The Text: Luke 9:28-36
Many years ago, there was a group of Christians from UK churches who used to travel yearly to Bulgarian orphanages to offer their time and service to helping very poor children as well as renovate dilapidated buildings unable to be repaired due to the government’s poverty and lack of money. These trips were often two weeks in duration and during this time the children would form strong bonds with their UK visitors, enjoying the time, love attention and care they offered.
But there always came the time to say goodbye. One group of rural children were taken to the city and given McDonald’s food for the first time. It was such a rare experience for them that one little girl decided to fold up and treasure the McDonald’s wrapper that once contained her Big Mac and keep it as a reminder of this time she would possibly never have again.
Like that beautiful little girl who keeps the McDonald’s wrapper, to treasure and hold onto something that may not ever happen again can apply to many of us. There can be so many instances where we wish to preserve or stay in the moment as best we can.
Daryl Kerrigan is a character in the classic Aussie film ‘The Castle’ and encapsulates an Australian cultural phenomenon to preserve things in… the ‘pool room’. For those that don’t know this part of Australian culture, Daryl has a special room like a rumpus room, or lounge room that has a pool table and display area that has all his prized possessions, trophies and memorabilia. And when he gets a special pewter letter opener for Father’s Day from his daughter he says: ‘That’s going straight to the pool room’. ‘C’mon Dad, you’re meant to use it for work!’ ‘Nup. I’m not even going to take it out the wrapper’.
Many of you might have an equivalent of a ‘pool room’ in your homes, but I wonder...what’s your spiritual ‘pool room’? What’s some of your most prized experiences in your walk with the Lord, that you enjoy reliving. Maybe that’s something you share with people often or perhaps it’s something that you wish to happen again to you.
Peter, James and John witnessed something extraordinary on the mountain with Jesus praying which probably would go into their ‘pool room’. Like the Garden of Gethsemane, these three had fallen asleep as Jesus was praying. The moment of Jesus’ transfiguration wakes them up, as they see Jesus’ clothes shining as bright as lightning, and his face blazing. They witness the extraordinary and unexpected bonus of Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus and discussing his departure which he would fulfil at Jerusalem. The Greek word used for departure here in the text is the word ‘Exodus’ which means “the way out”.
There are lots of references to the Old Testament in Luke’s Gospel, and so the Exodus referred to is the idea that Jesus as the new Moses, will deliver—or find “the way out” for all people from death and sin.
What is amazing here is that Jesus is acting as some sort of portal or bridge between heaven and earth. Time has completely dissolved; heaven and earth have crossed over. Moses and Elijah already seem to know all about what Jesus is about to do in Jerusalem, they are talking together, and Peter James and John witness them standing close together in perfect unity. Picture the three of them standing so close together: Jesus the Word of God made flesh, and then you have Moses who represents the law, and Elijah, the prophets.
Now as they begin to leave Jesus, this is where Peter seems to panic, and he speaks without thinking things through as Peter usually does. He makes the suggestion to make three shelters for each of them. The original text can be translated as ‘tabernacles’. That’s like three Old Testament tents of meeting or places of worship for each of them. Although it can mean a normal tent or shelter, I think there’s a suggestion that it is a tent of worship.
What’s going on for Peter? Yes, he doesn’t really know what he was saying in one sense, it seems out of place and crazy; probably something he’d kick himself about afterwards. But could this be a symptom of being star struck, all giddy at the knees at meeting his heroes of the faith, the first century Jewish equivalent of meeting famous film stars and celebrities. We don’t know what exactly was going through Peter’s mind, perhaps he thought this could be the amazing invasion of God upon Rome, to set free and restore Israel. But really what we can see in Peter is a human attempt to preserve the moment. If it was in our time, Peter would have got Moses, Elijah and Jesus to pose for a selfie, before they left.
But then something suddenly shifts in the whole scene as a cloud descends, they lose sight of the glory of Jesus, Moses and Elijah and are left feeling blind and frightened. They hear the strong voice of God the Father speaking ‘This is my son, whom I have chosen. Listen to him!’ As they hear the voice, the cloud goes and they are left with Jesus in his ordinariness, and simplicity standing there alone. The three disciples unsurprisingly, are silent, and keep the whole matter to themselves. They’ve all put the memory away in their internal ‘pool rooms’ still wondering what to make of it all.
But it has a huge effect on James and John as we soon begin to discover. Arguments about who is the greatest begin amongst the disciples. John and James get big heads and become quite racist and discriminate. John gets annoyed with someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name in verse 49 because he is not ‘one of us’. Jesus must have taken a deep breath, to contain his frustration when James and John ask if they can call down fire from heaven and wipe out an entire village of Samaritans in verse 54 simply because they were not welcomed.
We can see that this experience on the mountain completely went to their heads as even in Mark chapter 10 James and John ask to sit at Jesus’ left and right side in heaven. It’s no wonder that the other disciples had issues with James and John. They have an unhealthy sense of pride and privilege feeling that they were lucky enough to see Jesus’ heavenly form and their obsession with it has created division amongst the disciples. It is a great example how spiritual experiences can easily distract people away from Jesus where they are used instead to build up an ego, and a sense of superiority over others.
But a key message we can receive from this text today is to be found simply in the descending of the cloud. For that cloud that came, did two things. It firstly rescued Peter and James and John from their celebrity obsession over Moses and Elijah, and secondly it refocused them on Jesus. After the spiritual high of witnessing Jesus connecting heaven and earth, and the low of the cloud, all they are left with is just Jesus. He’s there, he never left them, and he is present and consistent in the up and down patterns of their human life. In the events before and after their mountain experience, Jesus is reminding them of his death and suffering that he is going to endure and telling them to be prepared to take up their cross. The transfiguration of Jesus was meant to be an encouragement to them. Something that could stay with them to reassure them when they are called to suffer for Christ in the future.
We can be encouraged when we read this story too. After all of our rollercoaster emotional changes, and when our temporary idols and obsessions fade away, we are still left with Jesus. He is enough for us, he is the bridge between heaven and earth. Although Jesus offers a future comfort in heaven, he is right here, right now with us.
We don’t need to go chasing for spiritual highs, or obsessions to make our faith seem more real. It’s ok to have a ‘pool room’ or collections in our heart of the wonders of God to get us through a hard time, but not to the extent that it feeds our self-importance or clouds our faith and the clear vision of Jesus in his word. There we hear the voice of God who comforts you and reassures you through not only the spiritual highs but also the spiritual lows.
Jesus calmly says: ‘It’s ok, it’s just me. I’m here. I’m all you need. I died to save you and did everything to make you mine. After every rollercoaster ride, I’ll always be here to re-centre you, and keep you on course until you get to see me in my glory in heaven’.
So be ok with ‘just Jesus’ because really, he is all we need. Jesus loves us and treasures us so much, that if he did have a pool room like Daryl Kerrigan, he would certainly put us straight in it.
Amen.
Σχόλια