“A sustaining vision?”

“A sustaining vision?”

Meditation – Saturday, August 6, 2022

Luke 9:28-36 (Forward, p. 8) CEV p. 1071

Luke’s version of the Transfiguration as recorded here always leaves me excited, and yet, at the same time, puzzled and a wee bit saddened. Here’s why I say this. I’m suspecting that pretty well all of us have had an experience at some point of our lives that was simply breath-taking. It may have been a mountain or oceanside vista or it may have been the birth of a child—or, for that matter, something else, perhaps an incredible encounter or an answer to prayer. Whatever it was, we were swept away by it and vowed inwardly to treasure the memory and never forget it. But, did we? Did it not fade from our memory? Did not cease to sustain and energize us the way that it once did?

The three disciples, Peter, James and John certainly had this kind of experience on the Mount of the Transfiguration. No doubt about it: it was certainly breath-taking. And unlike what often happens to us, it was not something that they soon forgot. In fact, years and miles later, the apostle Peter refers to it with a great sense of appreciation (see 2 Peter 1:16-18). There he speaks of the heavenly vision, ‘with our own eyes we saw his true greatness’ and of how they ‘heard this voice speak from heaven.’

Indeed, this brief summary picks up on several elements from this remarkable incident in the life of Jesus:

-the Transfiguration of Jesus itself

-the appearance of Moses & Elijah, and the conversation they had

-the cloud that enveloped Jesus

-the voice from heaven and its command.

All of this was pretty awesome, and certainly a bit frightening, for the three of them. And certainly, as we can see from Peter’s words, it was not something to be very quickly forgotten.

So, what about us? Why do we often forget our awesome, transformative, never-to-be-forgotten experiences? Time, I would suggest, certainly is a factor. These experiences from the past get overlaid, crowded out, superseded by more recent memories, problems and concerns. But then also, because we probably don’t recount these experiences very often, they fade from memory and lose something of their freshness, relevance and potency. (I suspect that these things were less likely to happen with Peter and the other two disciples as they were continually telling and re-telling their stories of being with Jesus and continually living in the present reality of Jesus’ glory.)

This, then, suggests some remedies on our parts. We can, and should, be telling our stories of our faith journey with Jesus. And, certainly, we should spend enough time alone, stripped of our insistent busyness, where we can recollect these times. (Here, keeping a journal, and rereading it, might be of assistance in remembering). And, of course, spending more time with Jesus, coming to know Him better, will help, as will times of worship along with the others of God’s people.

And why all this? Well, it would seem from Peter’s account that this one-time experience lived on with him, that is somehow empowered and sustained him. My assertion is that our special times, our seemingly never-to-be-repeated times, should do the same—that they will somehow encourage and sustain us at those times when we need it the most, which, unfortunately, will inevitably happen to all of us. Amen.

Forward notes: “Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white” (verses 28b-29).

The Feast of the Transfiguration

“Today, as we celebrate the Transfiguration, I think about the disciples. They followed Jesus up the mountain, expecting a quiet time of prayer. As ever, God turns their expectations upside down.

“There on the mountain, they see Jesus for who he is. They are so astonished that Peter offers to build dwelling places for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. That is when a voice thunders out of the cloud, ‘This is my Son. Listen to him.’

“Listen to him! What does he say? What happens when we, too, are transfigured by the presence of Christ? With Peter, James, and John, we come down the mountain and back amid the crowds; we roll up our sleeves and feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the sick. We help transfigure the world.”

Moving Forward: “When has God turned your expectations upside down? Share your story with us at #ForwardDaybyDay.”