Epiphany
Celebration of God
Manifested in the World
February 14, 2015

Scripture Reading: Mark 9:2-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.  — Mark 9:2-8

 Six days ago, Jesus told the disciples he was to be killed and rise three days later and Peter rebuked him. Now Jesus takes Peter, James and John to a high mountain where they experience a vision of Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus. Peter wants to build structures to mark this special place. Peter was a man of action caught up in a whirlwind of reality that surpassed anything he could do. Ever been there?

My dad apparently had a heart attack late one Saturday. He had very bad stomach ulcers and although he had experienced chest pains, thought it was just his “old tum-tum”. He couldn’t breathe without sitting upright by Sunday and was retaining water. Taken to the local hospital he was immediately transferred to the Veterans Hospital in Oklahoma City where I met the ambulance and completed the check in. My mother and brother arrived shortly by car. The doctor soon came out and said Dad had suffered a massive heart attack with extensive heart damage. The prognosis was bad and only time would tell. He died one week after the first attack. My very intelligent mother did not take in at all what the doctor said. Years later she still did not remember it. She was in denial, the first stage of grief. Peter and, I image, the other disciples were all in denial not sure what was happening.

It is an appropriate lesson for us as we inch ever closer to Lent. It is hard to comprehend the measure of love with which God endowed us, not just in the life, but also in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Once we can accept the bad news of Jesus’ pending death, we can open ourselves fully to God’s great gift of love and saving grace. Amen.

Prayer: O Lord, it hurts to lose the ones we love. I would have loved to walk the paths of Israel with you, think I would have drank in every word that you said, and cannot imagine what it felt like to see you crucified. Walk with me now as I approach the road of Lent and open my heart as well as my mind to your last teachings. Be with me hanging back in the shadows, as I walk the road with you to Golgotha even knowing that I will soon stand with Mary Magdalene by the empty tomb. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.