Today is Transfiguration Sunday, the last Sunday before Lent starts.  It's also the Sunday Christians go up the mountain with Peter, James and John to see Jesus transformed, shining like the glory of God.  In Hebrew, the word "Shekinah" is used for God's glory.  Shekinah means God's dwelling place, and during the Exodus wanderings in the desert, God's Shekinah was in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.  In today's Old Testament lesson, when Moses went up the mountain, the Shekinah dwelling of God was the cloud that covered the mountain.

          When Moses came down, being with God made his face shine so brightly, he had to cover it with a veil or it would have scared the people.  Only when the people abandoned God did He take away His Shekinah glory.  The Old Testament book of Ezekiel ends sadly with the Glory being taken away from the Temple and the people, because they have abandoned God.  When His people forsook Him, God no longer dwelt with them until later when the Messiah Jesus came.

          I want you to take out the bulletin insert with the lessons and keep it in hand so we can all understand better what the Transfiguration is all about.  The Gospel lesson tells us that in the Transfiguration Jesus' face shone like the sun.  That means He was the Shekinah presence of God here on earth.  In Jesus, God became human and lived among humanity, the perfect man doing what imperfect people could not do, keeping God's Law perfectly in our places.

          Just south of the Sea of Galilee is Mt. Tabor, the traditional site of the Transfiguration.  It is a big bump on the flat landscape of southern Galilee, like an Israeli version of Ayres Rock, a massive lump lying on the ground.  Mt. Tabor is about 1000 feet high and a mile long and on top of it sits a Greek Orthodox monastery, dedicated to this event that so few Christians understand, or, I might add, really care about.

          When Carol and I saw Mt. Tabor, I was struck with the great significance of the place, and yet how our guide could have cared less.  Many Christians treat the Transfiguration the same way - who cares?  Now I don't want to bore you with history or geography, but I do want to give you a little insight on what this event means, and then apply it to our lives.

          In the Old Testament reading, Moses was given two tablets of stone.  We usually think of these two as having half the Commandments on the one stone and half on the other.  But let's take a second look.  Those stone tablets each contained the terms of the Holy Covenant, the contract God made with His people.  The contract was simple:  "You will be my people, and I will be your God." (Exodus 6:7)   The Ten Commandments were the summation of that relationship.

          But rather than writing half of the commandments on each stone, many scholars now believe that each of the stones contained the whole Covenant contract.  Then, like today, each party would receive a copy of the agreement written by God in stone.  But then God gave both tablets to Moses, showing He was willing to personally make sure the Covenant was kept, even if He had to take a great risk to keep it.  God giving up His copy of the Covenant was a sign He was willing to risk His very life to make sure the Covenant was kept.

          And we know now He did that when He sent His Son into the world, God becoming man in Jesus, God taking the sins of the world upon Jesus, God making sure the Covenant was kept intact through Jesus.  You see, God not only gives the Covenant, He keeps the Covenant.  That's the Gospel in the Old Testament that comes to us through Christ in the New Testament.

          Now fast forward to the time of Jesus.  Peter writes in the New Testament Lesson that he was an eyewitness to what happened up there on Mt. Tabor.  He personally saw Jesus transformed and become the glory of God.  Peter saw Jesus as God, the Shekinah dwelling place of God on earth.  And he saw Him speaking to Moses and Elijah, those two great people who represent the Law and the Prophets.  But Peter admits he didn't know anything about this at the time.  His comments showed this:  "Shall I make some tents, Lord?  Can we stay here, Lord?"  He was just babbling on in amazement.  He understood the Transfiguration only after the resurrection, so that today you and I could know what it means because we have his eyewitness account.

          There's something else, though, to consider, the words of the Voice.  "This is my Son, whom I love; ...Listen to him!"  It's a clear command from God - listen to Jesus!  It couldn't be more clear - listen to Jesus!  But we don't, at least I don't.  I read the Bible a little, more than most.  I listen to sermons, more than most.  But I am not sure I listen to God very well.  I'm not sure any of us do.

          And I'm not sure I listen to God's people very well, either.  I may hear what you say, but I don't always listen.  Now before some of you stand and cheer in agreement, let me say I also think you don't all listen very well either.  If husbands listened better, we'd hear our wives asking for understanding, not just solutions to problems.  And if wives listened better, they'd hear their husbands asking for affirmation, not criticism.  And if parents listened to their children better, they'd hear them asking for their complete attention for just a little while, not while they're doing five other things.  And if children listened to their parents better, they wouldn't have to be told ten times to come to the table.  And, of course, if bosses listened to their workers better, the whole world would be a better place and make a lot more money!

          I suppose it sounds too simplistic, but if we all listened to each other better, we'd have less fighting at home or at work or even among nations.  And if we listened to God more, He he'd have less rebellion from us.  We tend to hear only what we want to hear.  And the devil doesn't want us listening to anyone - but him.  The devil loves it when we shut each other out.  Satan likes chaos and mayhem and he loves smug and snooty people.

          It's a sociological fact that the older a society is, the more complex and sophisticated it is.  And the older a society is, the more proud and wise its people think they become.  And the more they abandon God and common sense.  Every now and then I think people don't have sense God gave geese.  We think life consists in our toys or entertainment.  We think anything we say is worth hearing.  Or else we tune out what others are saying because we don't agree with them.

          "Now hear this!  Now hear this!" the ship's speaker blares.  When sailors hear that, you can bet they snap to and listen.  Something important is coming they'd better not miss!  But not just sailors - God does the same thing with us.  His message comes not via loudspeakers, but in the headlines, or in the failed relationship, or in the bad medical report, or in the legal summons.  "Now hear this!  Attention please!  There's a storm coming, trouble approaching and a lesson to learn."

          Nothing wakes you up like a bad medical report.  Nothing gets your attention more than having the cops show up at your door.  I'm grateful it never happened to me, but it once happened to my parents, and if you think I'm going to tell you the details, you can forget it!  So many times God has said, "Now hear this!"  And His sailors ignore it only at their peril.

          "Now hear this - God is still among us!"  The Son of God didn't abandon us.  He takes no vacations, shuts down no office for the weekend does not sleep in.  Like an all-night answering service He's open 24-7.  He forgives us, shows us the Truth, helps us love each other.  No matter what, God's Shekinah never leaves.  It's His promise.

          "Now hear this - You are God's representatives!"  Who me?  Yes, you!  We're His reps and we must let our lights shine, so people can give Him praise.  We're His ambassadors, and people will see Him through our words and actions.  So what kind of a God do people see in you - or me?  "Now hear this - Listen to God and to each other!"

          Around the turn of the century, a ship was moving slowly off the coast of New England amid the worst fog in decades.  They were inching along as best they could when suddenly a light began to appear directly ahead.  The ship's captain got on the megaphone and said, "Ahoy there, ship!  Turn immediately to the right!"  A trembling voice came back through the mist, "No, you turn left."  The ship's commander said, "This is Captain Smith of the USS Enterprise.  You are directly in our path - turn right immediately to avoid a collision."  A voice came back through the mist, "This is ensign Jones, you must turn left immediately!"  Enraged, the commander shouted, "Now hear this!  I am the Captain in charge of a US naval battleship, and I'm ordering you to turn right at once!"  And the voice, now very close and very nervous, said through the mist, "And I am an ensign in charge of a lighthouse - I think you'd better turn left!"

          Jesus Christ is the Light of the Word, the Light no darkness can overcome.  He wants us to follow Him.  Maybe He's telling us to come to Ash Wednesday service this year.  If you haven't come before, give it a try.  We'll hear about "Certainty in Uncertain Times."  Come early and have supper with us, and let His light shine into your hearts so that you can get your lights charged up.  Amen

Copyright © 2002 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.