| First
Reading | Psalm | Epistle | Gospel |
| Exodus
34:29-35 | 99:1-5,
9 | 2
Corinthians 3:12-4:2 | Luke
9:28-43 |
On
the last Sunday before Lent, an account from the Gospels of Jesus going up a high
mountain to pray, taking three of his close disciples with him, is always read.
This story serves as a demarcation between Jesus ministry around the Lake of Galilee,
the gathering and training of his close disciples, and the final journey to Jerusalem.
From this point on, Jesus is headed to Jerusalem for that final confrontation
during the Passover festival and what we call Holy Week.
The
next Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent, the story of Jesus' temptation in the desert
by the devil is always read. Both stories together provide an enlightening contrast.
The story of Jesus' temptation occurred right after Jesus was baptized by John
in the Jordan River. Jesus in effect was all set to go. He was given the all tools
he needed to form his band of disciples and to go to work. However before Jesus
began teaching and enlisting disciples, the devil led him away and tempted him
to use his power and ability for his own personal gain. The devil took him to
a high place where Jesus could see clearly all the kingdoms of the world and all
that could be his if he applied himself in a certain way. There was no ambiguity
about it. If Jesus so chose, his future was certain. There was not a cloud in
it. All the choices were easy and explicit. The road to success was all laid out
before him.
In contrast, Jesus led the three disciples up a mountain,
and it seems as if there was no view at all. The story mentions that they were
sleepy, so presumably they got there at night. Everything was obscure, it was
hard to see anything at their feet much less an extended panoramic view. Even
in the morning the top was likely covered with fog and a cold midst. There had
been a voice, but it came out of a cloud. There had been a revelation, but it
was puzzling. The disciples struggled the best they could to understand what it
all meant. They began to build three shines, until they were told, no you don't
need to do that. Follow Jesus. They left the mountain in confusion, and not knowing
what to say.
Then right after coming off the mountain, we have an equally
puzzling story about a man who seeks healing for his child and directly appeals
to Jesus because Jesus' disciples couldn't do anything for the child. Jesus makes
a cryptic comment about being among a faithless generation, and then heals the
child. Again why this story is linked to the revelation of the previous day on
the mountaintop is not clear. What is obvious that the disciples had failed and
revelations from God were not going to protect the disciples against the sting
of failures either present or future.
If we examine the Biblical tradition, we discover that
authentic revelation is rarely straightforward and simple and more often occurs
in transitional and uncertain circumstances. Moses received the great moral code,
the Ten Commandments in a turbulent time. Israel wasn’t sure when Moses
went up the mountain that he would ever return. The Ten Commandments were not
given when Israel was settled as stable nation, but as they were just beginning
to realize that they were related to each other. They had been delivered from
slavery and offered a common destiny. Freedom was new to them and so was the recognition
that they needed each other. They were camped out in the wilderness and their
future homeland was still a long way off both in terms of distance and time. Moses
was calling them to travel through unmapped and unexplored territory to a new
future that weeks before none of them were capable of even dreaming of.
The great call of Samuel, whom God raised up in another
very restless time in Israel’s history, occurred at night and it was only
after several tries, and with the help of old Eli that Samuel understood that
it was God who was calling.
The Biblical tradition suggests that it is usually the
call of the devil, the siren song of easy but disreputable choices that make things
seem so clear and unambiguous. We should be more than a little suspicious of a
too comfortable and effortless vision of deliverance. In contrast, revelations
and wisdom from God are no easy options, rather they tend to be complex, subtle,
and take some time to process. They occur as clouds and fog settle in, and when
despair and discouragement is rampant. True revelation does not insure against
future failure or struggle. Revelations teach us that it is both OK to walk through
clouds and it is no shame to admit we don't understand everything about what our
journey of faith entails.
And
I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen.
