Pay Attention Sunday: Matthew 17:1-9 - Transfiguration Sunday

¹Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. ²And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁵While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” ⁶When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. ⁷But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” ⁸And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
  ⁹As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” (NRSV)

Church by Ksenia Novikova on Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

It’s Transfiguration Sunday!!

I doubt you’ve been counting down the days. You likely didn’t buy gifts or plan a big turkey dinner for your family. The fact that we’re eating pancakes and sausage after church today has more to do with what happens on Wednesday than what happens today.

When we consider the Transfiguration of Jesus in light of the entire Gospel narrative, it reads almost like a footnote—something important to know about Jesus, but not a really big deal. If it weren’t in the Gospels, I doubt anyone would miss it.

Not even Jesus sets this up like it’s a big deal. He simply takes Peter, James, and John with him up a high mountain. This was not an unusual thing for Jesus to do. He frequently ascended mountains for prayer and sabbath. But it became unusual when Jesus was transfigured—metamorphosized—right before their eyes. His face shone like the sun; his clothes became dazzling white, and suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

Now this was, from the disciples’ perspective, a really big deal. Here you have the two greatest prophets who ever lived—the lawgiver and the herald of the Lord’s return. This was a sign that something HUGE was about to happen: the start of the messianic revolution. The moment they’d all been waiting for… Jesus would raise up a mighty army that would drive the godless and violent Roman occupiers out of the Holy Land, and liberate God’s people from their captivity.

Peter isn’t acting foolish when he offers to build three dwelling places on the mountain. People would want to come back and worship at the spot where the messianic revolution began. But before Peter could finish his sentence, a bright cloud overshadowed the and a loud voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”

Before the disciples could fall to the ground in fear, it was all over. It was just the four of them again. Jesus demands that they tell no one of what they had seen and heard. Life with goes on in much the same manner as before.

Like I said—if this story didn’t appear in the Gospels, we wouldn’t miss it.

But here’s why it’s important, and why you should care: this is the second time that a voice from heaven has declared Jesus as God’s Son. The first time was at his baptism. You need to know that Jesus is the one for whom the Law and the Prophets have spoken. But he will not fulfill God’s promises by becoming a mighty warrior king.

The key to all this is the words spoken from the cloud: “listen to him.” Pay attention. Trust Jesus and do as he says.

The problem is that Peter, James, and John already have big ideas about Jesus that aren’t in line with reality. They’re expecting a mighty warrior king. What they get is a Jesus who leaves behind all the power and the glory, to befriend sinners, serve the poor, and die helplessly on the cross.

The transfiguration is the point where their expectations—and the reality of who Jesus is—part ways.

You and I are no different. We all have our own ideas of who Jesus is and what he ought to do. As I’ve often said, God created us in God’s image and we returned the favor. The most blatant example of this comes in all the stained-glass windows, Christian art, and story books that depict Jesus as a white-skinned, blue-eyed Anglo-Saxon, when the real Jesus would’ve been a Palestinian Jew. We recast Jesus according to our own ideals. We make a Messiah who values what we value, who acts according to our standards of rightness, who rewards us for our faith and obedience, and who’s against who and what we are against. He’s not just a personal savior, he’s a personalized savior. The end result is that the Jesus you seek is NOT the Jesus who is. You’re looking for someone who doesn’t exist, in places he doesn’t go, and in things he doesn’t do.

It’s very fitting that the voice from heaven commands the disciples to listen to Jesus—because the only way to truly know Jesus is to pay attention to what he says and does. The Mount of Transfiguration, the Cross, and everything in between will define who Jesus is—and will ultimately define the mission of the Church when Jesus ascends into heaven. And it is especially important to remember that Jesus’ saving work is accomplished NOT on the mount of Transfiguration, but in the depths of human suffering and need; where death and evil do their worst.

If there’s anything important to take into Lent, it is to pay attention to Jesus’ ministry. Pay attention when he is ministering among the poor, despised, and helpless. Pay attention when Jesus is clashing with his enemies. Pay attention to the cross, because it is God’s beloved Son who dies upon it for you. Pay attention because you will see the real Jesus—not in raw power and force, but in meekness, mercy, vulnerability, and self-sacrifice. Pay attention, because Jesus will be sending you out into the world to enact his grace and mercy.

Maybe we shouldn’t call this Transfiguration Sunday. I propose we call it Pay Attention Sunday—because the cross is foolishness to the rest of the world. But to us, the children of God, it is everything. It is the power of God that saves the world. Pay attention to God’s beloved Son, crucified for you, risen in victory. It’s the crucified Jesus who’s calling you, loving you, and bringing new life to the world.