 Word Luke 9:28-43
Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not." Jesus answered, "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here." While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God.
Meditation “Altered States”
Before we begin the season of Lent and the journey to the cross, Jesus takes Peter, John, James and us up a mountain, and into a dream, an altered state of consciousness. We go there because we need to see beyond this world that often thrashes and dashes us. It is God’s will that we become a gift of healing and hope to a wounded world. It is God’s will that we be witnesses of the transforming power of God that brings life out of death. We enter the altered state to be healed and transformed. Worship, and especially Holy Communion, is an altered state experience, a time to come away from the world to be transformed for the world. Four familiar words describe what happens in this altered state: take, bless, break, give. These four words bring us into the altered state of this story. Jesus takes Peter, John and James up the mountain. They are blessed with glory and the voice of God. But then they are broken, they could not hold on to the vision or stay on the mountain. They were broken in terror and could not talk about it. They were given a mission, a journey to Jerusalem and the command to listen. But when they came down from the mountain, they could not heal a child seized by an unclean spirit. The movement from broken to given is the movement from Good Friday to Easter, from the cross to resurrection. It is where we often get stuck.
When we are broken, it is hard to see how we can be a gift. When we are broken, it is hard to imagine being raised up whole. It takes faith. But even faith needs a promise to hold on to. The promise comes in the story of the child being healed. The pattern continues- Jesus takes, blesses, breaks and gives. Jesus takes the child. The blessing is Jesus’ willingness to embrace the child with an unclean spirit. As the demon thrashes and dashes the child, Jesus breaks the demon and gives the child to his father. “And all were astounded at the greatness of God.” The power and promise of this story stirs up faith. The story stirs up hope of resurrection in a broken world. Whenever Jesus takes, blesses, breaks and gives, our brokenness is transformed into a gift, and we become something that we were not, witnesses of the transforming power of God and a gift of healing and hope to a wounded world.
Prayer
Holy God, mighty and immortal, you are beyond our knowing, yet we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Transform us into the likeness of your Son, who renewed our humanity so that we may share in his divinity, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
NEXT WEEK IN WORSHIP
February 21, 2010: The First Sunday in Lent
Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Psalm 91 Romans 10:8b-13 Luke 4:1-13
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