The Transfiguration Of Our Lord / Last Sunday After The Epiphany
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VIII, Cycle A
Object:
Theme For The Day
Faith gives us power for living.
Old Testament Lesson
Exodus 24:12-18
The Cloud Of God's Glory
Consistent with the fantastic mountaintop vision of today's gospel lesson, this passage from Exodus tells of the theophany on Mount Sinai, by which God gives Moses the tablets of the law. It may be useful to begin the reading a little earlier, at verse 9 -- for not only do these verses set the scene, but they also contain the mystical imagery of the "pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness," that is "under [God's] feet." Verse 11 explains how it happens that the elders of Israel, who accompany Moses on the first part of the ascent, behold God, but are unharmed. God mercifully holds back, sparing these mere mortals -- who would ordinarily have been struck dead as a result of drawing this close to the Almighty. Not only that, but God condescends to allow the elders to eat and drink (as though anyone could think of food at such a time!). Together, Moses and Joshua proceed further up the mountain, although evidently only Moses reaches the summit. There, he encounters the shekinah, the bright cloud of divine glory. Moses enters the cloud of God's glory, even though it appears to be "like a devouring fire" (verses 17-18). Here, we have a raw, unmediated experience of God: What Rudolph Otto, in The Idea of the Holy, famously describes as mysterium tremendum et fascinans. It is a compelling image, utterly beyond words.
New Testament Lesson
2 Peter 1:16-21
"Eyewitnesses Of His Majesty"
In this passage, the author declares that the apostolic faith is no secondhand account, based on "cleverly devised myths" about Jesus Christ, but is rather based on the experience of being "eyewitnesses of his majesty" (v. 16). He then makes it clear that what he means is the experience of being with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (verses 17-18). Pay attention to this vision, he advises, "as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts" (v. 19). Responding to the problem of false teachers, who are causing great difficulty in the church of his day, the author next has a word or two to say about biblical interpretation. The "scriptures" to which he is referring are, of course, the Hebrew scriptures -- because the New Testament canon has not yet been formed. It sounds, at first, like he is saying there is no such thing as biblical interpretation ("no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation" -- verse 20). The word "interpretation," here -- epilusis -- is an obscure term that occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It describes the sort of interpretations that were commonly applied, in the Greco-Roman world, to omens, dreams, and visions. They are, in other words, precisely the sort of unverifiable, subjective judgments that come from the mouths of false teachers. Modern biblical interpretation -- based on objective standards of higher criticism -- is very different. What the author is recommending, as an alternative, is direct experience of God -- Jesus' transfiguration on the mountaintop being the prime example. Not that we can recreate that unique experience -- but we can reflect on it (or, at least as it has come down to us in the apostles' eyewitness accounts). We can view Jesus' transfiguration as a sign of God's presence in our world.
The Gospel
Matthew 17:1-9
The Transfiguration
The Transfiguration is a difficult story to preach, for two reasons. First, the three gospel accounts are substantially similar, leading to a sense that the same story is being repeated every year. Second, it is fundamentally a mystical experience, impenetrable to reason. It is what it is, and there is little that can be done with it from the pulpit, other than retelling the story. Having said that, however, one thing that can be mentioned is its strong associations with the Hebrew scriptures, particularly with Exodus. The location on a mountaintop hearkens back to the theophany on Mount Sinai. Certain elements of that theophany are present here, as well: the brightness, the voice from the cloud, even the presence of Moses and Elijah -- the only two figures who have spoken with God in person on Mount Sinai (or Mount Horeb). In The Lectionary Commentary, ed. R. Van Harn (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001), Dale C. Allison identifies numerous similarities and contrasts between Matthew's account of the Transfiguration, and his account of the Crucifixion. If the Transfiguration is a photograph, then the Crucifixion is its negative image. Here are some of the points of convergence Allison identifies:
* In the transfiguration, Jesus takes others with him (17:1). In the crucifixion, he is taken by others (27:31).
* In the transfiguration Jesus is elevated on a mountain (17:1). In the crucifixion, he is elevated on the cross (27:35).
* The transfiguration is a private epiphany (17:1). The crucifixion is a public spectacle (27:39).
* The dominant image in the transfiguration is light (17:2). In the crucifixion, it is darkness (27:45).
* In the transfiguration, Jesus' garments are illumined (17:2). In the crucifixion, they are stripped off (27:28, 35).
* In the transfiguration, Jesus is glorified (17:2ff). In the crucifixion, he is shamed (27:27ff).
* In the transfiguration, Elijah appears (17:3). In the crucifixion, Elijah fails to appear (27:45-50).
* In the transfiguration, there are two holy men beside Jesus (17:3). In the crucifixion, he is flanked by two criminals (27:38).
* In the transfiguration, God blesses Jesus (17:5). In the crucifixion, God abandons Jesus (27:46).
* In the transfiguration, those present prostrate themselves before Jesus in adoration (17:6). In the crucifixion, certain onlookers prostrate themselves in order to mock him (27:29).
Because the Day of Transfiguration is the threshold of Lent, a fruitful sermon approach may be to compare and contrast these two episodes from Jesus' life -- for the distance between one and the other is the journey of Lent.
Preaching Possibilities
"Are you a powerful person?"
Most of us would not be inclined to answer "yes" to that question. Most of us are quick to point out that we could use more power in life: power to become self-confident, power to tell the boss what we've really been thinking all these years, power to lose weight or quit smoking or stop drinking -- or, whatever else it is we'd love to do, but can't.
The irony is that, by any objective, historical standard, twenty-first-century Americans are the most powerful people in the history of the world. All we need do is to slip our bank card into the ATM, and we access a vast, international financial network. A mere touch of the finger to the microwave oven summons invisible energy to do our bidding. Even the most humble American household consumes more products in a year than most families in the third world see in a lifetime.
Yet, there's another power that's not so easy to come by. For lack of a better term, we can call it spiritual power. Others have called it "courage," "self-confidence," "fortitude," and "faith."
Peel away the brash, high-tech exterior of our Euro-American world, and you'll find a hurting heart. Sure, we have wonder drugs to lick all kinds of diseases, but still we fear old age. That ATM machine is a great convenience, but when the computer's down we sputter and complain, irritated at how easily electronic power can be thwarted. We may count it as a constitutional right to be able to "channel surf" among fifty or sixty cable-TV options, but still we may find it hard to listen to those with whom we share the same roof (or the same bed).
A science-fiction humor writer by the name of Douglas Adams sums up our dilemma on the first page of his book, The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy:
"Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable Western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.
"Orbiting this at a distance of roughly 98 million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.
"This planet has -- or rather had -- a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't these small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.
"And so the problem remained; lots of the people were mean, and most of them were miserable, even the ones with digital watches...."
There are times when we all yearn to rely on a power outside ourselves. When a person has struggled time and again to beat alcoholism, it's only the "higher power" heralded by A.A. that can bring healing. When a marriage has been foundering for years, and the partners are so weary they feel all the desire has gone out of them, and the only hope is to open themselves to a power beyond their own resources. When a person has been struggling with a difficult temptation for so long that the ugly face of sin is beginning to look attractive, it's only the power of God that can keep the house of cards from crashing in.
Nearly 2,000 years ago, four men hiked up the side of a mountain in Israel. What they saw there is still being retold today. Peter, James, and John follow Jesus up the steep mountain trail until their knees ache and their backs hurt and their breaths come in short gasps. As they reach the summit, they pause to fill their lungs with air, and gaze around at the awesome vista that surrounds them on four sides. Then, they see something else. Suddenly, their Lord is "transfigured" before them. The Greek word Matthew uses is metamorphosis -- total change. The face of their beloved teacher shines like the sun, and his garments have become dazzling white.
Beside him appear two visitors. They are none other than Moses and Elijah, the greatest prophets of Israel. A bright cloud overshadows all three of them: it is the shekinah of the book of Exodus, the same glowing cloud that Moses entered on Mount Sinai long ago. From out of this cloud there thunders a voice: "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" It is a vision of power and surely an impressive experience for those disciples -- yet not so impressive that they don't soon forget it.
Not so long after, Jesus is standing before the Roman governor Pilate, bleeding and broken. "You will not speak to me?" the governor jeers. "Do you not know that I have power to release you, and the power to crucify you?"
Jesus answers without a hint of fear, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above." For that impertinence, Jesus is whipped and stripped and hung on the cross to die, the most wretched hunk of hurting humanity imaginable.
As for Peter, who had stood there on the Mount of Transfiguration, who had seen the glowing garments and had witnessed the spiritual summit meeting: When they ask him if he knows Jesus, he says no. Three times he denies it. Peter simply cannot find power within himself to say yes.
How is it that a man who's witnessed the wondrous power of the transfiguration can't save himself from fear? And why is it that, after the revelation on the mountain, God still allows the whole gruesome script to play itself out? Isn't the disclosure of Jesus as God's beloved Son enough to satisfy the most skeptical mind?
The simple truth is, we need more than just a knowledge of who Jesus is, if we are to gain power for living. We need to enter into relationship with him, to participate in that great drama of cross and resurrection. We need to know, deep inside, that the whole passion play is for us. We need to feel that when Jesus spreads out his arms and dies, those outstretched arms form the most dear and tender embrace, enfolding us in forgiving love.
What we need to do, in short, is to say "yes" to the power of God. In order to do so, we must first clear from our hearts all other pretensions to power and confess that we are sinners, utterly dependent on God's grace. We must acknowledge that the debt of your spiritual liability is greater than you can ever repay. If we do that, God's promise is that we will discover power for living.
Prayer For The Day
Lord Jesus:
open,
hurting,
yielding,
vulnerable,
still,
we await your presence
and your power.
May your love flow into our hearts
like electrical power surging through copper wire.
Remove any impediment or resistance on our part.
May your power flow into us,
and, passing through us,
flow outward to enliven those around us. Amen.
To Illustrate
It is a simple law of physics that it takes two poles to make an electrical circuit. You can have all the positive energy you want, but if there's no negative connection, no ground, the current will not flow. In much the same way, it takes two individuals -- a believer and God -- to complete a spiritual "circuit." God's power is present in abundance, as it was on the Mount of Transfiguration, but if we don't present ourselves to connect with that power -- if we don't present ourselves to complete the circuit -- nothing happens.
Peter, in the biblical story, does respond, after a fashion. He asks Jesus if he should build three tents (or dwellings) there on the mountain for the three divine figures. Of course, Peter doesn't really get the point. It's almost as though he's trying to bottle the essence of the mountaintop experience, to preserve it for future consumption. A vision like that can never be confined, not in tents, or temples, or tabernacles, or any other structure of human making. It must simply be experienced, in all humility and faith.
***
What does spiritual power feel like? There was a French Canadian newspaper editor whose own life story gives us an idea.
This man was born with a withered leg, a disability so severe that he needed to wear a leg brace in order to stand upon his feet. As a young boy, the brace didn't bother him much, but as he grew older he became painfully aware that he was different. He couldn't join the games other children played. Sometimes they made fun of him, mocking the ugly contraption on his leg.
As he grew older, the once-carefree boy developed an inferiority complex. He spent his days brooding over the thought of trees he couldn't climb, and sports he could never play. He felt depressed over the unfortunate hand life had dealt him.
One day, his father came to him and said, "Son, don't worry about your leg. In the cathedral there is a big pile of crutches and braces, left by those who came to pray, and who were healed. I'll take you there, and we'll pray for God to heal you."
Off to the cathedral they went. Father and son marched hand-in-hand up the great center aisle, with stained-glass sunbeams streaming all around them, and the soft organ music rolling like liquid molasses over the carved stone. They came at last to a little side-chapel; the father directed his son to kneel and to pray that God might heal him.
The boy prayed for all he was worth, and then he prayed some more. When he was done, he looked up into the face of his father, a face filled with the most serene mixture of faith and hope and love. But then he looked down at his leg, and saw that it was withered, just as before. Despondent, he trudged with his father back down the cathedral aisle, his leg-brace thumping along as usual.
But then, as they approached the great door to the outside world, something unexpected happened. Here is how the man recalls it, in his own words:
"I felt something tremendously warm in my heart. I seemed to feel something like a great hand pass across my head. I can feel to this day the lightness and yet the strength of that touch. Suddenly I was boundlessly happy. I cried, 'Father! You are right! I have been healed! I have been healed!' Young as I was, I knew what had happened. God had not taken the brace off my leg, but he had taken the brace off my mind."
From that day on, the man's life was changed. He went on to become a success in the world of newspaper publishing. Never again did he allow his disability to get the better of him.
***
The world's largest river is the Amazon in South America. They say the volume of water in this river exceeds that of the Nile, the Yangtze, and the Mississippi combined. Its currents can be detected 200 miles out into the ocean.
Once a sailing ship was becalmed in the South Atlantic. Its water supplies were gone, and the crew was dying from thirst. Suddenly the winds returned, and before long another ship came their way. The captain hailed the other ship and begged for water. The message came back, "Just lower your buckets -- for you are at the mouth of the Amazon. You're sailing through fresh water!"
In much the same way, there are times in life when we find ourselves sailing through the "living water" of Christian faith -- yet, we don't even know it. We don't realize that all we have to do is lower our buckets!
***
Victory is not the absence of problems, it is the presence of power.
-- Joyce Meyer
Faith gives us power for living.
Old Testament Lesson
Exodus 24:12-18
The Cloud Of God's Glory
Consistent with the fantastic mountaintop vision of today's gospel lesson, this passage from Exodus tells of the theophany on Mount Sinai, by which God gives Moses the tablets of the law. It may be useful to begin the reading a little earlier, at verse 9 -- for not only do these verses set the scene, but they also contain the mystical imagery of the "pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness," that is "under [God's] feet." Verse 11 explains how it happens that the elders of Israel, who accompany Moses on the first part of the ascent, behold God, but are unharmed. God mercifully holds back, sparing these mere mortals -- who would ordinarily have been struck dead as a result of drawing this close to the Almighty. Not only that, but God condescends to allow the elders to eat and drink (as though anyone could think of food at such a time!). Together, Moses and Joshua proceed further up the mountain, although evidently only Moses reaches the summit. There, he encounters the shekinah, the bright cloud of divine glory. Moses enters the cloud of God's glory, even though it appears to be "like a devouring fire" (verses 17-18). Here, we have a raw, unmediated experience of God: What Rudolph Otto, in The Idea of the Holy, famously describes as mysterium tremendum et fascinans. It is a compelling image, utterly beyond words.
New Testament Lesson
2 Peter 1:16-21
"Eyewitnesses Of His Majesty"
In this passage, the author declares that the apostolic faith is no secondhand account, based on "cleverly devised myths" about Jesus Christ, but is rather based on the experience of being "eyewitnesses of his majesty" (v. 16). He then makes it clear that what he means is the experience of being with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (verses 17-18). Pay attention to this vision, he advises, "as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts" (v. 19). Responding to the problem of false teachers, who are causing great difficulty in the church of his day, the author next has a word or two to say about biblical interpretation. The "scriptures" to which he is referring are, of course, the Hebrew scriptures -- because the New Testament canon has not yet been formed. It sounds, at first, like he is saying there is no such thing as biblical interpretation ("no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation" -- verse 20). The word "interpretation," here -- epilusis -- is an obscure term that occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It describes the sort of interpretations that were commonly applied, in the Greco-Roman world, to omens, dreams, and visions. They are, in other words, precisely the sort of unverifiable, subjective judgments that come from the mouths of false teachers. Modern biblical interpretation -- based on objective standards of higher criticism -- is very different. What the author is recommending, as an alternative, is direct experience of God -- Jesus' transfiguration on the mountaintop being the prime example. Not that we can recreate that unique experience -- but we can reflect on it (or, at least as it has come down to us in the apostles' eyewitness accounts). We can view Jesus' transfiguration as a sign of God's presence in our world.
The Gospel
Matthew 17:1-9
The Transfiguration
The Transfiguration is a difficult story to preach, for two reasons. First, the three gospel accounts are substantially similar, leading to a sense that the same story is being repeated every year. Second, it is fundamentally a mystical experience, impenetrable to reason. It is what it is, and there is little that can be done with it from the pulpit, other than retelling the story. Having said that, however, one thing that can be mentioned is its strong associations with the Hebrew scriptures, particularly with Exodus. The location on a mountaintop hearkens back to the theophany on Mount Sinai. Certain elements of that theophany are present here, as well: the brightness, the voice from the cloud, even the presence of Moses and Elijah -- the only two figures who have spoken with God in person on Mount Sinai (or Mount Horeb). In The Lectionary Commentary, ed. R. Van Harn (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001), Dale C. Allison identifies numerous similarities and contrasts between Matthew's account of the Transfiguration, and his account of the Crucifixion. If the Transfiguration is a photograph, then the Crucifixion is its negative image. Here are some of the points of convergence Allison identifies:
* In the transfiguration, Jesus takes others with him (17:1). In the crucifixion, he is taken by others (27:31).
* In the transfiguration Jesus is elevated on a mountain (17:1). In the crucifixion, he is elevated on the cross (27:35).
* The transfiguration is a private epiphany (17:1). The crucifixion is a public spectacle (27:39).
* The dominant image in the transfiguration is light (17:2). In the crucifixion, it is darkness (27:45).
* In the transfiguration, Jesus' garments are illumined (17:2). In the crucifixion, they are stripped off (27:28, 35).
* In the transfiguration, Jesus is glorified (17:2ff). In the crucifixion, he is shamed (27:27ff).
* In the transfiguration, Elijah appears (17:3). In the crucifixion, Elijah fails to appear (27:45-50).
* In the transfiguration, there are two holy men beside Jesus (17:3). In the crucifixion, he is flanked by two criminals (27:38).
* In the transfiguration, God blesses Jesus (17:5). In the crucifixion, God abandons Jesus (27:46).
* In the transfiguration, those present prostrate themselves before Jesus in adoration (17:6). In the crucifixion, certain onlookers prostrate themselves in order to mock him (27:29).
Because the Day of Transfiguration is the threshold of Lent, a fruitful sermon approach may be to compare and contrast these two episodes from Jesus' life -- for the distance between one and the other is the journey of Lent.
Preaching Possibilities
"Are you a powerful person?"
Most of us would not be inclined to answer "yes" to that question. Most of us are quick to point out that we could use more power in life: power to become self-confident, power to tell the boss what we've really been thinking all these years, power to lose weight or quit smoking or stop drinking -- or, whatever else it is we'd love to do, but can't.
The irony is that, by any objective, historical standard, twenty-first-century Americans are the most powerful people in the history of the world. All we need do is to slip our bank card into the ATM, and we access a vast, international financial network. A mere touch of the finger to the microwave oven summons invisible energy to do our bidding. Even the most humble American household consumes more products in a year than most families in the third world see in a lifetime.
Yet, there's another power that's not so easy to come by. For lack of a better term, we can call it spiritual power. Others have called it "courage," "self-confidence," "fortitude," and "faith."
Peel away the brash, high-tech exterior of our Euro-American world, and you'll find a hurting heart. Sure, we have wonder drugs to lick all kinds of diseases, but still we fear old age. That ATM machine is a great convenience, but when the computer's down we sputter and complain, irritated at how easily electronic power can be thwarted. We may count it as a constitutional right to be able to "channel surf" among fifty or sixty cable-TV options, but still we may find it hard to listen to those with whom we share the same roof (or the same bed).
A science-fiction humor writer by the name of Douglas Adams sums up our dilemma on the first page of his book, The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy:
"Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable Western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.
"Orbiting this at a distance of roughly 98 million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.
"This planet has -- or rather had -- a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't these small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.
"And so the problem remained; lots of the people were mean, and most of them were miserable, even the ones with digital watches...."
There are times when we all yearn to rely on a power outside ourselves. When a person has struggled time and again to beat alcoholism, it's only the "higher power" heralded by A.A. that can bring healing. When a marriage has been foundering for years, and the partners are so weary they feel all the desire has gone out of them, and the only hope is to open themselves to a power beyond their own resources. When a person has been struggling with a difficult temptation for so long that the ugly face of sin is beginning to look attractive, it's only the power of God that can keep the house of cards from crashing in.
Nearly 2,000 years ago, four men hiked up the side of a mountain in Israel. What they saw there is still being retold today. Peter, James, and John follow Jesus up the steep mountain trail until their knees ache and their backs hurt and their breaths come in short gasps. As they reach the summit, they pause to fill their lungs with air, and gaze around at the awesome vista that surrounds them on four sides. Then, they see something else. Suddenly, their Lord is "transfigured" before them. The Greek word Matthew uses is metamorphosis -- total change. The face of their beloved teacher shines like the sun, and his garments have become dazzling white.
Beside him appear two visitors. They are none other than Moses and Elijah, the greatest prophets of Israel. A bright cloud overshadows all three of them: it is the shekinah of the book of Exodus, the same glowing cloud that Moses entered on Mount Sinai long ago. From out of this cloud there thunders a voice: "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" It is a vision of power and surely an impressive experience for those disciples -- yet not so impressive that they don't soon forget it.
Not so long after, Jesus is standing before the Roman governor Pilate, bleeding and broken. "You will not speak to me?" the governor jeers. "Do you not know that I have power to release you, and the power to crucify you?"
Jesus answers without a hint of fear, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above." For that impertinence, Jesus is whipped and stripped and hung on the cross to die, the most wretched hunk of hurting humanity imaginable.
As for Peter, who had stood there on the Mount of Transfiguration, who had seen the glowing garments and had witnessed the spiritual summit meeting: When they ask him if he knows Jesus, he says no. Three times he denies it. Peter simply cannot find power within himself to say yes.
How is it that a man who's witnessed the wondrous power of the transfiguration can't save himself from fear? And why is it that, after the revelation on the mountain, God still allows the whole gruesome script to play itself out? Isn't the disclosure of Jesus as God's beloved Son enough to satisfy the most skeptical mind?
The simple truth is, we need more than just a knowledge of who Jesus is, if we are to gain power for living. We need to enter into relationship with him, to participate in that great drama of cross and resurrection. We need to know, deep inside, that the whole passion play is for us. We need to feel that when Jesus spreads out his arms and dies, those outstretched arms form the most dear and tender embrace, enfolding us in forgiving love.
What we need to do, in short, is to say "yes" to the power of God. In order to do so, we must first clear from our hearts all other pretensions to power and confess that we are sinners, utterly dependent on God's grace. We must acknowledge that the debt of your spiritual liability is greater than you can ever repay. If we do that, God's promise is that we will discover power for living.
Prayer For The Day
Lord Jesus:
open,
hurting,
yielding,
vulnerable,
still,
we await your presence
and your power.
May your love flow into our hearts
like electrical power surging through copper wire.
Remove any impediment or resistance on our part.
May your power flow into us,
and, passing through us,
flow outward to enliven those around us. Amen.
To Illustrate
It is a simple law of physics that it takes two poles to make an electrical circuit. You can have all the positive energy you want, but if there's no negative connection, no ground, the current will not flow. In much the same way, it takes two individuals -- a believer and God -- to complete a spiritual "circuit." God's power is present in abundance, as it was on the Mount of Transfiguration, but if we don't present ourselves to connect with that power -- if we don't present ourselves to complete the circuit -- nothing happens.
Peter, in the biblical story, does respond, after a fashion. He asks Jesus if he should build three tents (or dwellings) there on the mountain for the three divine figures. Of course, Peter doesn't really get the point. It's almost as though he's trying to bottle the essence of the mountaintop experience, to preserve it for future consumption. A vision like that can never be confined, not in tents, or temples, or tabernacles, or any other structure of human making. It must simply be experienced, in all humility and faith.
***
What does spiritual power feel like? There was a French Canadian newspaper editor whose own life story gives us an idea.
This man was born with a withered leg, a disability so severe that he needed to wear a leg brace in order to stand upon his feet. As a young boy, the brace didn't bother him much, but as he grew older he became painfully aware that he was different. He couldn't join the games other children played. Sometimes they made fun of him, mocking the ugly contraption on his leg.
As he grew older, the once-carefree boy developed an inferiority complex. He spent his days brooding over the thought of trees he couldn't climb, and sports he could never play. He felt depressed over the unfortunate hand life had dealt him.
One day, his father came to him and said, "Son, don't worry about your leg. In the cathedral there is a big pile of crutches and braces, left by those who came to pray, and who were healed. I'll take you there, and we'll pray for God to heal you."
Off to the cathedral they went. Father and son marched hand-in-hand up the great center aisle, with stained-glass sunbeams streaming all around them, and the soft organ music rolling like liquid molasses over the carved stone. They came at last to a little side-chapel; the father directed his son to kneel and to pray that God might heal him.
The boy prayed for all he was worth, and then he prayed some more. When he was done, he looked up into the face of his father, a face filled with the most serene mixture of faith and hope and love. But then he looked down at his leg, and saw that it was withered, just as before. Despondent, he trudged with his father back down the cathedral aisle, his leg-brace thumping along as usual.
But then, as they approached the great door to the outside world, something unexpected happened. Here is how the man recalls it, in his own words:
"I felt something tremendously warm in my heart. I seemed to feel something like a great hand pass across my head. I can feel to this day the lightness and yet the strength of that touch. Suddenly I was boundlessly happy. I cried, 'Father! You are right! I have been healed! I have been healed!' Young as I was, I knew what had happened. God had not taken the brace off my leg, but he had taken the brace off my mind."
From that day on, the man's life was changed. He went on to become a success in the world of newspaper publishing. Never again did he allow his disability to get the better of him.
***
The world's largest river is the Amazon in South America. They say the volume of water in this river exceeds that of the Nile, the Yangtze, and the Mississippi combined. Its currents can be detected 200 miles out into the ocean.
Once a sailing ship was becalmed in the South Atlantic. Its water supplies were gone, and the crew was dying from thirst. Suddenly the winds returned, and before long another ship came their way. The captain hailed the other ship and begged for water. The message came back, "Just lower your buckets -- for you are at the mouth of the Amazon. You're sailing through fresh water!"
In much the same way, there are times in life when we find ourselves sailing through the "living water" of Christian faith -- yet, we don't even know it. We don't realize that all we have to do is lower our buckets!
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Victory is not the absence of problems, it is the presence of power.
-- Joyce Meyer
