The Transfiguration of Our Lord 2009

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD

1 February Anno + Domini 2009

"Listen to Him”

Matthew 17:1-9 (Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Peter 1:16-21)

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

All the trouble in this world, whether it be trouble in the church, trouble at home, trouble at school, trouble at work, trouble in relationships, or whatever kind of trouble being experienced, it all stems from one thing, namely the refusal to heed our Heavenly Father's command to listen to His Son.  Surely, there are other causes for the trouble we experience in this world, but at the heart of it all is the failure to hear Jesus; to listen to Him alone, for He has all the answers we need to hear. 

The problem, of course, is that there's just so much noise filling our ears in this world, so many voices competing with the voice of Jesus.  Peter, James, and John experienced this, too.  It was no less noisy in their day.  They were privileged to hear Jesus' voice coming directly out of the mouth of His Incarnate body, but they allowed the noise of the devil, the world, and their own sinful flesh to drown it out.  Just six days before Jesus was gloriously transfigured before them, Peter made the good confession on behalf of the all the disciples.  When asked by Jesus who the disciples said that He was, Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”  Peter was exactly right.  He correctly identified Jesus.  He confessed the truth.  But, moments later, after Jesus explained to them what His being the Christ meant, namely that He would suffer and die, and rise again on the third day, Peter rebuked Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord!  This shall never happen to You!”  Jesus replied, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are a hindrance to Me.  For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.”  In other words, "Peter, you are not listening to Me, but to the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh.  You are allowing all of that noise to fill your ears and drown out My voice.  Stop it, Peter!  Listen to Me!” 

But, alas, Peter didn't listen.  Neither did the rest of Jesus' disciples.  At least, not yet.  They still had their own ideas of how things should go with Jesus, their Messiah.  They were still allowing all the other noise to keep them from hearing Jesus.  That's why, there on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter is up to his old tricks.  He should be still and listen to the conversation Jesus is having with Moses and Elijah.  St. Luke informs us that they're talking about Jesus' upcoming "exodus” from this world, which will take place at Mt. Calvary, when He is crucified for the sins of the world.  But, Peter won't sit still and listen.  His mind is still set on the things of man, instead of the things of God.  "I'll make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah,” he says.  We're not told what James and John did, but I bet they were nodding in agreement with Peter, thinking, "Yeah, good idea Peter.  We'll help you set up the tents.” 

Then comes the cloud and the voice of the Father from the cloud:  "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”  Our Heavenly Father would have been justified in saying, "Hey morons, what's your problem?  Why are you so slow to learn?  You're going to set up three tents for Moses and Elijah and Jesus?  Are you that stupid?  Moses and Elijah dwell with Me in Paradise.  They're just visiting My Son, speaking with Him about the work He is about to do for your salvation.  They won't be needing earthly tents, fellas.  Come on, already!  Get with the program.  Shut up and listen to My Son!” 

It is a bit amazing, isn't it?  We read through the Gospel accounts in Holy Scripture and are amazed at how dense Jesus' disciples were.  It's hard to understand why they didn't get it.  Jesus told them many times, in plain words, what He had come to do.  "I will go up to Jerusalem and I will be put to death for the sin of the world.  This is necessary.  This is why I have come into the world.”  He could not have been any clearer with them.  But, they refused to listen.  The plan Jesus laid before them did not jive with their own pre-conceived notions.  That's why, on the night when Jesus was betrayed and taken into custody, Peter tried to prevent it with the sword, and the rest fled the scene like cowards.  They should've been prepared.  They should've known that this had to happen.  Jesus told them.  But, they allowed the noise of the devil, the world, and their own sinful flesh to keep them from listening to Jesus. 

But, dear friends, if the disciples were dense, what does that say about us?  We have "the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey likes to say.  Unlike the disciples, we're not left to wonder what will happen; we know exactly what happened.  It's all spelled out for us in chapter and verse.  We have the benefit of the whole counsel of God, both the Old and the New Testaments.  Not only that, but we have two thousand years of Church history to draw upon.  And yet, how often are we guilty of not listening to Jesus.  How often are we guilty of allowing the noise from the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh to fill our ears and prevent us from hearing our Lord?  Who among us could possibly say with a straight face that they have not been guilty of setting their minds on the things of men, rather than on the things of God?  Who among us has not wanted things their way, instead of God's way?  Who among us has not been guilty of caring more about what's on TV, instead of what's in God's Word?  Repent!

Truth be told, we don't want to play the comparison game with the disciples.  We will lose, every single one of us.  For, you see, as dense as they were in the three-plus years they spent with Jesus before His Crucifixion and Resurrection, their faithfulness which followed far exceeded it.  They're ears were opened to hear Jesus for the rest of their lives here on earth.  That's not to say that the noise of the devil, the world, and their own sinful flesh disappeared.  It was still there, but they heard Jesus' voice through that noise, which is evidenced by the fact that they're mouths proclaimed Jesus' Word to everyone who would hear them for as long as they lived.  They remained steadfast in that Word even in the face of death.  No more denials.  No more cowardly fleeing.  All of them, save St. John, were martyred for their faith.  They gladly went to their deaths, for they had listened to Jesus finally and knew that heavenly bliss awaited them. 

Dear friends in Christ, heed your Heavenly Father's exhortation:  "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”  Stop allowing the noise of the devil, the world, and your sinful flesh to keep you from hearing Jesus.  His voice can be heard through all that noise, if you would only open your ears and listen.  His voice is the only one that matters, the only one that can put the troubles you experience in this life into their proper perspective and get you through them. 

Thanks be to God, you have come to the right place to hear Jesus, for He speaks to you here in His Holy House through His Holy Word and Sacraments.  You were privileged this morning to witness Jesus speaking His Word to Kayleb, Faith, and Albert in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.  Jesus attached His Word to the water in the font, cleansed them of all their sins, anointed them with the Holy Spirit, and brought them into His Kingdom as dear children with whom our Heavenly Father is well pleased.  He did the same for you when you were baptized, for you have been baptized into His death, marked as one redeemed by Christ the Crucified.  And, He continues to gather you into His House, that you may remain faithful to your baptismal vows.  He feeds you with His Word, showing you your sins by means of His Law, exhorting you to repent, that you may be led to your knees to plead for mercy, so that He can fill your ears with the Good News of the Gospel, pointing you to the perfect life He lived and the sacrificial death He suffered for you.  And, as if all of that weren't enough, His mercy and grace overflows, inviting you to partake of the fruits of His cross, His very Body and Blood in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Listen to Jesus, dear friends.  His sheep hear His voice and respond.  You can recognize them by the fruits they bear, for they not only listen to Jesus, but they do His bidding.  He bids them to lay all their burdens upon Him, and they do.  He bids them to recognize their sinfulness, and they do.  He bids them to be sorry for their sins, and they are.  He bids them to repent and desire to do better, and they do.  He bids them to love God and to love their brothers and sisters in the faith, always desiring reconciliation and peace when peace has been severed, and they do, to the best of their ability, repenting when they have failed to do so.  But, mostly, He bids them to cling to Him and to His cross in steadfast faith, knowing that, no matter what they face in this life, a better life awaits them in heaven, and they do. 

That's what our brother in Christ, Jim Elenbaas, did throughout his life.  He listened to Jesus and did His bidding.  He heard his voice proclaimed in His Holy Word and clung to it.  That's what got Jim through these past several years of failing health.  He fought the battle, knowing that it had already been won by Jesus.  And, Friday night, Jim went to his reward.  The same Lord who baptized him and fed him with His Word and His Body and Blood his whole life long, called Jim home.  And now, Jim sees what Peter, James, and John were given a glimpse of on that mountain long ago.  He sees Jesus, whose voice he had listened to his whole life, in all His glory.  May the same be true of us when we are called to depart this vale of tears.  If we listen to Jesus, it will.  In His Holy and Precious Name.  Amen.

Now the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting.  Amen.