This Is No Time to Pitch a Tent                                             Doug Holtz, intern pastor

The Transfiguration of Our Lord                             Zumbro Lutheran Congregation

Matthew 17:1-9                                                                                      February 3, 2008

 

 

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother,

and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 

²And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun,

and his clothes became white as light. 

³And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 

⁴And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here.

If you wish, I will make three tents here,

one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." 

⁵He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them,

and a voice from the cloud said,

"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;

listen to him." 

⁶When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 

⁷But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." 

⁸And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 

⁹And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them,

"Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead."

 

This is the gospel of the Lord!

 

What an amazing story! I wish I could have been there with Peter, James, and John as they saw that scary, wonderful, and unbelievable sight. Talk about a mountaintop experience. Moses and Elijah, two of the most faithful prophets of the Old Testament were there visiting with Christ on that mountaintop. Imagine the theological depth of that conversation. What would they be talking about? Were they supplying Christ with some handy tips on how to deal with dissidents?

 

And why does Peter want to put up tents for these three? It could be that Peter wants to stay on that mountaintop for an extended retreat, sort of a group of Zumbro members heading up to Holden Village. He says, “It’s good, Lord, to be here!” Perhaps he is thinking if he builds a tent for all three, they will stay and share some of their vast wisdom with them. Think of how much those disciples could learn! Who wouldn’t want to be in that company?

 

Or maybe it is that Peter has grown weary; tired from mingling with the crowds. Here on the mountaintop he is being recharged by the awesome sight before him, alone with the Christ, the prophets, and two disciples. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus never addresses Peter’s request in this story. Peter’s great idea is completely overshadowed by a fabulous diversion—the voice from the cloud, our Heavenly Father, looking down and saying those words we also heard at Jesus’ Baptism, our text from just a few short weeks ago. “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” And this time God the Father adds, “Listen to him.” Within those three words, we hear that there is more to do. This is no time to pitch a tent. It’s time to move ahead and spread the gospel of salvation.

 

Would our reaction be any different than Peter’s? Would we try as hard as we could to make that moment last on and on? Might we have some questions for those three as they sat chatting amongst themselves? Of course we would want to bask in that kind of glory, hanging out with the big shots, rubbing elbows with the famous people. And why would Peter want to go back down the mountain? It was a scary world down there. Many were against Jesus because he didn’t follow the Jewish laws. He was, in their eyes, a troublemaker; a threat to their status and wealth.

 

When Eli Manning completes that game-winning pass late in the fourth quarter this evening, will there ever be a higher mountaintop experience for him? And when the Patriots see their perfect season slip away, how far down in the valley will they feel? In part I’m just seeing if the football fans are paying attention; if not, you just missed my thinly veiled prediction. But just like that brief moment you may have missed, the cheering and excitement for the winning team will quickly fade; the sting of defeat will quickly heal. For them, these two weeks in the limelight will be just a memory. The next task will begin. It will be time to pull down those tents, starting anew and preparing to build another team for next year.

 

We do this in our own lives too. We build up certain times and events as being so great and so grand that when they are over, what’s left? Weddings, anniversaries, graduation, confirmation, Super Bowl gatherings, even 40^th birthday parties—these are exciting celebrations to be sure. But after the big party, it’s time to clean house. Put away all the decorations. Monday is the start of another normal work week. Life goes on even though we want the excitement to go on and on. It’s back to the old rat race for us.

 

For many, worship is the mountaintop experience. It is similar to our gospel today: we rub elbows with the prophets through hearing the word of God. The music sparkles and we have this beautiful building for worship and fellowship. But at the end of an hour or so, it is over, we are sent back out into the world to be missionaries for Christ. We say at the very end of this time together, “Go in peace, share the good news.” And then we go to our own lives, scattered throughout the community.

 

I can’t remember where exactly, but I’ve visited a church where permanently placed above the outside doors are the words: “This is not an exit from the church, this is the entrance to your mission field.” It’s a great sign that challenges us to not just pitch a tent and be an observer, but to go out and make disciples of all nations, beginning with those in our own backyards, staying out the tents that isolate us from the world.

 

Maybe not everything is exactly as we have planned in our lives. We’ve all had our share of ups and downs. But God is with us in the great and awful moments. No matter how horrible or ridiculous our lives become, the light of the transfiguration continually shines down upon us. We just have to open our hearts and see that light. Christ said the end of the gospel of Matthew: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This is a reminder that whether we atop the highest mountain or in the lowest valley—or somewhere in between—his story and our story are forever intertwined.

 

It is good to be here or anywhere, even in our lowest days out here on the plain!

 

Thanks be to God.