, content, fortunate, but not quite, because there's no exact English equivalent.

After Matthew's Jesus goes (trudges?) up the mountain, he proclaims a series of prophetic if/then possibilities. Matthew brings us Jesus of Nazareth as a new Moses. Moses went up Mount Sinai (or Horeb, same place, different name) to receive the Ten Words or Commandments.

Luke's Jesus and his disciples come down the mountain before Jesus gives this talk. That's also like Moses who came down Mount Sinai or Horeb to deliver the Ten Words/Decalogue he'd received from God.

In Matthew, these blessings are strongly spiritual. Luke's Jesus reports more earthbound benefits.


According to Luke

Consistent with Luke's focus on distributive (who gets what, when, where, how, and even "why") justice, common-wealth, and our neighbors' well-being, in Luke's gospel Jesus gives this talk from the same level or elevation as the listening people.

Earlier in Luke we've seen social and economic leveling in Mary's Magnificat as she celebrates news of God's arrival in our midst: Luke 1:39-55. In his first act of public ministry when he reads Torah in synagogue on the Sabbath recorded in Luke 4:14-24, Jesus picks up Mary's theme; he reads from Isaiah and promises jubilee good news (gospel) to the poor, liberty to imprisoned and oppressed, economic and social justice.

Luke parallels four blessings with four "woe" statements. Woes disrupt and disturb comfortable complacency, tell us to pay attention, to listen up, because if you have the information you can avoid the negative consequences of those dangers. These woes aren't about misery, pain, sorrow, or distress. Luke's Jesus doesn't line out blessings versus curses. These aren't Divine favor versus God's judgment. They're not realm of heaven versus depths of hell.


Which Version?

Over the years Jesus would have given many different versions of this homily in many different places, so there's no need to ask which is more accurate. The gospel writers recorded particular events from Jesus' ministry because news of significant actions and encounters constantly made rounds because they were such "gospeled" great news.

I especially love that Luke records the time Jesus offered these promises after he'd been praying with his disciples (taught people) and from a larger group chose twelve apostles (sent people). Notice that he spoke to many persons all told; just like us, each would have understood to a different degree and grasped a different perspective.


Where We Live

You may have heard "upside-down kingdom," though nothing about God's way of mercy, justice, and inclusion has people with privilege becoming financially impoverished and socially marginalized. Because of this, it's important not to interpret today's and other biblical passages as suggesting those who are well-off from a human perspective will become the opposite. Jesus' "woe" pronouncements caution people not to be apathetic and unobserving of others from their relatively high positions; the woes nudge them to divest of some cash and material belongings to help bring everyone to the same level. Level is an important concept in this scripture, throughout Luke's gospel, and in Luke's Volume II Acts of the Apostles. God desires everyone to have enough, not for anyone to have too much or too little.

Early on, Acts describes the nascent church:

Acts 2

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All who believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵ they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.

Where we Live: Blessings and Woes

No doubt Jesus' Beatitudes were very different from ways most political and religious leaders usually behaved; they subverted the status quo most regular people routinely experienced, too. What blessings and woes can we announce?

Blessed are those who realize every facet of existence intertwines. All of us need nutritious locally grown food and clean water. Everyone needs to know how to read, to write, to learn how government works for them and against them, to interpret signs of the times. We all need social opportunities. Each individual and every family needs shelter.

Woe to those who don't and won't acknowledge any social and/or economic move impacts a few hundred in its path.

What Blessings and Woes do you declare?

The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof
The world and those that dwell therein.
Psalm 24:1

Epiphany 5C

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) :: The Prophet isaiah
Public Domain Image via Wikimedia Commons

Isaiah 6:1-8

¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. ² Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. ³ And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." ⁴ The foundations of the thresholds trembled at the sound of their voices, and the house filled with smoke.

⁵ And I said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" ⁶ Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. ⁷ The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out."

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!"

Epiphany

The Epiphany season continues with its focus on revelation, light, and Jesus (Light of the World!) for all people and all creation. God self-reveals in countless ways: scripture, circumstances; dreams we have when we sleep; dreams and visions when we're awake; memories, hopes, creation, conversations, sacraments… Epiphany is about God's people in turn revealing God's ways of inclusive grace to the world, which makes stories of God calling people so appropriate to the season.

During Epiphany we hear the opening acts of Jesus' public ministry in versions from the gospels of Luke on Epiphany 3—blog from 2019 and from John on Epiphany 2; those are call stores, too, with Jesus announcing God's call and claim on him.


Today's Readings

This week brings us two more call stories: the call of the prophet Isaiah and Jesus' calling his first disciples, who worked in the fishing profession in Luke 5:1-11.

Isaiah is 66 chapters long; it spans at least two centuries with writings from at least three different people. Today's passage is early in First Isaiah or Isaiah of Jerusalem, who was a temple priest in the lineage of Moses' brother Aaron.

All three sections of Isaiah particularly affirm God's lordship and sovereignty. Today's reading opens with the historical circumstance of the death of King Uzziah. Probably as he was offering a sacrifice of incense in the holy of holies, Isaiah receives a vision of the God he knew as the real king, the true ruler of all creation. Commentaries all say the dating here is accurate.

Although this is one of the texts for Trinity Sunday every year, and relates to that favorite Trinitarian hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy," Holy, holy, holy in this passage is not a trinitarian proclamation. It's an artifact of Hebrew, Aramaic and other semitic languages that don't have comparative and superlative adjectives, so you repeat the word once or twice. Instead of good, better, best, you'd say good, good, good. In this first reading for today, God is holy-holy-holy or the holiest.


Call—and Response

In addition to Jesus' call to ministry, besides Jesus calling disciples or followers that all three lectionary years include in their gospel readings, scriptures for recent Sundays include Jeremiah's call on Epiphany 4—blog from 2022 that echoes Moses' call from Exodus 3 and models God's many callings to each of us.

For discussion, journaling, or other considerations, think of your own major life calling/vocation or series thereof. At least since latish in the twentieth century most people have had four or five or six separate careers, or sometimes engage in two or three different ones at the same time. Most of us have many smaller circumstantial callings we receive literally all the time. What are some you've discerned and responded to?


Where We Live

Epiphany reveals Jesus as light of the world, Jesus as savior of all.

All of these scriptural call stories are mostly about God's gracious action. Our own call stories are primarily about God acting in grace. Epiphany reveals Jesus as light of the world. Epiphany is about us in turn revealing God's inclusive grace to the world. For us as holy people of a holy-holy-holy God, holiness means being baptized, set apart, and called; holiness means forgiven and set free; holiness means responding with loving, merciful, justice-seeking lives.