Epiphany

February 23, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 17:1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

Reading the daily paper is a fearful experience as is reading social media. Who can we trust to tell us the truth? How do we trust half-truths or carefully extracted words taken out of context? How do we tell a Russian post from the post of a citizen of the USA? Is our world going to be unsustainable in ten years or by 2050? What happens when no one can afford health care as prices spiral upward? What do we do about all the violence on the front page from children being killed in their classrooms to Jewish people being slaughtered in their synagogues?

And yet Jesus tells his disciples, us, not to be afraid. We have been given the truth and the truth will set us free*. What we may not fully understand is we are a part of the answer. We are called to implement Jesus’ plan for a world that was declared good at its creation and will be good for all as we join hands with Christ to make it happen.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to face the truly fearful realities of our world as we world to turn them upside down. Amen.

*John 8:31-32

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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.