Homily the Last Sunday of Epiphany (Transfiguration Sunday), March 6, 2011

My sisters and brothers, let us reach to Christ for the power we need to transform or lives.

The core of the story we heard in our fist lesson today is Moses receiving the 10 commandments from God. Previously, Moses has ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Law verbally from God – both the Ten Commandments and the case law. Moses has told them to the people; they have agreed to their side of the Covenant. (God’s side is to be their God and to protect them.) Moses has then written all God has told him. The pact, the union between God and the people, has been ratified in blood, “the blood of the covenant.” Blood has been dashed against the altar (symbolizing God) and sprinkled on the people.
Now God offers to put all the laws in permanent form, on “tablets of stone.”

The description of God’s “glory” is an envelope of light, a bright “cloud,” veiling his being: the people can see the cloud, but not God. Unlike the light from the burning bush, this appearance of God is frightening “like a devouring fire.” Moses prepares to meet God for some time “Forty days and forty nights.”

In our second lesson today, Peter gives his testimony of Jesus’ Transfiguration and status and God’s Son. While others (false teachers) have used cleverly lies to deceive members of the community the author was an “eyewitness” to the event. An event that showed the power of God and was a preview of Christ’s second “coming.” Then, Jesus “received honor and glory from God the Father” when the heavenly voice identified him as “‘my Son, my Beloved . . . ’.”

Old Testament prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah at the end of time; the Transfiguration more fully confirms this. After reminding the readers of this grounding of their hope in Christ, the author makes two important points about the life they share as a community of faith: 1, scripture should be interpreted in the community, not on “one’s own” as some privet revelation; 2, true prophets, in every age, are empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak for God; they do not prophesy of their own volition and do not choose themselves.

Today’s gospel gives us, again, Matthew’s demonstration that Jesus is the ONE. Jesus’ transfiguration parallels Moses receiving the law: God’s glory in the cloud and the voice. Matthew’s point is that Jesus is the new Moses and brings in a new and greater relationship with God for the people. Jesus and the inner circle of his disciples ascend a mountain. Jesus is “transfigured.”

An aura of unnatural brightness is linked with mystical appearances in Exodus when Moses came down off the mountain as a symbol of transcendence. In Jewish tradition, both “Moses and Elijah” were taken into heaven without dying; here Moses represents the Law and Elijah the prophets. Both are associated with Mount Sinai.

Peter has the realization that Jesus is “Lord”; the testimony of which we heard in the second lesson.

This is our last Sunday before lent begins. We traditionally focus this day on the transfiguration of Christ. Recounting that he is the fulfillment of all expectations of the law (symbolized by the law giver Moses) and the prophets (symbolized by Elijah the greatest of the prophets). Remember I mentioned that the people of Jesus’ day had many hops and dreams of what the messiah would do for them, Matthew is saying Jesus is the one who does it all . . .

We look to Christ for the grace/power to transform our own lives, move us way from our flaws and sins to the healing and virtue we are called to embody on Christ’s behalf.

Today let us pray for the grace we need to make this a good lent. A lent of transformation that empowers us to more fully live out the mission Christ has given us at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church!