[EZMONEY]

The Transfiguration

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus



Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."



While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"



When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.



As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."



see cartoon below




Down from the mountaintop



Everyone has had those "mountain top" moments (either in faith or life in general) where everything is wonderful, and we would love to stay there and never leave. Because we know, as the cartoon reveals, what we have waiting for us when we come down can be hard.



It's so much easier to stay with what is pleasant in life, to avoid what's painful, and to withdraw on top of our mountain just as Peter wanted to do at the Transfiguration of our Lord.



God knows we need those "mountain top" experiences, as Pastor put it this weekend, they are our stimulus package.



Those moments strengthen us for the job He has in store for us.



For the apostles, being present at Christ's Transfiguration strengthened them for the tough times they had ahead of them. They were about to witness the death of their Lord.
They needed to know that He was who He said He was. God knew that the experience would strengthen Jesus and the apostles for the tough days ahead and later on, for the job of evangelizing the world.



Think for a moment about your mountaintop moments:



Times when God worked mightily in your life,
strengthening and reassuring you that He is exactly who He says He is.



God's desire for us is to have that experience.



We meet Him in worship and He reminds us of who He is. We meet Him through His presence at the Lord's Supper and once again He reminds us of who He is.



Praise and fellowship is indeed a mountaintop moment.



But, just like the apostles learned, God doesn't want us to stay on the mountaintop. He wants us in the world, sharing the good news of Jesus - how He died on the cross, defeated sin and death for us, and rose again on that first Easter - with those around us.



As God used Elijah and Moses, to strengthen Christ and His disciples, so he wants to use other Christians to strengthen our lives and use us to help and strengthen those that we come in contact with. It can be difficult, but if they never hear the message of Jesus Christ, they will never be able to have a mountain top experience with God.



As we begin the Lenten season today - Ash Wednesday, take time to reflect on why Christ died for us. How He gives us our "Stimulus Package" through Word and Sacrament, and those around us, and how we can share that wonderful message with others.



AMEN