Transfiguration Sunday Feb 26, 2006
Every once in a while, I watch one of the big time television preachers. I’m really just curious about what they’re saying. Recently, I watched Joel Olsteen. I suppose you’ve heard of him. He seems like a nice, well intentioned fellow. His church in Houston looks like about the size of the AA Center in Dallas where the Mav’s play. I guess there at least 30,000 people every week who watch him on a stage.
He’s good looking, young, and worldly. I really was impressed by his nice, sharp looking suit he preached in. I thought his message was interesting, and was impressed by the delivery of his message. He’s full of advice on how to improve your life and make you happier and richer. He had a few Bible verses and stories sprinkled in to illustrate his points. The night I watched, he was talking about the power of faith to help us become happy and satisfied with life.
I took a look at his book one day over at the Sam’s store while my wife was shopping. It’s called "Your Best Life Now." It’s got a message that is full of good stories and advice, just like he gave on television. I even came across a part that talks about shopping and spending wisely. I was going to show Marilyn, but she was ready to leave. And I’m fairly happy just the way I am, so I figured it was best just to put it down and head toward the checkout line.
Later, I read an article about him in a paper that was somewhat critical. I wrote down a few sentences. It said, "With all the charm of a Am-Way salesman, his audiences are empowered have their best life now, not in the world to come. He doles out pop psychology to help them overcome their personal and career challenges, and shows them how to generate "fulfillment" and create greater "prosperity" and "productivity" in their lives. Olsteen consistently empowers the members of his audiences to achieve a happy life."
The article described him as, "Relentlessly upbeat, preaching a gospel of happiness and prosperity now." Then it went on, "He’s America’s success story. With no formal education or training, he has built a multimillion-dollar corporation of hundreds of employees, and thousands of volunteers. His list of followers reads like a ‘‘Who’s Who" of business executives, political leaders, and celebrities. His corporate clients include real estate firms, airlines, educational institutions, management and sales clubs, network marketing, and entrepreneurial organizations."
I think the article was a little tough on Joel Olsteen. Maybe they are jealous or something. I don’t have a problem with him. But I know that I wouldn’t want to try to get rich or have your best life. The reason I became a pastor is to tell you about Jesus and the gospel story. As I read the Bible, Jesus didn’t try to tell people how to get rich or find happiness. It’s not that Jesus had anything against having a good life, or even getting rich. (Although Luke’s Gospel tells us Jesus said it’s harder for a rich person to enter the kingdom than to get a camel through the eye of a needle. But with God, anything is possible.)
The story of Jesus culminates in his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. His message was about the Kingdom of God, which has begun, but not yet come to the world we live in. He promised the Kingdom will come fully when he comes again to rule the heaven and the earth. This is the promise I hear in the reading for this Sunday, and every Sunday.
This is called Transfiguration Sunday because it recalls a pivotal, defining moment for the disciples. It occurred when they saw Jesus for who he really is, in all his glory as the Son God. Jesus took three of his closest disciples high atop a mountain. When they reached the top, Jesus began to glow; his face was shining white. Moses and Elijah, key heros of their historic Jewish faith, appeared with Jesus and were talking with him. Now the disciples knew that Jesus had the divine power and glory of God. They were looking at the face of God in him, and it terrified them.
Peter didn’t know what to say; he was awestruck. But he assumed this is the moment he and everyone else was waiting for. He thought now Jesus was going to have it all -- now.
"It is great for us to be here," Peter said. It's an experience he wanted the world to know about and memorialize forever. "Let us make three (booths)," he tells Jesus, "one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" to stay in.
But just quickly as this tremendous epiphany came to him, it was over. A cloud obscured his vision. Not only does the cloud cut off his vision, but a voice comes out of the cloud saying "This is my beloved Son; listen to him!" Listen to him. Listen to him. The same words we heard when Jesus was baptized. Listen to him!
What was the first thing that the heard Jesus say? The first thing Jesus says in Marks gospel is, don’t tell anyone about this. He led them down the mountain, and ordered them to keep the whole thing a secret until after he had risen from the dead. I’m sure the three disciples looked back and wondered, why? We could have had it all right there on the mountain top. Those words from above were still ringing in their ears. "This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him."
In the months ahead, they heard Jesus this things Jesus said "What you do for the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you do unto me. I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was naked and you clothed me."
They followed him right to the end of his ministry when Jesus was crucified. They saw the people turn on him, and the shout hosannas became calls for his execution. His own government would accuse him of being a liar and a traitor. One of his own disciples, Judas, would turn him in for 40 pieces of silver. The disciples heard the cries of pains when he was executed. They heard his last words, a plea to God "why have you forsaken me?" They listened and heard all of this. But they were hiding in fear that the same thing would happen to them.
But then, on what we call Easter Day, The heard that God raised Jesus from the dead. He left them the promise to return again, when God’s glory would come to the whole creation. Jesus message invites us to share in his death and share in his resurrection. In his death, Jesus joined himself to humanity with all the sin of the world in life and in death. In his resurrection, he gave us the victory over evil, and opened the way for us to live in God’s peace now and forever. In his resurrection, he offers us eternal life with God.
I believe the question we have to ask is, are we listening to Jesus? When we listen to Jesus, we’ll hear about God’s love, God’s gracious will for us and for all creation. When we listen to Jesus, he tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. When we listen to Jesus, we will ask for God’s forgiveness as we forgive others. Do we listen to Jesus, or are we listening to some other god we have created? Here’s a test.
If your God condemns the same people you do, there’s a fair chance you’re not listening to Jesus. Jesus even forgave the people who crucified him.
If your God hates the same people you do, more than likely, you’re not listening to Jesus. Jesus invited those who were despised to follow him.
If your God wants to kill the same people you do, you’re definitely not listening to Jesus. In Jesus, we see the life of the world.
If you think God doesn’t care about you and every person in the world, your not listening to Jesus. Jesus loves you, and wants you be in him forever. The transfiguration was given because God loves us, and wants us to see that Jesus freely chose to leave the mountaintop and die on the cross.
I can’t tell you how to have your best life right now. In my own life experience, the real mountain top experiences of God’s love and grace have come when I was in the darkest valley. I have told you before that my first experience of God’s grace came when I was six years old, and my three year old brother just died of Leukemia. It was a dark time for me and my family. But when I heard of the love of Jesus, God’s light shined and scattered the darkness. Now through the power of the Holy Spirit, the light is shining for all of us. In our darkness, God’s light is shining, calling us to follow Jesus to his cross and into his resurrection.
Lent starts this Wednesday. Lent is a time to return to our baptism when God laid an eternal claim on us. In our baptism, we are celebrating our death in Christ, so that we will rise with him in the resurrection. Here’s what I’d like you to do.
Listen to Jesus. Listen to him as you red the Bible, listen in prayer, and listen in worship. Listen to those who have spoken God’s wisdom and love for you. Have you heard the good news on the mountain top of one of life’s victories, such as at the birth of a child. Or did you hear it in the dark valleys of life, such as when a loved one dies? Listen. Listen to Jesus. He’s always speaking to you, just listen.