Choices and Change

March 3, 2019  *  Luke 9:28-36, 37-43

What has the ability to let you see the best, and the worst in people?  What is one of the top sources of anxiety in our world?  What frightens some people enough to take some drastic measures? 

Change. 

Sometimes change is good and comes from a choice you made… happily made.  Getting married is a happy change.  Getting out of a bad job and going to a better job is a happy change.  A new car, a new house, even a renewed outlook on life.  These are all happy changes that you got to be involved in.  There are even happy changed that you don’t have an influence over…

Then, there are not so happy changes that you’re not involved in…changes in environment, situation.  The death of a loved one, physical disabilities, the loss of ability. 

But that’s not all; there are grey areas.  I don’t really care for grey areas, and in my perfect world, they don’t exist; but since I live in a flawed world, I have to contend with these muddy areas.  This morning’s grey areas are twofold:  the opportunity of change, and missing change. 

Have you ever been faced with an opportunities for change, but for whatever reason you chose to let it pass you by?  Oh and we have reasons aplenty for maintaining the status quo; some of them are reasonable, some are driven by fear, and some are downright selfish.  In a church faced with change you’ll hear the usual suspects:  we’ve never done it that way, that’s not who we are, what will people think….  Any of these sound familiar?

Today we find Jesus and his close friends traveling to the top of the mountain to pray.  During prayer, the appearance of Jesus’ face changed and his clothes began to glow dazzling white.  He was joined by two figures who didn’t accompany the group up the mountain.  These men also appeared “in glory” Luke tells us…and they were recognized as a leader and a prophet of long since passed times: Moses and Elijah.  As their conversation ended and Moses and Elijah were leaving, a cloud came and from the cloud a voice said “This is my Son, listen to him”.  And for whatever reason:  either it scared them so bad or they realized it was so crazy that no one could believe them…but for the next few days they didn’t tell anyone about what they had experienced.

As they came down from the mountain, they encounter a man whose son is possessed by a demon, and the disciples have been unable to rid the boy of the unclean spirit.  Jesus answers them “you’re faithless and perverse; how much longer must I endure being here with you”, and with that he heals the boy. 

I’ve struggled with this transfiguration story of Christ for many, many years.  Why did he need to experience this?  Why did Elijah and Moses meet and talk with him?  Why did Peter, James and John need to witness this?  Why did the appearance of Jesus change?  And that’s not the only change here;  why, all of the sudden, were the disciples unable to rid a boy of an unclean spirit, and why was Jesus’ response to the father’s pleading so sharp and difficult to hear?

I don’t know about you, but I have this habit of anything I see, read, witness…I try to inject myself in the first person in order to gain greater understanding.  This text is no different.  I began to wonder why Jesus needed to be transfigured, and not Peter, James and John.  Was it because Christ was as much divine as he was human, and the divine side needed this?  What is it that keeps us from experiencing this transfiguration as we call it….

Well, we are what keeps us from experiencing this change, this transfiguration. 

Think about it.  When Jesus is transfigured, he visibly, measurably, and definitely changes.  You and I have that same experience the moment we accept the salvation freely given to us…and when we accept it, are people able to see the change that has occurred in our lives?  Are we able to see it in our own lives?  Do people see it in the life of this church? 

Following Jesus, I believe that we must be clear about our identity, resolute in our mission, and intentional in our spiritual formation.  We are to live in the here and now, transfigured.  Visibly changed at all times, not just when it’s convenient, acceptable, and comfortable. 

So how do we do that?  I believe through being faithful to the revelation of Jesus Christ:  while he was facing suffering, rejection and death, he remained faithful to fulfilling his redemptive mission of love.  It’s possible, but you have to make that choice.  You have to choose to see God in the face of everyone you look at.  You have to choose to do no harm, to do good.  You have to choose love over hate, inclusion over exclusion, acceptance over rejection…and it won’t be easy, and the price is high. 

The choice to live as transfigured people and to embrace this dimension of activity of doing God’s work in the world will require *demand* you to set aside your pride, your ego, your hatred, and maybe even some of the values and perceived truths that you’ve held onto your entire life.  These are change killers.  If you didn’t recognize “that isn’t us” or “we’ve never done it that way”…maybe they seem a little more recognizable now. 

Confessing faith and living faith are two different things.  We are called to both; one happens in an instant, the other is a lifetime. 

When others see you, do they see love?  Do they see grace offered to things that offend, or confuse us?  Do they see acceptance of things the world rejects? 

Every day we make choices, and because of our choices, change is inevitable.  You have the opportunity today to change.  We have the choice to be transfigured people who are one with Christ in his mission with the whole world.  Will you personally choose to not only abide in Christ, but also walk with him in the same way he walked?  Will we as a church make the choice to do as Christ did?  Will we be resolute in not professing our faith, but living our faith in a transfigured and visible way?