Sermon 

Rev. Judith Perry 

Peter writes: “You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” 

I am trying to be attentive, but today’s reading from the gospel and Peter’s account of it, is weird. 

When will the day dawn and the morning star rise in my heart, in our hearts?  What does it all mean? 

The gospel account is unlike anything else in Matthew except, perhaps, the resurrection. The story comes from Mark and is repeated in Matthew and Luke. 

John doesn’t even mention it, but we do have this rendition from Peter’s letter which was read this morning. 

These readings come on the last Sunday before the beginning of Lent.  

Ash Wednesday is this week, when the faithful have ashes smudged on their foreheads with the words’ “Remember thou art dust and to dust thou shalt return”, a sobering thought. 

So, Lent begins after a psychedelic reading of the glory of a transfigured glowing  

Jesus. We go from the heights to the depths. Next Sunday we read about the temptations of Jesus in the desert.  Same Jesus. 

This morning’s Jesus is presented like this:  

“And Jesus was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became as white as light.” 

“A bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said: “This is precious Son, with whom I am delighted; listen to him.” Matthew 17: 5 

What went on? Up there on the mountain? 

What went on with a radiant Jesus, those three stunned disciples, a shining cloud, Moses and Elijah, and an awesome voice from the heavens? 

What really happened that day? Was it vision, hallucination or some stunt? Those aren’t the kind of questions that they asked a couple of thousand years ago. But we ask those questions, and we have ways of finding out. 

We would be there with TV cameras, infra red cameras, Geiger counters, and most prominent of all, with a mob of reporters.  

They would have travelled across the world for an interview with Peter, James and John; to be aired on the CBC or, if possible, a “live” interview instantly beamed around the world. 

A microphone shoved under the nose of John; “Mr. Zebedee, may I call you John? Thank you for giving us your time. Please tell us in your own words what....” 

We have resources and talking heads. There would be many explanations, from those who spend their lives spinning theories.  

From psychiatrists to physicists, theologians to astrologers, psychic research buffs and philosophers, mediums, UFO researchers and new age fanatics. It would be immense! 

Well, that didn’t happen. What did happen? Like I said: he only information we seem to have from that actual day comes from Matthew, Mark and Luke, and one brief reference from the brief letter we know as the Second Letter of Peter.  

The three Gospel writers tell a similar story, with some variations that seem to fit the particular style and emphasis of each author. 

Each Gospel includes the mountain retreat, Jesus with Peter, James and John, the time of prayer, the radiance that transfigures Jesus, the disciples flat on their faces, a luminous cloud over the mountain, Moses and Elijah and the Heavenly Voice. 

That is all that we are told in way of a description.  We know that is how the first Christians heard and retold the story. It is the story that was still circulating during the second half of the first century.  

The transfiguration story in the first three Gospels is an epiphany story. It is a story about the unveiling of God amongst us. It is about seeing the light of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ.  

That is why we observe this day on the last Sunday before Lent; at the climax of the Epiphany season. The magi came seeking the light of God and found it at Bethlehem.  

Now, three from among the disciples are taken by Jesus up the mountain, and there they have an epiphany, they see the light of God displayed in the whole being of Jesus.. 

The reason why we treasure and celebrate the moment of truth for Peter, James and John, is that it speaks to our hearts. In a vivid, pictorial way it reminds us of the moments when we sense the glory of God in Jesus and fall down and worship him.  

It affirms within us those special experiences times when we, in our own modest way, experience something of an epiphany. 

For a handful of people, such utterly clear moments are large, clear and frequent. For most of us they are small and brief and occasional.  That does not mean that those who have spectacular epiphanies are somehow spiritually superior souls.  

It simply means that God deals with us in different ways.  The important thing is to follow the light we have glimpsed, be it ever so brief. 

Most of us have at least one or two such brief times of spiritual clarity. “Ah yes! I SEE!” It is our Epiphany.