Date: February 24th & 27th
Preacher: Pastor Ashley Rosa-Ruggieri
First Reading: Exodus 34:29-35
Psalmody: Psalm 99
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2
Gospel: Luke 9:28-43a
“This is my Son, my chosen, listen to him!” These are the words that came from the clouds as Jesus stood upon the mountain of transfiguration with Peter, John, and James. After the appearance of Moses and Elijah, after Jesus's robes sparkled with cleanliness, after Jesus's face slightly transforms before the eyes of Peter, James, and John, after all of these things, the Lord spoke from the heavens, compelling them to listen to Jesus, and claiming Jesus as a beloved son. This encounter on the mountain is not the first time in Luke that a voice from above has sounded while a bright, dazzling light has covered Jesus. Similar events occurred in chapter three of Luke, at the time of Jesus's baptism. After John the Baptist has baptized Jesus in the Jordan, Jesus emerges from the water and the Holy Spirit descends upon him in the form of a dove, while a message is proclaimed from the clouds saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” There is an undeniable parallel between the event of Jesus's baptism, and the event of the transfiguration. What is most interesting is what we can interpret from our reading today, when considering the parallels found in Jesus's baptism.
Starting with Jesus's baptism, which was the beginning of his public ministry in the book of Luke. It is only after this that Jesus begins to do miracles, tell parables, and teach disciples about the Lord and the Kingdom of God. For Jesus, his baptism was a moment of induction into the ministry he would do as a human among us, on the way to the cross. Then we consider today's reading, the story of the transfiguration, which is also an event that leads into ministry, but in a different way. At this point Jesus already has disciples, some of which who are on the mountain with him. Peter, James, and John not just any disciples, but three who have been with him often and who left their homes and their lives to follow him. This was an opportunity for some of Jesus's disciples to understand that they too are called to strive for the Kingdom of God, but that there are still important differences in the ministry that Jesus does and the ministry that we as disciples are able to do. We see this on the mountain when Peter is so overcome by what just happened in front of them that he proposes that they never leave and build tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah here. The passage says he gives this idea “not knowing what he says.” Jesus does not have time to respond before the voice of God comes down from heaven to urge Peter, and all of us, to listen to Jesus, rather than pushing forward with an agenda that makes sense from an earthly perspective.
Next, as the disciples follow Jesus down the mountain—into another time of ministry, a man comes to Jesus with news of a sick son. He says that the disciples tried to heal his son, but were not able. Jesus then goes and heals the son as the father asked, but acknowledges that the disciples would not have healed on their own. The disciples tried to rely too much on their own power, their own wisdom, and their own ability, rather than on all of these things as they come from God. As humans we have a tendency to think that we have the right answer to fix things all the time, when in reality we must stop to do things as God calls us to do in community, and not by ourselves or by our own knowledge. These gifts of communal faith and being claimed by God are what we are promised in baptism.
Baptism is a wonderful gift. An opportunity to proclaim that whoever is being baptized is named and claimed as a child of God, and that we have promised to raise them in our community of faith so that we might ALL learn together how best to answer Jesus's call. Because when we follow the words of God from the clouds, proclaiming that we listen to Jesus, we answer this call by serving the world as a community, with Jesus at the center. There is a reason that Lutheran baptisms are done in community, they are done in community because to be baptized is to be baptized into the full body of Christ. And to witness a baptism is to proclaim that all who are present will support and serve with the newly baptized, now claimed as a child of God, as a full extension and expression of the Kingdom of God.
If Jesus's ministry truly began in full force at his baptism in the book of Luke, then we too can take that message away from our own baptisms. Not that we alone are called into these ministries, but that we are claimed by a body larger than our individual selves. A body who seeks the word and ministry of God, even when it is difficult, and especially even when we get it wrong. The transfiguration then goes even farther and shows that sometimes God shows us what is happening right in front of us, and we still do not get it right. Peter did not understand on the mountain. The disciples trying to heal the boy did not understand. But even within their misunderstanding, they were striving to follow Jesus the best that they could. And so, we listen to Jesus. We pay attention to the voice from the clouds that proclaims to us, listen to Jesus. And we remind one another as we share the Good News in our ministry as the body of Christ, to listen to Jesus.
This Sunday is a very exciting occasion, because as we recognize this connection between Jesus's baptism and the transfiguration story in our Gospel today, we also get to first-hand experience and remember what it means to baptize someone and welcome them into their walk of faith as a beloved child of God. Because although we perform the baptism as humans, it is God who makes it valid and fulfills the promises of eternal life.
We, as Christians proclaim to the newly baptized as God did for Jesus. We remind ourselves and the one being baptized that they are a beloved child of God, and no one can take that away from them. We proclaim it to them on the day of their baptism, and for as long as they are a part of the body of Christ. So that whenever we do ministry all together as God's beloved children, we have opportunities to follow God's call in two ways. First, when we don't get ministry right the first time, or we put our own wisdom ahead of God's, we can listen to Jesus and the voice from the clouds, so that we might reconsider what it means to follow Jesus. And then second, in those moments of ministry when we do get it right, we can give thanks to the Lord for opportunities that brings us closer to the Kingdom of God for all of God's beloved children. Thanks be to God.