Transfiguration -- a Narrative Sermon
a sermon based on Mark 9:2-9
by Manzel

Peter's long stride carried him easily and effortlessly up mountain path. Paying attention to the path and to those around him was another matter. James and John were at it again. They loved to argue and again they were carrying on about who was most important. Yes, the three of them had enjoyed a closeness with Jesus at many sacred moments and these sacred moments were absolutely intoxicating.

Perhaps that is why Peter was caught up in his own little world as they climbed Mt. Tabor. He was trying to understand the things that had just happened and how it was that again spectacular opportunities had come straight to him and he had fumbled.

Just days ago he had been on the verge of greatness. Jesus was teaching as always and was pressing the disciples with his questions. These questions always made them think. It was like a game and always fun to guess where Jesus was leading their minds. He had asked, "who do people say that I am". There were many good answers. Jesus was not just their rabbi but one that so many were recognizing as one who taught with authority.

It had seemed clear for months now that people thought Jesus was the beheaded Baptist now come back to lead the common people. Other rumors on the grape vine were that Jesus was really the great Elijah who had been taken to heaven on a chariot of fire and now returned to give miraculous leadership to Israel in this time of Roman oppression. Peter grinned as he thought about how wonderful it was that Jesus had let them share openly with him these things that were on everyone's minds. Then lightning struck again. Jesus asked the 64 million dollar question, "who do you say that I am"?

For one glorious moment Peter was sure he had landed the most colossal answer of all. Never was there a greater answer in all of history. Alex Tribeck and Regis Filbin, take a back seat, Peter had the answer of the eon and he was certain, yes final answer, "you are the Christ, the very son of God". And indeed it was like there were bells and whistles. Jesus himself, looked straight into Peter's hairy sunburned face and said, "Right! Blessed are you Simon bar Jonah for no body told you this answer, you knew it in your inner being. Blessed are you for this is the faith that is the solid rock sufficient to be the foundation upon which we can build."

It was like Peter could hear angels whispering his name and singing praises of this great blessing. "You are the seed that will grow a new sprout, a star that will shine in the night" Peter's mind had raced with images of whole apple orchards in one seed and butterflies in cocoons waiting to be free. Yes, his mind tripped out and like Joseph's ancient dream he could see the moon and the stars bowing before him. He thought he heard Jesus say, " to you I give the keys to the kingdom and all authority on heaven and earth shall be yours and whatever you say shall be so". But the very next moment Jesus was saying something about how when they got to Jerusalem, he would be rejected by the Temple leaders and but to a shameful death.

So Peter played his trump card. He spoke with all this authority he had just been granted. He spoke with all confidence and assurance, "Jesus, never fear, that shall never happen, it is a cosmic impossibility for you are the messiah and we will never let that happen".

It was a week later and Peter was half way up Mt. Tabor, still trying to figure out just how his bubble had burst. One moment he was giving that great affirmation that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and speaking with all the authority he could imagine and suddenly Jesus was rebuking him as though he was the very mouthpiece of evil itself. Just how did this happen? Surely no one in history had put their foot in their mouth at a worse moment. Peter had managed to do this a dozen times. He couldn't have scored more bloopers if he had been trying but he was trying so hard to say the right things. Even Jesus said he had the faith to move mountains so how could he be so close and get things so wrong?

Suddenly a hand grasp his wrist and Peter looked up to see Jesus smiling at him; radiating confidence and enjoying this climb that was at this point a very narrow passage along the side of a cliff. Where was Peter's mind? He could not even remember looking where he was stepping for quite some time. He smiled back at Jesus a put his big feet carefully next to the ledge and moving toward Jesus soon everything was fine.

Peter's mind was swimming again in an ocean of wonderful memories of Jesus. He could feel Jesus hands on his wrist, this time holding him up as he had started to sink. It was another one of those moments. He had been so close to greatness so close to the universe just opening up to him. Peter and his home boys had been in the fishing boats when they had spotted someone walking right across the Galilean Sea. Ok someone else had shouted out the right answer then, "Its Jesus" but Peter out did him, calling out. Lord if its really you, bid me to come to you. Leaping out of the boat, Peter was actually walking on water. It was just like flying and for a moment he knew anything was possible. Then his ego kicked in, "I am walking on water like Jesus" Peter thought. Then the cold waves of reality washed over him. Something inside him confessed, I am mere mortal, so Peter screamed, "Oh God, help me" As the cold waves began to devour him, Jesus hand was once again ahold of him and soon they were both walki

Peter had always been so good at taking control. His strength and bold assertiveness were unrivaled among the fisherman of Capernaum but Jesus was like a moving target, more than that Jesus was always surprising, even magical.

James and John were now gasping for breath and Jesus was several stones throws ahead of them. It was another opportunity for Peter to show off. So he put his arms across the shoulders of James and John, winked at them and swept them along in his great stride. He was just getting started. He had been on automatic pilot all morning and now as they were nearing the top of Mt Tabor, the excitement was filling the cool crisp air. Peter was ready. This was going to be great.

It was no surprise when Jesus explained that they had come to this spot to pray. Jesus was always finding a time and place that became sacred with his prayers. From this vantage point they could see the luscious fertile Valley of Jezreel on the west, rooftops from homes in Nazareth near by and part of the harp shaped sea of Galilee to the east and south east. They could even see a snow cap on top of Mt Herman to the North east. Jesus spoke of preparation for the foreboding things ahead in Jerusalem but as usual it made no sense because there was a joy and exuberance in Jesus face. Jesus could be such a kid at times. It was like he was being energized for a big game, some extraordinary challenge.

Peter realized there was a lump in his throat. Jesus was nervous! Jesus really was nervous! Mr. Kool walk on water, Prince serenity himself was nervous. Peter had no frame of reference. He looked at James and John. They slapped each other on the shoulders and gave each other high fives like they were on top of the world and ready for anything. Peter looked questioningly at John and gestured with a head and shoulder toward Jesus as if to say, "wake up man don't you see Jesus is actually nervous". John walked over to Jesus and gave him a big hug without saying a word. Peter thought, "why didn't I think of that".

Jesus began his prayers by praising God as creator of all the beauty before them, then Peter recognized one Psalm after another as Jesus was sort of chanting, sort of singing softly but very joyfully. Peter, James and John were in rhythm bowing, repeating phrases and saying amen. They were feeling a great energy and the vista around them grew more beautiful each moment. It was as if they were seeing the fertile Jezreel valley form all time periods at once with battles going on, crops being harvested and great prophets like Elijah doing miracles and proving victorious over all the rival cults. It was as if the Roman and Egyptian solders who had fought and died at the vast edge of the valley, at Megeddo were alive again and singing to the hymn of the universe.

It was as if this was the bridge tying together all the distant corners of the world. It was as if every human ordeal was as temporary as a single breath. It was as if each breath they took was part of one ocean and each drop of it had been life to each individual that had ever lived. Peter was feeling this truth, not in his intellect but in his heart.

Suddenly his awareness focused on something immediate. Peter could see that James and John saw it too. Jesus whole body was radiant. Even his cloths seemed to glow. It was like the sun itself was shining from inside of Jesus. Jesus was no object, like he was too much to be contained by a body. Peter though, "Jesus is pure light, no he is more. Jesus is like pure dialogue that is heart to heart" So Peter chose to focus on the dialogue. It became clear. Jesus was speaking to Moses and Elijah. Again, no flesh and blood told him the names of these hosts but Peter knew, they were the embodiments of the Law and the Prophets.

Moses and Elijah, right there talking to Jesus, his Jesus. Peter was more than proud. He was walking on air. Something inside him just had to shout. He would shout from the mountain top and his voice would echo to the corners of the earth. His mind was racing and he could feel the sound being pushed up from his diaphragm, vibrating the low base of his vocal cords, tickeling his tongue and being shaped and caressed by his lips. Peter knew they were words of praise as his ears recognized his own words, "Lord this is so good and right. It is so kool to be here with you and we will serve you.. " Peter heard the words coming out of his mouth and he knew he was starting to stumble but he could not stop blabbering. He heard words coming out of his own mouth saying, Lord we want to honor and serve you.... Let us build 3 tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses and One for Elijah".

Suddenly things got hazy; not that the moment had ended. It was still a luminous moment but it was like there was this luminous cloud around Jesus, Moses and Elijah . Time stood still. An eternity may have passed and the dialogue of great souls may have encompassed every subject but only one thing resonated in their minds as the clear message to Peter, James, and John. They knew beyond any shadow of doubt that God had spoken directly to them, affirming Jesus saying, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him".

It was as if there were fine tuning controls on their minds. The focus became razor sharp. There was only one subject in the world. Nothing and no one else existed that moment except Jesus. Jesus was everything.

The disciples were totally oblivious to their journey back down the mountain except for one thing. Sometime, somewhere on the way down, some words of Jesus had conveyed to them that this was totally beyond mention until after the events that were about to happen in Jerusalem. Then they were back in a world that seemed very flat and very gray and their own dear friends seemed incredibly stupid.

Everything was so barbaric. A father had brought his afflicted son to the other disciples for healing. They acted as if some wild and cantankerous beast had inhabited the boy's body and they in their primitive way were trying incantations and all manor of ritualistic means of scaring away some evil spirit. The boy merely convulsed all the more. So it was up to Jesus who in one graceful gentle movement connected both to the Father in Heaven and to the afflicted son. The calmness that came over the boy was so dramatic that at first people thought he was dead. The boy was whole and the disciples were baffled. Jesus shook his head and shoulders as if to reacclimatize to this gray, flat world full of people who's collective knowledge was but a drop in the ocean.

Jesus gave them a simple answer, "this kind can only be cured through prayer". This time Peter said nothing. His mind was ahead of his mouth. Like an inside joke, Peter got it and gracefully smiled. He knew, "Yes, prayer is the key to everything, not as an incantation of right words but as dialogue. It is in our communion with God that all things are possible. It is Jesus who is the way to this, this... LIFE. This luminous, glorious life is what happens when God's energy is flowing through us. We can never stake a claim to its sacred power. It will always be a mystery to us but we have one clue; it is Jesus." Peter smiled thinking, " many revelations took place on that mountain and almost all of them were way over my head but one of them is a treasure for me to keep and to share. I have the privilege of telling the world what God said, "This is my beloved son, listen to him!"