The Scripture Lessons for today are intertwined better than most Sundays.  This is the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, the Sunday the church always turns its attention to the Transfiguration of our Lord.  Transfiguration, as you heard in the Gospel lesson, was the amazing and mysterious event when Jesus showed forth the glory of God to Peter, James and John, and they saw Him speaking with Moses and Elijah on the high mountain.

          The major significance of the Transfiguration is that it shows the official return of the "shekinah" glory of God.  This glory of God had been present among the Israelites since their wanderings in the Desert after the Exodus from Egypt when He showed Himself in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire at night.  But God's glory had been absent among them since it left the Temple in Jerusalem during the last Babylonian captivity.  The glory of God was the power of God, His official "presence" among His people in those days.  At the Transfiguration, when Jesus radiated that divine countenance, Peter, James and John first saw in person that God's glory had come back to His people in His Son Jesus.

          The "veil" spoken of in the Exodus and Corinthian lessons for today has to do with covering something up.  The veil of Moses covered his shining face.  In the Exodus lesson, Moses had seen the face of God, so a veil was intentionally put on his face so it wouldn't be so distracting to his people.  In the Corinthian lesson, St. Paul speaks of the veil as being over the minds of the Jews, because they don't believe Jesus is the Messiah.  He says their veils stop them from seeing Jesus as Lord.

          Moses eventually took his veil off as the radiance of God left him.  But St. Paul says the veil over the Israelites can only be removed when they turn to believing Jesus.  So he wrote, "For to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read.  It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.  Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.  But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."  That last verse is Good News - it's the Gospel.  Whenever people turn to Jesus, their minds and hearts are opened, and that goes for all people.

          We rarely see veils these days, except in pictures of Far Eastern women wearing a religious veil or burka.  The only veils we Westerners see are wedding veils, and those less and less so these days.  The custom of wedding veils began in ancient times in many parts of the world, and were at first brightly colored as a protection against evil spirits.  In European history, arranged marriages brought another use for bridal veils - to prevent the groom from seeing the brides' face till after the ceremony was over, presumably so he couldn't back out!

          Eventually European brides began to wear opaque veils.  Not only could the groom not see in, the bride could not see out, perhaps so also she could not to see the groom - and also back out!  Since she couldn't see anything when veiled, the father of the bride had to escort her down the aisle and literally "give the bride away" to the groom.  Today, the Jewish groom always "veils the bride", a tradition going back to the marriage of Jacob to Leah.  Jacob thought he was marrying pretty, young Rachel, but because she was veiled, he married older, homely Leah, her sister.  Modern men all want to be able to see who they're marrying.

          St .Paul wrote in our lesson, "Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.  But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."  Some might consider Paul's remarks to be anti-Semitic.  But to speak of the Jews as not believing in Christ is not being anti-Semitic.  Anti-Semitics is a negative bias against Jews, making them responsible for something they did not do.

          Anti-Semitism is recently in the news over the "The Passion," a Mel Gibson movie about the last hours of Jesus Christ.  I plan to see it and many of you will, too.  It is supposed to make a positive statement for the suffering and death of our Lord.  I just hope it's a good and accurate dramatization.  Some are saying this movie is anti-Semitic because it shows the part the Jewish leadership played in His execution.  Most of us are reserving our judgment until we see it.

          Whatever point of view this film may present, let me state as plainly as I can, Christ's suffering and death was caused by ALL people, not by one group, Jews, Romans, Christians or unbelievers.  Christ went to the cross for all humanity.  The Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)   Paul, who was there and should know, also said it plainly, "There is none that is righteous, not even one." (Romans 3:10)   Christ died as a result of the sins of ALL people, not any one group.  The Bible plainly shows this, and I hope that movie does also.

          In today's lesson St. Paul speaks of a veil over the hearts of his people, the Jews.  A veil represents anything that blocks us from seeing reality.  A veil can be anything from a wrong opinion to an intrenched evil notion.  It's usually something we are unwilling to change.  If I am unwilling to face someone and fear confrontation, my mind is veiled.  If I am unwilling to believe something that is true, there's a veil over my mind.  Thus, we can see there are veils over the hearts of at least four billion people in the world today.  Statistics show at least two-thirds of the world's six billion people do not believe Jesus is Savior of the world.  I think that number is low - it's closer to three-fourths.  Those billions have a veil over their minds and hearts regarding Jesus Christ.

          We often forget there is only one way to heaven, through faith in Christ.  We need to hear this over and again, that He is the only Savior, the Chosen One of God who came to die for us and rise again.  There are not many true gods, only one True God, the Triune God of the Bible - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  To be Christian is to believe there is only One Way - through Christ - and that all roads do not lead to heaven.  That sounds exclusive because it is.  Allah is not another name for the True God, nor is Buddha or Confucius.  Jesus Himself said, "No man comes to the father but by me." (John 14:6)   That's straight from the Lord Himself.

          Though we may think all Christians believe the Bible is God's Word, I'm not sure they all do.  From front to back, this book is His Holy Word to us.  Though not everything fits perfectly together, it doesn't make the Bible wrong.  These pages are not human opinion.  They're God's true Word, as Jesus said, "Blessed are they who hear word of God and obey it." (Luke 11:28)

          I believe we must repeat this article of faith over and over again.  The Bible is the Word of God, the only source and norm of the Christian faith.  It is reliable and true.  It shows clearly there is only one way to eternal life, and through faith in Jesus Christ.  I can't prove it's the Word of God, but I believe it, and I hope you do, too.

          I believe each of us needs to consider how our own minds are veiled.  Do we have ideas we believe are facts, but are only opinions?  Do we have personal veils we know are wrong but we will not give up?  Remember - God will remove our veils, whether quietly or forcefully, if necessary.  And if we insist, He will let us wear them, and stumble through life all we want.

          We live in an age that hates self-assuredness, don't we?  Everything seems to be open for debate, and the one who stands solid in his or her faith is considered to be a radical, a fanatic.  In so many places, truth is considered relative and any idea of absolute truth is ridiculed.  But I ask you, what good comes from casting doubt on things we've held sacred?  Does it make us better people, or a better society when we toss out the baby with the bathwater?  We people need something solid to be rooted in.  There is little to be gained from casting doubt on what has been tried and true over the ages, especially spiritual things.

          The world abhors a vacuum, and so does the human mind.  If we people have nothing to hold on to, we'll fall for anything!  To stop believing in God won't leave us believing in nothing - it will make us fall for anything.  If our young people are not given beliefs from the Bible, they will get their beliefs from somewhere else, and I guarantee it will not be a godly source.  That's why I will pound this pulpit till I leave here, that every single one of you here, including myself, need to study God's Word more!  We don't get enough of it, and so I urge you strongly to find way to read and study the Bible.  It will lift the veil from your minds.  It will show you God's truth.  It will show you the way to eternal life!

          In the Gospel, when Peter, James and John looked up, they saw only Jesus.  Elijah and Moses were gone.  Nothing else was between them and their Lord.  Their veils were lifted, and they followed Him.  Yes, they were veiled time and again during life, because that's what sin is - a veil between us and God.  But God always removes our veils when we repent.

          I urge you all to let God remove your veil.  Make some changes so God can speak to you.  Change whatever is keeping you from reading God's Word.  Read His Word and God will bless you - I guarantee it!  God doesn't want us reading about His Word, or watching it in movies.  He doesn't want voyeurs, He wants disciples.  He wants us reading and growing in His Word.  May God remove your veil - and my veil - whatever it is, whatever blessing it is withholding.  God grant that we all hear the Word of God and obey it.  Amen

Copyright © 2004 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.