[Propertalk] Feb. 14 sermon pointers - Luke 9 - Part 5

[Joe Parrish]

The Transfiguration is an apt Preface to Lent and Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, because what lies ahead is both a confrontation between the non-violent justice of the Kingdom of God and the violent injustice of the Roman Empire; as well as the non-violent way of the Beloved versus the hoped-for victory by the Messiah. The crowds at Jerusalem will be cheering for "the one who is bringing the Kingdom of our ancestor David." This is not the same as welcoming God's Beloved.

I wonder how much in our hearts, we are still cheering for Jesus as the triumphant Victor?

http://www.holytextures.com/2010/01/luke-9-28-36-37-43-year-c-epiphany-last-transfiguration-sermon.html

David Ewart
- - - - -

The appearance of Moses and Elijah alongside Jesus is a powerful claim to spiritual continuity with the most sacred traditions of ancient Israel. Interestingly, Luke does not follow Mark when he lists Elijah first. This reverses their chronological sequence in the biblical narrative, and flies in the face of later views of the relative significance of Moses and Elijah. However, that may reflect the significance of Elijah as the expected prophet of the End times. In general terms, their presence alongside Jesus speaks to the claim that Jesus was fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. 

http://wiki.faithfutures.org/index.php?title=Last_after_Epiphany_C

Faith Futures Jesus Then & Now
- - - - -

           This Transfiguration Sunday is the kairos moment when Jesus' revelation moves into another mode altogether. The season of Epiphany has been about the light going on, about revelation as we have moved from earthly places of stable and river, weddings and fishing boats, to this mountain. The kairos light is startling, beautiful, and sometimes enthralling, but on this mountain it is revealed that Jesus' mission will take him still farther, to the valley of the shadow of death. The heavenly light breaks our darkness, but it also makes the shadows grow longer. The switch is flipped and what we see is a world not at all ready to accept good news for the poor and the year of the Lord's favor. 

http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20070212JJ.shtml

Dan Clendenin 
- - - - -

Some people ask, "Why do you think that John does not say anything about the Transfiguration in his gospel?" It seems to me, the best theory is this:  In the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ is fully the Son of God from the very first verse and then throughout the whole gospel. Jesus is fully the Son of God. Jesus does not need to be transformed on the mountaintop into the Presence of the Everlasting God because Jesus is fully God throughout John's whole gospel. Similarly, in the Gospel of John, the disciples do not wrestle with doubt and confusion like they do in the first three gospels. Similarly, there is no temptation story in the Gospel of John nor is there a warfare with the powers of evil (as in the first three gospels.) From the first verse in John, Jesus is triumphant over evil.  Since Jesus Christ is fully the Son of God and the disciples know it throughout the whole gospel, there is no need for a Transfiguration story in the Gospel of John.

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_trasnfigurationGA.htm

Edward F. Markquart
- - - - -

Often what keeps us sane & balanced is checking out our theophanies or spiritual experiences of any kind with mature, stable, discerning fellow Christians, including, hopefully, one's pastor. There is also much merit in the old anamchara system of soul- friending. Checking it out in one healthy way or another can help us avoid deep spiritual pitfalls. One thing that often marks out goats from sheep is separating oneself from a congregation, or even going off to start up our own because the others have all got it wrong. Taking ourself out of an 'auditing' process, both godly & human, leaves us wide open to getting mountain-top experiences wrong. Which just helps to bring all such experiences into disrepute. That doesn't deserve to happen! 

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/laterallyluke/LLK92836TRANS.html

Brian McGowan
- - - - -

     There is a sense where it is now five minutes to twelve. We live at the end of time, the last hour, the seventh day. If we were present that day on the Mount of Transfiguration when "the appearance of Jesus' face changed", we would have tasted something of the twelfth hour, the eighth day, the day of coming glory. Even now we are freed from our Egyptian bondage, the bondage of sin and death. We await the day of coming glory, the day when Jesus will return as the coming king, the Lord of the universe. In that day we will stand with God's glorious Son; he will be with us and we will be with him, and his glory will transform us, radiate us as it did Moses on the mountain.

http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/lent2ceg.html

Bryan Findlayson
- - - - -
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://stsams.org/pipermail/propertalk_stsams.org/attachments/20100213/134b54f2/attachment.htm>