Barry Unwin – Hanley Castle, Upton, Welland, 26 February 2017
2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5 Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified.
7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’
8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean.
It was rehearsal night for the wedding, And the bride was nervous,So the curate took extra time to help her remember what she had to do.
First we walk down the AISLE. then you CHANGE sides Then we have the HYMN. And the bride repeated what he’d said, down the AISLE.CHANGE sides HYMN down the AISLE.CHANGE sides HYMN.
You’ve got it said the curate, AISLE, then CHANGE, then HYMN
Which probably explains why on the day of the wedding, her fiancé freaked out when he heard her muttering AISLE CHANGE HYMN AISLE CHANGE HYMN
The thing is – “I’ll change him” isn’t just an attitude we bring to our spouses. It’s something we bring to the Lord as well. We try to remake him in our own image, to tame and domesticate him, so that he’s more like us.
It happens in all sorts of ways.
Over in the USA there’s something called the Jesus Seminar,a bunch of academics who got together and voted on which of the things that Jesus said in the gospels,were really said by Jesus, and which were made up. That sounds like a profound academic exercise doesn’t it? Until you think “How could they possibly know? Were they eye-witnesses?”Of course not.
Some of the academics are atheists, so they don’t believe Jesus did miracles. So out go all the miracle stories and miraculous promises.
Others were committed to the idea that Jesus would only do things a 1st century Jew would do. Apparently he had to fit into the culture, otherwise they’d have ostracised him, maybe even killed him. So out goes anything that might have upset a 1st century Jewish audience (didn’t Jesus do that a lot?) So in their version, Jesus was executed by the Romans for being a public nuisance. I’ll change him.
Now irritating as I find all that, They aren’t doing anything that unusual. We all do it – reinventing Jesus to better suit ourselves is something we all do.Whether it’s over particular moral or social issue,Or money, or sex or the abuse of power,Or driving at 55 mph on the A38. We all – myself included – want Jesus on our terms, Whenever we say to ourselves,“Jesus wouldn’t really mind if I did that” We’re reinvent Jesus in our own image.I’ll change him.
Even the disciples did it.That’s why Jesus took them on the hiking expedition we just read about So that they would stop trying to change him, and let him change them.
You see, at the end of the previous chapter of Mark, Jesus asks the disciples,
Who do people say that I am?”
28 “Some say that you are John the Baptist,” they answered; “others say that you are Elijah, while others say that you are one of the prophets.”
So Jesus asks,
What about you? Who do you say that I am?”
And Peter says,
You are the Messiah”
This is the first time in Jesus’ ministry that anyone gives him his proper title.The problem is, Peter has no idea what it means. So Jesus starts to teach them – all about how he will have to
suffer much and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. He will be put to death, but three days later he will rise to life.”
At which point, Peter takes him aside and rebukes him. You see, Peter doesn’t like where Jesus is going with this.He wants a Peter-shaped Messiah. I’ll change him.
So let’s go hiking with Jesus. On a journey From I’ll change him to letting him change me. Anyone brought any Kendal mint cake? You never know, Jesus might know how to make it palatable.
Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain, where they were alone..
So a men’s hiking expedition.Peter’s there with his Brasher walking boots,James has one of those Berghaus Freeflow 25 daysacks to carry lunch,and John’s got the map and compass and they’re off up the Beacon. And as they reach the top Peter James and John Notice that Jesus is glowing. Now when I climb a mountain I glow too. Bright RED. But Jesus is glowing WHITE.
he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them.
Not Persil. Not Daz. This is something better.
Then the three disciples saw Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus.”
Picture that scene: Six guys on a mountaintop.the two most famous Old Testament prophets, and Jesus are having a chat, and watching on, the three most important disciples, and only one of the six is glowing whiter than white.
This is a very visual story: We’re meant to see that Jesus is different. You see, if you think Jesus is just a prophet, or just a first century good teacher gone wrong, then Jesus’ persil moment – Glowing whiter that white – is meant to show you that Jesus isn’t your good teacher, and he isn’t your Old Testament prophet. He’s something altogether greater.
Then Peter intervenes, he says to Jesus,”Teacher“. That’s quite a come down ? One minute it’s MESSIAH – God’s chosen king – now it’s just TEACHER.
Teacher, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’
So Jesus, Moses and Elijah are chatting.Wouldn’t you want to be a fly on the wall on that conversation?
But Peter doesn’t. Instead he seems to want to ritualise it, let’s put up some buildings to make the moment last. You’ve maybe heard of the Cargo Cults, well this is a camping cult, and Peter wants Jesus to be in his tent,So he can be the chief tentpole. I’ll change him.
It takes a direct intervention from God the Father to snap Peter out of it.
Then a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow, and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my own dear Son—listen to him!”“
Its a rebuke. Peter are you listening? That man glowing white over there, The one you want to put in a tent! That’s my beloved Son. Stop trying to change him and start Listening to him.
I remember once taking my three youngest kids to the Park And we were heading back to the car, Solomon and Lois went running off ahead playing a game It was fine until they got near the road. Then I had to scream at them “STOP!” Sometimes you have to do that to your kids when they head off in the wrong direction don’t you?
That’s what God’s doing to Peter here -He’s saying to him, stop trying to change my Son, instead listen to him, and let him change you. He’s saying that to us too.
You see, Jesus’ essential message was not
I love you and accept you so you can do whatever you want and I’ll dance to your tune”
You hear that a lot today in church circles.But that was not Jesus’ message.You won’t find that anywhere in the Gospels. Instead what you find is Jesus inviting people to
Repent and believe the Good News of the Kingdom of God.”
Repentance is all about change. You were going one way in life,You repent of it by going the other way.The thief gets an honest job The liar tells the truth.The miser becomes generous One of the most uncomfortable and yet also hopeful verses in the New Testament is Paul’s encouragement to the church in Corinth, 1Corinthians 6:9
Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God’s Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or [men who have sex with men] or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves—none of these will possess God’s Kingdom.
That’s the uncomfortable bit. Now listen how he continues.
Some of you were like that. But you have been purified from sin; you have been dedicated to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
What he’s saying is that the Christians in Corinth,were once in all sorts of sin,but they repented and believed the good news,and received the complete forgiveness and cleansing that Jesus offers us through the cross.
But we’ll miss that if we don’t listen to Jesus. There’s so much we need to listen to him about. Marriage, sex, work, children, home, school, money, retirement, joy, peace, heaven and Hell.
Time after time we find that if we stop trying to change Jesus to fit our life,And instead listen to him,and ask his help to change our lives,then life gets better.
So what do we do with all this? Well this mountaintop experience is meant to shake us out of “I’ll change him” and into letting Jesus change us.
I can’t do that for you. I wish I could, but the vicar’s powers are strictly limited so it’s down to each and every one of us to work out where we are not listening to Jesus,and to do something about it.
The good news is that where we have let him down, we too can be washed, sanctified and justified,just like those Christians in Corinth. And as we try to change, Jesus will give us his Holy Spirit,to help us along the way.
But only if we ask. So let’s ask…Would you pray with me?
Heavenly Father,Thank-you for sending your Son Jesus into the world Help us to listen to him,I pray for each of us here, that we might listen more, and ignore less of what Jesus said, and put it into practice. Please show us where we’ve failed, where we’ve said “I’ll change him” and remade your son in our image. Forgive us for that, and help us change. And to help with that change, we ask you to fill us afresh with your Holy Spirit that we might live more like your son Jesus, in whose name we pray, Amen.