2 Corinthians 3
12 Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, 13 not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. 14 But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. 15 Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; 16 but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
Luke 9
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.’ 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Our second reading this morning was the story of the Transfiguration. Jesus took Peter, John and James up a mountain to pray. While Jesus was praying his appearance became transfigured in a blaze of light, and two long dead Old Testament characters, Moses and Elijah, joined him. Over this scene descended a cloud, and the voice of God the Father was heard saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.’
At the Transfiguration the disciples recognised Jesus as divine. I think the question for us is, ‘can we recognise the divine nature of Jesus without the blaze of light, the voice of God the Father, and without Moses and Elijah turning up?’
Looking at the baby Jesus, would you have recognised the image of God?
Looking at Jesus the man, the son of a carpenter, would you have recognised the Son of God?
Several years ago a man wandered into the church whilst I was saying Morning Prayer. He turned out to be a man full of questions. He falteringly explained to me that he had recently had an experience that he could not explain, a wonderful and strange experience, he told me that he had been overwhelmed by a great light and feeling of love.
This experience had left him feeling challenged to live a more loving and generous life, and he had been investigating spiritual matters in earnest. He explained to me that he had no previous background in religion, apart from a rudimentary knowledge from school, but that he had become increasingly dissatisfied with his materialistic way of life.
It seemed to me his story was a precious gift of encouragement, a sign that God is at work in this world, so I asked if I could in time tell others? He agreed, but he wondered if other people had such experiences? His main concern was if the experience had been from God? He had been certain at the time, but when he had told other people about it, they had been extremely sceptical, and some had even mocked him.
Had he recognised God or not?
He was a very sensible, rational, down to earth man, who knew there were other explanations for his experience.
So I told him a little of my experience of God, not as a flood of light, but as I have known God through the years of my life. I told him who I understood God to be - that I believe Jesus is the most complete picture of God available to humanity.
As I spoke the light of recognition passed over his face, despite our very different experiences of life we seemed to be talking about the same person.
It was as if as we listened to each other we realised we had a common friend. We both felt that we had recognised the presence of God in each other’s stories, and this encouraged both of us to have renewed faith in our own encounters with God.
If someone came to you and asked how they could recognise God, what would you say?
Would you tell them to expect a blaze of light, a voice from heaven, and Moses and Elijah to turn up?
I guess good Church people might suggest that we can recognise God in prayer and worship, in scripture, and in the sacraments. We may even be brave enough to say we can see God in our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Christians who have realised God is at work beyond the boundaries of the church would perhaps say that He can be seen in such things as acts of kindness or heroism. We can recognise God from the mountain top, but the truth is we can also recognise Him down in the valley, we can recognise the presence of God with us in many ways, and in many places, for instance, through loving relationships, or through reason, or inspiration and intuition.
It is perhaps easier to recognise God in visions of light than in everyday life, but can you recognise God…
Out in the street, or in the people that you meet?
Can you recognise God in people’s homes as well as in houses of prayer?
Do you hear God in moments of joyful laughter?
Can we see that God is with people who mourn, that He is present in the cry of the new born?
Do you feel that God is quietly with you as you sit down to eat, that He is with you when you are falling asleep?
Jesus taught the Kingdom of Heaven could be seen in a man going out to sow, or in a woman adding yeast to dough.
The psalmist wrote,
‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.’
So God can be recognised in the light of each new day.
God is present in the ordinary things of life, even if it takes an extraordinary event to make us realise that truth. The Word became flesh, and that's helps us to recognise the Word of God fleshed out in our world.
The blazing light on the mountain top is a sign that God is with us everywhere. Jesus came down from the heights to walk with us in the streets and lanes of our towns and villages. I think the trouble is we expect to see God only in the extraordinary, in the miraculous blaze of light on the mountain top, and so a veil is drawn over our faces, and we cannot see the divine in the world around us.
We heard in our first reading from 2 Corinthians, through Jesus that veil can be removed. In Jesus we see that the glory of God revealed in the face of a man. So we may see the glory of God revealed in the world around us, and in the faces of those we meet. In 2 Corinthians Paul writes that seeing this glory changes us because we see it reflected in our own face, he writes,
‘...all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.’
The Law of Moses showed us how dark we are, religious law creates contrast by placing us in the shadow of commandments set in stone, but Jesus seeks to change us by bringing us into the light where we can not only see who we are, but also see who we can become through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Religious condemnation casts a shadow, Jesus casts a light.
Jesus enabled people to see what God was like, and through Jesus we can recognise the presence of God in the ordinary things of our lives, but here is the most amazing thing of all - by following the teachings of Jesus you can make God known to others.
People can be enabled to recognise God by the testimony of your life. That act of loving kindness, that moment of forgiveness, that healing touch, a gentle offer of help, all these everyday miracles help others to see and understand God is present.
No wonder sceptics say that they cannot see the evidence for God, they are looking for a blaze of light on a mountain top, they are waiting for Moses and Elijah to turn up, they are looking for the extraordinary when such experiences are exceptional. God is love, so the evidence for God is seen in acts of love. If we love God and our neighbour then God will be seen.
Transfigured humanity shows the divinity of God.
Amen.
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