A Sermon by Pastor Tom Lacey . . .

A HOLY ENCOUNTER

Matthew 17:1-9, Preached at Congregational Church of Boca Raton, February 3, 2008

A middle aged woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she had a near death experience. Seeing God she asked, "Is my time up?" "No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live." Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it. So she stayed in the hospital and got a facelift, a nose job, liposuction, botoxin injections, and a tummy tuck. The works. She even had someone come in and change her hair color and style. A total makeover. After her last operation and recovery, she was released from the hospital. While crossing the street, she was killed instantly by a truck. Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I thought you said I had another 40 years? Why didn't you pull me out of the path of the truck?" But God raised his hands in innocence and replied, "I didn't recognize you."

Our text is about transformations, transfigurations, changes. Now I am not talking here at church about changes you may wish to make, like our poor total makeover maven above. We will have to find inspiration for that type of handiwork on TV, in the movies or in Elle or GQ magazines. We’ve got six days and 23 hours a week to hear all about how to become the “better” you in those terms. I’m talking about an interior makeover, a change for the better, a soothing of the wild beast, a calming of the high-strung, a surrendering of the overcharged passions—beauty that goes more than skin deep. It is perhaps this beauty that the three disciples saw emanating from Christ visibly when he was transfigured and “his face shone like the sun.” Now inner beauty as many understand it has more to do with feeling good about ourselves, especially when we face a mountain of negativity in daily life. In order to feel that inner beauty certain things are often suggested; for example, one magazine said you should created 2-3 positive affirmations, such as "My creativity is my gift, as I am open to it, I will be led;" or "I am wonderfully gifted and I am growing better every day." We are supposed to repeat these affirmations 10 times each morning to motivate ourselves to grow, learn and experience the things we are passionate about. This isn’t all bad. It is like self-hypnosis or reinforcement. But this doesn’t go as far as we would like to go.

Jesus said to his disciples and all those who were with them for his sermon on the mount, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This is how far that true Christian inner beauty can take us—all the way to seeing God. It’s great to envision a better you, but it is within our spiritual DNA to be able to see something even greater. So, as scripture says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 Focus on what really matters by keeping your eye on the prize of God’s will. Don’t let distractions turn you aside from your walk with the Lord. Grow in God’s direction, as a plant to the sun, and let the Lord shine on all you do.

What we want to see this morning is that transfigurations occur around us—people becoming someone they were not, for good or not so good reasons.

With some people, it’s in the name. Issur Danielovitch Densky didn’t like the image he thought his name projected, so he changed his name to Kirk Douglas. In the same way, Frances Gum transfigured herself and her image into Judy Garland. Archibald Leach became Cary Grant and Aaron Schwalt became Red Buttons. After all, would you have paid money to see Marion Morrison in the movies? Maybe, but Marion didn't take that chance, so he became John Wayne. Remember in Holy Scriptures many people got new names to go with a new life. Abram became Abraham. Sarai became Sarah. Jacob became Israel. Saul became Paul. Simon became Peter, "The Rock." Transfigurations are not the exception. They are the rule. We are all changing. To live is to be continually transfigured. So who are we becoming?

Now in our text what we see is the manifestation of Jesus as the Messiah, not Jesus as God. Jesus is presented not as non-human but as a transformed human who will be the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Jesus is not presented here as God or a “second god” because then Peter, James, and John’s appropriate response would have been abject terror. The Bible doesn’t do Greek gods as God. Also if you notice Peter speaks to Jesus as he would under any other normal circumstances. “Hey, Jesus, how ‘bout we build a three booths here, eh, one for you, and one for Moses, and eh, one for Elijah?” His proposal to build three booths, while not necessarily putting Moses and Elijah on the same level as Jesus, suggests that all three are “heavenly” human beings. The significance of the three booths has never really been made clear. The fact is the word “booth” is also used to describe the wilderness tabernacle where God resided in the midst of Israel. So if they permit Peter to build them booths, the three heavenly human beings might stay for awhile. But they don’t and Peter’s hope perhaps of keeping Jesus up on this hill and not going to Jerusalem to meet what he said would happen is dashed.

Look: it’s great to have that mountain top experience because it will be a memory that reinforces faith when you face doubt. But God doesn’t want us to have mystical experiences, to have mountain top highs, and consider them the religious experience that only matters. “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him,” says God. The point here is that we are to listen to Jesus, not just stare at him in admiration and faith. What’s the good of that? Seeing Jesus transformed has value only if it leads Peter, James and John to listen obediently to his words.

Charles Swindoll once found himself with too many commitments in too few days. He got nervous and tense about it. "I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day," he recalled in his book Stress Fractures. "Before long, things around our home started reflecting the patter of my hurry-up style. It was become unbearable. "I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, 'Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin' and I'll tell you really fast.' "Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, 'Honey, you can tell me—and you don't have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly." "I'll never forget her answer: 'Then listen slowly.'"

When we listen well we are transformed into whom we are supposed to be. Listening is not just an act of kindness or civility; it is transformative. We become shaped by the one to whom we are listening. And sometimes it’s not words that we listen to. To love is to listen and obey. A pastor remembers well a visit he had with one of the oldest members of their church, old Al Lunde, who later died in his early nineties. He says, “But this particular day that I am remembering he was much younger, perhaps in his early eighties. Al was over at the retirement center, the Good Samaritan, with his wife Cora, demented through Alzheimer's. Old Man Lunde, as I affectionately called him, would come over to the retirement center every day with a bowl of ice cream to give to his wife of many decades, Cora. By the time that Al drove from his home over to the retirement center, the ice cream would be melted. I watched Old Man Lunde take that melted ice cream on a spoon and feed Cora as if she were a newborn baby bird. As he put the melted ice cream into her mouth and patted her on the cheek, I saw. There was no haze, no fog, no trees. I saw for sure the genuine love of God between a man and a woman. I knew that love was true and I knew that quality of love was from God and I was totally convinced of the truth of that moment. It was a vision. I had seen true love…in the flesh…right before my eyes. Holiness. Pure holiness. Goodness. Pure goodness.” Be transformed by love. Let the ears of your heart lead your steps. Pay attention to God’s direction. It doesn’t happen over there and it won’t be found far away. It is present here and now. It is in our midst. It is already here. Surrender to the beauty of God’s word.

Speaking of beauty … a very smart, diplomatic, but forgetful husband asked his wife after she complained about his mentally misplacing her birthday again, “How do you expect me to remember your birthday when you never look any older?" Or how about the old Catskill Mountains comics of Vaudeville days like Red Buttons, Totie Fields, Milton Berle, Henny Youngman, and others? Corny, clean jokes, but still funny. Like… “There was a beautiful young woman knocking on my hotel room door all night! I finally had to let her out.” “My wife was at the beauty shop for two hours. That was only for the estimate. She got a mud-pack and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off.”

You know, it’s interesting that the next time these three disciples, Peter, James, and John, reappear together with Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, right before Jesus is arrested, where he wrestles with his impending fate. It’s as if to say that those who witness his heavenly glory must also witness his earthly agony. If followers wish to share in Christ’s future and heavenly glory they must be prepared to participate in his earthly sacrifice. We have to be willing to be transformed by Christ’s Spirit and in turn transform the world around us.

When Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross was doing research for her famous book on death and dying, she met a woman who was a member of the cleaning staff in a large hospital. This woman spent her days cleaning floors, emptying wastebaskets and tidying up patients' rooms. The hospital staff, however, began to notice that each time this woman finished cleaning the room of a dying patient, that person was invariably more content and more at peace. The woman explained to Dr. Kubler-Ross that she had known a lot of fear and tragedy in her life, as well as good times when others helped her know of God's love. She had been up and she had been down the mountain. The worst time was when her three-year-old son was ill with pneumonia. She brought him to the public health clinic, and he died in her arms while she waited her turn. All of this could have embittered her, but she said to Kubler-Ross, "You see, doctor, the dying patients are just like old acquaintances to me, and I'm not afraid to touch them, to talk to them, or to offer them hope." The hospital decided to promote this woman to "Special Counselor to the Dying."

There are all kinds of transfigurations. There is one for you too. Listen to the Lord. Find your peace by following God’s plan and make your mark for God and good.

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