Mountains and Valleys

On this Transfiguration Sunday, the view of Jesus in glory offers us a mountaintop experience that will help us to walk through the valley of Lent. Our own mountaintop experiences help us to do the very same thing.

I am at a loss to understand what motivates mountain climbers. Why in the world would anyone clamber over loose rocks, wade through deep snow, and inch up sheer cliff walls like a human fly? When asked why he risked his life climbing Mt. Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary famously replied, “Because it is there.” That’s a great quote, but it’s not much of an answer. Many people point to the thrill of the climb, and the courage necessary to face the dangers that threaten every climber from the moment that he or she sets out. Others, though, answer that question by recalling the grandeur of the vistas that can only be viewed from the summit of a mountain – vistas that offer a view of our earth as very few people will ever see it.

Today’s gospel reading (Matthew 17:1-9) offers us a story of Jesus and three of his disciples climbing a mountain; and Matthew is careful to tell us that it was a very high mountain. But Jesus didn’t take them there to get a good view of the surrounding countryside. No, Jesus wanted his disciples to experience a different kind of view, one that would strike them with awe and forever change their understanding of their teacher. Jesus took them up the mountain so that they could experience his glory that had so far been hidden from the eyes of his disciples. Matthew struggles to express that glory. “His face shone like the sun,” Matthew tells us, “and his clothes became white as the light.” Jesus is even joined by Moses and Elijah, the representing the law and the prophets; and the disciples witness all of it. No wonder that they wanted to stay there! Jesus’ glory surrounds the disciples as Peter offers to build three shelters – one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah – so that they would never have to leave. After all, what activity in their daily lives could possibly compare with the spiritual high they are experiencing? Why not just stay there forever?

I’ll bet that some of you have felt that way at one time. We may not have seen Jesus glowing with heavenly fire on top of a mountain, but we have had religious experiences that changed us forever. Those experiences reached into our souls and moved us so much that the very foundations of our lives were shaken. That’s the reason that we call them “mountaintop” experiences. They are as brief as the time that Jesus’ disciples spent on the mountaintop with him; and just like Peter, we don’t want them to end. Maybe you felt that way at church camp one summer. You and the friends that you made there became as tightly-knit as your own family (and maybe even tighter). You felt the presence of Jesus as you had never felt him before; and at the end of the week, you wept because you didn’t want to leave. Or maybe it was music at a concert that moved you so deeply that you felt heaven all the way down to your tiptoes; and when the music ended, you sat with your eyes closed wishing that it could continue forever. Of course we don’t want to leave those mountaintops! They are rare moments in our lives; and when we experience them, we cherish them!

But the disciples couldn’t stay on that mountaintop; and we can’t, either. No sooner had Peter made his suggestion than God’s glory overshadowed all of them, and they heard God’s voice saying, “This is my beloved Son, and I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!” Listen to him? What is Jesus going to say? The disciples don’t know, but we do. They will soon learn to their shock and horror that Jesus is anticipating his own death at the hands of the Romans. Not only must they all leave the mountaintop and walk into the valley; that valley will be very long and deep indeed. And it’s a valley that every Christian must experience. “Whoever wants to follow me must take up his own cross,” Jesus says (Matthew 16:24). In the words of the old spiritual, “We must walk that lonesome valley. We have to walk it by ourselves. Oh, nobody else can walk it for us.” Despite our desire to escape it, that valley awaits every single one of us.

The season of Lent is one of those valleys. It’s not my favorite season of the year; and I imagine that it’s not yours, either. It’s a somber time here at church. We will put the alleluias away until Easter; and the hymns will be subdued. A wooden cross draped in purple will hang in the front of the sanctuary; and a wreath of purple candles will join the Bible and the candles on the altar. Each week, one of those candles will be extinguished as we recognize our sin. For six long weeks, we will own up to what we do – and to what we don’t do. Oh, yes, Lent is a valley, to be sure! And that’s why we celebrate Jesus’ transfiguration on the Sunday before Lent begins. It’s one brief, shining moment that lifts all of us up to the mountaintop and offers us a good look at Jesus in all his glory. It unmasks the glory that Jesus has possessed since the beginning of time, but that we seldom see on our day-to-day walk with him. The short essay on the back of today’s worship bulletin says it beautifully! “The Transfiguration is a spoiler! The Son of Man may lose his life on the cross, but in the end he will return and shine as the sun. It lets the disciples know that even as Jesus has just predicted his death on a cross, they needn’t fear, they needn’t worry, because he is unstoppable. He is the beloved Son of God. They can hold on to that dazzling vision, and it will give them hope in the frightening days ahead.”

That’s what our own mountaintop experiences can do for us, too. When we are in the middle of a dark valley – and we all will be there, sooner or later – we can hold on to the visions that we ourselves have had of Jesus in his glory. We can hold on to the certainty that he is right beside us; because once, we felt him there. We can hold on to the certainty that he is the essence of love and beauty and majesty and wisdom; because once, we saw all those things as clearly as we see the person sitting next to us right now. We can hold on to the certainty that the valleys of our lives will be temporary, while Jesus’ glory is eternal. Before we walk through the valley of Lent – before we walk through all the valleys that we will surely face in our lives – let’s go up to the mountaintop one more time. Let’s gaze at Jesus in all his glory. Let’s listen to God’s voice proclaim, “This is my beloved son!” And let’s celebrate the mountaintop that we experience now and then, and the one that awaits us at the end.

Voices from God

What image comes to mind when you think of a prophet? Is it an old man with a long white beard wildly speaking on a street corner? Is it someone who can mysteriously tell what the future holds? Actually, a real prophet is neither of these two stereotypes. A prophet is, quite simply, someone who speaks on God's behalf. Maybe this sermon will help you to recognize them. They are all around us, you know...

Every now and then – just for kicks – I scan through the employment section of the newspaper. Don’t worry, I’m not looking for a job! I’m just curious about the kinds of jobs that are available at any given time. I always wonder about the ones that sound too good to be true. Here’s one, for example. The headline caught my attention: “Write your own paycheck!” The body of the ad said this: “Seeking self-motivated, energetic, and ambitious people… We offer flexible schedules, casual dress, and the absolute BEST incentive package offered anywhere! For an immediate interview call….” Now, that position might be just what it says it is. It might be a secure job with a stable company that really does offer excellent benefits and flexible hours. But it might also be with a telemarketing firm that employs people to work from their own homes. Sure, the dress is casual! You can do a telemarketing job in your pajamas if you want to! We all know that job ads don’t always match up with the reality of the position being offered.

It makes me wonder how God might write a want ad for a prophet. After all, being a prophet is a time-honored job in Judeo-Christian tradition; but not too many people seem to want it. Maybe God would write this ad: “Seeking man or woman to speak on God’s behalf. Script supplied. Public speaking ability desirable but not necessary. On-the-job training offered. The successful candidate will travel to exotic locales and rub elbows with the movers and shakers of society while commanding the attention of everyone. Generous retirement package guaranteed.” That job sounds pretty good! I might be tempted to apply for it myself. But that ad leaves out some very crucial elements of being a prophet. While it’s true that prophets do rub elbows with powerful people, the reality is that they are usually confronting those people about misusing their power. That’s why prophets are the center of attention. All those powerful people are plotting how to get rid of them! And when prophets travel to faraway places, they don’t go to relax on the beach. They are either in exile or chained in the lower level of somebody’s dungeon. Being a prophet is one of the riskiest jobs that anyone can possibly undertake! It virtually guarantees resentment and persecution, if not downright hatred. Sometimes it even ends in death. That’s because God calls prophets to confront corruption, to proclaim sin, and to expose evil. If you listened closely to what Isaiah told the people of his day on God’s behalf, you’ll know why prophets are never popular. Isaiah criticized them for going to church on Sunday and sitting piously with their heads bowed and their hands folded, and then going out on Monday and paying their workers wages that they couldn’t live on! “God doesn’t care what you eat or how often you wash your hands,” he told the people. “God wants you to be fair and compassionate and treat other people like human beings instead of like cattle!” That message sure didn’t win him the Miss Congeniality prize!

Now, the good news for most of you here this morning is that God hasn’t chosen you to be a prophet. You don’t have to risk speaking out against the unjust power structures of the world that oppress people and cause them to despair. But God does expect you to listen to the prophets that he sends. Read what the prophets in the Old Testament had to say! We mostly read those texts during Advent and Lent, when we concentrate on the prophecies about the Messiah. But the prophets had a whole lot more to say than just that. We just heard what Isaiah had to say (Isaiah 58:1-9). “Quit pretending you’re religious on Sunday and then being a jerk the rest of the week!” That could have been written yesterday. Micah was just as blunt as Isaiah. He pointed out that salesmen sold 15 ounces and charged for a pound, that judges took bribes, and that religious leaders preached whatever people paid them to say. Hmmm. And I’ll bet you know what God told Amos to say! “I despise your religious festivals; and I don’t want your sacrifices. Quit singing hymns, and get rid of your praise bands! What I want is justice rolling like a mighty river, and righteousness like a stream that never dries up!”

A lot of what the prophets said applies just as much today as it did over 2,000 years ago. That’s because God’s people still have a nasty habit of wandering away from what God wants them to do, because – let’s face it – what God wants us to do is difficult! Justice and mercy and love and forgiveness – that’s hard stuff! We don’t do any better doing it today than our ancestors did back in Isaiah’s time.

That’s why God is still sending prophets to remind us to keep our noses clean. One of them was Martin Luther King, Jr. His message that all people are God’s children no matter what the color of their skin shouldn’t have been radical – but it was. It made people uncomfortable. They resented the fact that he held their feet to the fire and demanded that they take a good look at the consequences of institutional racism. In the end, he was killed for what he had to say. That was nearly 50 years ago; and prophets are still proclaiming the message that no matter what a person’s skin color, ethnic background, or sexual orientation, that person is a child of God. Oh, yes, prophets are still speaking out on God’s behalf! They’re all around us! They’re being interviewed on TV shows, writing newspaper editorials, and even preaching in pulpits. Oh, our society tries to drown them out, because it doesn’t want us to hear them. They are no more popular today than they were in the time of Isaiah, because they call us out. They point their fingers in our faces and say, “You! Are you listening to God, or are your ears plugged? Are you looking at what’s going on around you, or have you closed your eyes?” Oh, they make us very uncomfortable. But, see, here’s the thing. Being uncomfortable isn’t a bad thing when it reminds us to be faithful to God. So, the next time you’re confronted with a prophet and the message makes you uncomfortable, ask yourself: do you want to be comfortable, or do you want to be faithful? You decide.

Choose Life!

We don't pay much attention to the last speech of Moses that is in the book of Deuteronomy, but maybe we should. As God's people were on the verge of crossing into the Promised Land, Moses urged them to choose life! That's something that we need to hear today, too.

Last words are important to us. They offer closure to a life. Family members crowd around the bedside of a dying loved one hoping to hear their very last thoughts. Sometimes, those words are witty. Lady Nancy Astor, when she became aware of her family gathered around her bedside, asked, “Am I dying, or is this my birthday?” In other instances, they offer peace. American writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau was asked on his deathbed whether he had reconciled with God. Thoreau responded, “I did not know we had ever quarreled.” In almost every case, though, they reflect the essence of the person whose life is coming to a close. That explains why the last speeches given by public figures are crafted carefully. Whether the notable is an outgoing President, a retiring CEO, or a fading movie star, that person wants the final speech to an audience to be memorable and to reflect his or her life. Moses was no exception. His farewell speech to the Israelites can be found in the book of Deuteronomy. After reviewing the law that God had given the Israelites to guide their behavior, he concluded with a pep talk. “You can do this!” Moses encouraged them. “You know what God expects of you!” But he included a warning in that pep talk. “You have a choice to make,” he said. “You can choose life – or you can choose death. And it’s all based on whether or not you do what God has asked of you. God won’t force you to follow him and behave the way that you should. It’s completely up to you.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

That speech not only reflected Moses’ leadership, it was what the people needed to hear right then. They had wandered for 40 years in the desert. A whole generation had lived and died traveling from oasis to oasis, completely dependent on God for the manna that had fed them and the water that had kept them alive. All God had asked of them was that they learn to live together peacefully and justly. The generation that had been born during those travels didn’t know anything about living a settled life. But now, they were standing on the banks of the Jordan River, ready to move into the Promised Land and a completely new way of life! They would be meeting new people, and encountering customs that were strange to them. They would have to learn how to grow their own food and find their own water and live together in a world that was bigger than they had ever envisioned!

And they didn’t have a clue as to what that would mean. But Moses knew. He was a seasoned leader who had lived many places. He had been born and raised in Egypt, matured in the wilderness of Midian, and formed in his faith by the God he met in the burning bush. He had confronted Pharaoh and led the Israelites out of Egypt. He knew what kind of challenges they would encounter in the Promised Land. He knew what kinds of temptations they would face, too. When the rains didn’t fall, they would be tempted to turn to the fertility god Baal, the god of the Canaanites. When they began to trade their goods with other tribes, some would become wealthy, while others would not. The wealthy ones would be tempted to keep their earnings for themselves instead of helping to care for the poor and needy. And when they encountered tribes who were stronger than they were, they would be tempted to doubt God’s power to protect them. When those times came – and Moses knew that they would come – the Israelites needed to remember to trust God and follow God’s way; because God’s way is the only way to life.

We tend to ignore this speech of Moses today. We pay much more attention to what Jesus said than to Moses. And do we really need to listen to Moses these days? Actually, yes, we do. The Gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus doesn’t intend to abolish the Old Testament, but to fulfill it! Whether you read Jesus’ teachings in the gospels or Paul’s letters to his churches, both agree with this last speech of Moses. Jesus says as much in the Sermon on the Mount. Who does Jesus say are “blessed” in the beatitudes? Why, people who follow God’s way. They are merciful, they hunger for righteousness, and they work for peace. He says the same thing in different words when he tells his followers to love not only their friends, but their enemies, too. You can’t fill yourself with God’s love if you reserve it for only some people! That’s a hard thing to do – but it’s the only way to life. And Paul agrees when he insists that faith, hope, and love are the three foundations of a Christian. Faith is absolute trust in God, no matter what we may see around us. It’s the only thing that enables us to follow the way that Jesus showed us. Hope is believing that what God promises, God will one day deliver. And love is caring for others as much as we care for ourselves. When we turn to God and do our best to do what he asks of us, building our lives on a foundation of faith, hope, and love, then we’re choosing life. But when we turn away from God by worshiping money or possessions or fame or status; when we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by what is going on in the world around us instead of trusting in God and in God’s power and compassion, then we’re choosing death. It’s as easy – and as difficult – as that.

We’re really a lot like those Israelites. We, too, are moving into a new kind of world; and we aren’t sure how we should live in it. The Israelites encountered the Canaanites; we’re encountering cultures that we really don’t know much about: people from Africa, South America, Asia, and the Middle East. Those folks aren’t just like we are. They have different customs and different languages. They threaten many people; and that’s understandable. It’s a lot easier to rub elbows with people who are just like we are. But the reality is that, just like the Israelites, we’re going to have to learn to live how to live with our neighbors. Now, parts of the Old Testament tell us that we should exterminate all those strange people. The Israelites tried that, and it didn’t work. It never does. And certainly Jesus rejected that kind of behavior. He told us to love those folks; and to love them by hanging on to the way that God calls us to live. We may disagree with them – and we will – but Jesus tells us to make peace with them, to be merciful to them, to seek their welfare, and to work for justice on their behalf.

And you know what might happen if we did that – if we listen to Moses and Jesus and Paul, and do what God wants us to do? We might make the amazing discovery that we’re all God’s children. We might find out that we have more in common with those strangers than we think we do. We might even end up working together in a world that is not only peaceful, but also just. And that, my friends, is choosing life!