A few years ago there was a “reality TV” series called Extreme Make-Over—perhaps you remember it.In one hour were given a glimpse into 6-8 weeks of a person’s life as they were being transformed physically...often involving weight loss, eye surgery, dental work, liposuction, augmentations, hair styling, makeup and new clothes.Quarantined for the weeks during the transformation, family and friends were awestruck at the “reveal” ceremony when the new person emerged to tears and applause.
Transfigurations are big business.We all want a new look, a new face, a changed appearance now and then.Transfigurations are nothing new... some of the technology is new, but the make-over is as old as Abram & Sari, who become Abraham and Sarah.Jacob became Israel.Simon became PetrosC Peter.Saul was knocked off his horse on a deserted road and became Paul…talk about a transformation; church persecutor, to church promoter.
In the same way, Frances Gum transfigured herself and her image into Judy Garland. Archibald Leach became Cary Grant.Aaron Schwalt became Red Buttons.And would you have paid money to see Marion Morrison in the movies? Maybe, but Marion didn’t take that chance, he became John Wayne.
But the transfiguration of Jesus on this hillside was not about name changes or cosmetology.The inner became the outer, for a short while.The deep, surfaced.The true and the clear overshadowed the ambiguous.Something like this happens when we fall in love.“Love is blind” is the phrase, but it is only superficially true.The truth it reveals is the glimpse we have into the soul of another and the beauty we find there, not the skin-surface.Love isn’t blind... it sees true beauty.Jesus’ true identity shone as sunbeams from within.
That transfiguration—that change in Jesus’ face, that change in direction of his life —is most appropriate for the Last Sunday after the Epiphany.The transfiguration bridges the two seasons, from the Epiphany to Lent.The transfiguration reminds us one more time of the specialness, the uniqueness of Jesus’ identity.Luke’s version of the story reports a voice from the cloud: “This is my Son, my Chosen.”
The ancient Celtic people talked of “Thin places” where the line between earth and heaven is not all that clear.Perhaps there are places like that, here and there, but my guess is that it is more likely a matter of thin times— now and then, when we have our antenna tuned to the holy, and we realize how close it is to our ordinary times and lives.Jacob sleeps in a wild place with a rock for his pillow and awakens to proclaim that it was “the house of God and the gate of heaven.”Jesus perceived the Kingdom in a mustard seed, a woman finding a lost coin, in children with runny noses.The holy is always around us.We are blind to its glory, most of the time.
Clare Boothe Luce tells of an experience she had when she was a young girl of about sixteen.It took place on a summer day at the seashore, early in the morning, and she remembers “a sensation of utter aloneness.”As she stood by the water’s edge, something happened.Years later she wrote about it in short, jerky sentences with certain words emphasized.
I find it difficult to explain what did happen.I expect that the easiest thing is to say that suddenly SOMETHING WAS.My whole soul was cleft clean by it, as a silk veil slit by a shining sword.And I knew.I do not know now what I knew.I remember, I didn’t know even then.That is, I didn’t know with any “faculty.”It was not in my mind or heart or blood stream.But whatever it was I knew, it was something that made ENORMOUS SENSE... Then joy abounded in all of me.Or rather, I abounded in joy.I seemed to have no nature, and yet my whole nature was adrift in this immense joy, as a speck of dust is seen to dance in a great golden shaft of sunlight.
The holy is always around us.
The transfiguration came at the best time for Jesus, for he was about to begin his journey towards Jerusalem— there to suffer and die.He knew that his faithfulness to God’s Kingdom of distributive justice was a threat to the rich and powerful.All of us need to see the big picture, the glory of God unveiled before we face the hard times.We all need a reminder of God’s presence and promises when we enter the dark valleys.So God provides thisglimpse into the heart of reality and God’s love.
How often have we all faced some horrible time by first swallowing hard and saying a little prayer, surrendering our fates to God, and then somehow feeling a small comfort in knowing that no matter what happens, we are safe with God? Maybe Jesus needed this reaffirmation of his identity as the “beloved.”
But then, perhaps this Extreme Make-over of Jesus on that hillside was intended to strengthen and transfigure the disciples also.After they come down from the mountain and re-enter their ordinary lives, they encounter crowds, sick people and demons.Jesus appears annoyed that the disciples were unable to cast a demon out of a small boy (Luke 9:40-41).He obviously expected something different from them. Transfiguration means change or metamorphosis.Could it be that the transfiguration of Jesus was intended to change the disciples more than Jesus?
If that is the case we have to ask: How is it that you and I are changed by the vision of who God is in Jesus? “Who are we becoming?” is the real question, because a transformation is continually taking place within us: physically our bodies are changing…not only growing older and dryer, but most of our cells being completely replaced every seven years; we are changing our psyche too— think back to who you were 20 years ago.In many ways I was a completely different person then; spiritually we are being transformed too— I hope that in some way my soul has been shaped in Christ-like ways over the years too.
Are our lives more gracious, generous, courageous, loving?
We do have crosses to bear, pains to endure, our crises to face, our tasks of conscience to do.And as we move into Lent, our crosses and Christ’s cross will occupy more of our attention.We do carry crosses, but we do not carry them by our own strength alone.We do not face any crisis in our own strength alone.
