Luke 9:28-43
February 14, 2010
“GLORY THROUGH SUFFERING”
It is a dazzling sight. Jesus shone, clothed in divine light. It is a dazzling sight watching Jesus interact with saints of the past, Moses and Elijah. It is a dazzling sight as the cloud envelops them all, when the Voice rains from above: “This is my Son, my
There is so much that could be said about this text, but today I would like us to focus on these verses, 30 and 31 of Luke’s 9th chapter. “Suddenly they (the disciples) saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him (Jesus). They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at
“They were speaking of his departure.” The word translated “departure” in Greek is exodus. Jesus’ exodus. Moses’ exodus was when he led the people of God out of slavery, through the wilderness, into the Promised Land. It is a story of salvation, the saving of God’s people from Egyptian slavery. Even though it is a story of salvation, we can also say that it was forty years worth of promise and suffering. Glory for the Israelites included suffering. There was suffering fused into the glory, enough suffering to cause the Israelites to sometimes wish themselves back into slavery.
Think about this for a moment. Moses and Elijah, giants of the past, suddenly appear beside Jesus on the mountain as Jesus is encased in light. They talk to him about his saving event, his exodus. What would they say? What would Jesus hear? “Your glory, say Moses and Elijah, will take place through suffering. Your glory, say Moses and Elijah, will take place through the cross. You see, there is no resurrection without crucifixion. There is no glory without the cross. And that tells us so much about our God.
We were reminded a church season ago that our God chose to be with us. This God did not stay behind the scenes, rule from afar, remain out of the line of fire, but God came to earth. God came to earth as the human Jesus, so the very second God took his first breath in this life, God was in the midst of, susceptible to all the issues, concerns, temptations and sufferings the rest of us encounter except sin. Amazingly enough God chose to enter and share our existence.
And because God chose to share our existence, God immediately put himself in harm’s way. God immediately became vulnerable. He became the butt of jokes. He became the recipient of deceit. He became the object of hatred. He became a criminal in others’ eyes. He became the victim of terrible, brutal violence. The Almighty God, creator of the universe, chose to come into our existence as one of us. God chose to be among us even if it would mean encountering everything we have to live. God chose to come to us and die. We have a God who is with us and beside us. We have a God who is willing to suffer and to die for us. You see, there is suffering and death in this existence for all of us. No exceptions. Not even for the Almighty.
So, while Jesus’ very being glowed with the presence and power of God on top of this mountain, while he stood in the presence of Old Testament heroes, while he heard God’s very own voice echo what Jesus had first heard at his baptism, Jesus also heard about his exodus … his journey to glory … his road to salvation. Jesus knew, standing in the midst of his glory, that as soon as he walked back down the mountain he was moving toward his death. And Jesus chose that, too.
Why am I a Christian? For me, it is because we have a crucified God. It is because our God got personal with us, came to us, showed God’s self to us through Jesus, touched us. I am a Christian because this God chose to fight the battle on the front lines; this God led the charge. I am a Christian because our God chose to wade through suffering in order to taste victory. God chose death in order for glory to be birthed and lived. God died so that we could live. Salvation rises out of suffering.
It is so ironical that Jesus stands in the glow of God while Moses and Elijah are talking to him about his glory coming through suffering, as they try to explain to him what it might mean to live after death. They seek to bring comfort to him, even as he hears the very voice of his Heavenly Father say, “This is my son, my chosen!”
So, tell me. Do you sense glory in the midst of your suffering? As you live losses in your life, as you witness suffering and evil surrounding folks who already suffer plenty, do you sense that God is in the middle of it? Mother Teresa used to say that when she looked into the eyes of those she literally pulled out of the gutter, she saw Jesus Christ. She said, “They are Jesus. Everyone is Jesus in a distressing disguise.” She writes, “One evening we went and picked up four people from the street. One of them was in a most terrible condition. I told the Sisters: ‘You take care of the other three. I will take care of this one that looks worse.’ So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed and there was a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand, as she said one word only, ‘Thank you,’ and she died. I could not help but examine my conscience before her, and I asked, ‘What would I say if I was in her place?’ And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said, ‘I’m hungry; I’m dying, I’m cold, I’m in pain,’ or something. She gave me much more – she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face.” Mother Teresa said again, “Never let anything so fill you with pain or sorrow, so as to make you forget the joy of Christ risen.” She wrote, “Innocent suffering is the same suffering of Jesus. He suffered for us and all the innocent suffering is joined to his in the redemption. It is co-redemption. That is helping to save the world from worse things.”
If you are part of this world, you are in the midst of a suffering world. Duh! You are thinking, “wow, that statement was profound!” But wait! Do you really think you live in the midst of a suffering world? Isn’t there just a wee bit of you that shouts “Why!?” Isn’t there a wee bit of you that shouts, “Why me!?” And isn’t there a wee bit of you that whispers, wonders, or shouts “why is there so much suffering when we have a loving God!?” We can’t explain causes or results. We often cannot see much good in so much terrible suffering. This is not a perfect world; this is not heaven. We take turns. We take turns in our hurting, just as we take turns in our joy. Yet, the irony of it all is that there is love in the midst of suffering, and there can be a sense of peace in the midst of suffering. God is near. God is here. God is closer to me now in the midst of this pain than ever. And the cross stands empty and the tomb is empty. Jesus lives. God has won. Suffering is temporary, always temporary. Victory is on the way. Easter’s acomin’.
Our text says that after Jesus’ transfiguration, after the bright lights and after the departure of Moses and Elijah, after everything returned to normal and Jesus led them back down the mountain, Luke the Gospel writer tells us, “and they (the disciples) kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.”
Mary had done that, too. Upon hearing the news that her womb would be home to God, upon hearing the news that she had been chosen to bear God’s son, Luke tells us that she kept it all in her heart. When you are in the presence of God, when His light reflects from your face, what can you say? What in the world can be said?
Maybe … thank you? Amen
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