Transparent God [Transfiguration]

READINGS FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE:

• Exodus 34:29-35

• 2 Peter 1:16-21

• St. Matthew 17:1-9

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

To all of you who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who speaks to us today, saying,

“And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only”

 Transparency is the key to dissolving criticism, for if every move you made is out in the open, then there are no secrets. If something was wrong it will show up. If something was right it will be on display for all to see, as Jesus is today in His Transfiguration. 

 Transparency leads to accountability. As in, if everything is known, you are also taking responsibility for it, for everyone can then see what you did. This is why transparency is a campaign promise and nothing more. It is a great buzz word, because transparency produces trust. But since it also means responsibility, the promise dies on the campaign trail and never gets to the office.

 Jesus is the city on a hill, not any earthly institution. Jesus alone is covered in lights, transparent as can be in His Transfiguration. He is not see-through, but His purpose, intent, and identity are all on display today, out in the open. He is true God and true man. He has shone in the darkness. He has shown Himself to be as a flashlight in the darkness making both heaven and earth transparent and He is turned off when He points out what He was looking for, for you: Himself only.

 As it turns out, the whole of our Christmas and Epiphany season has been about the transparency of God. In fact, the word epiphany means “to be visible”, “to appear”, in other words to be able to be seen and known. God begins His transparency in creating the world, then giving the Commandments, and finally being made man to prove that true transparency in only found in God, not man.

From the historic Introit, Psalm 77, “Thy lightnings lightened the world”. Literally, thy “lightnings”, thy “glare of light” has epiphanied, become visible to the houses or dwelling places: the world. Which you could call “the world” as it is the only habitable realm in all of creation. This is what these words mean.

 This world of habitability, this household, is the Lord’s, says Psalm 24, and He has circumscribed His Word to it (Isa 10:23) in order to preserve it and rescue it. He has sent His Word out unto all lands (Ps 18:5) through men He chose. And yet even though His Word permeates all, He inhabits, or “dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see” (1 Tim 6:16). 

 Some have portrayed God as hiding Himself or keeping secrets, because He is hidden and because He is infinite and we are not. Some have even accused Him of not existing simply because all they see is God’s opaqueness. And as we have just heard from 1 Timothy, He is unapproachable.

 Regardless, this Light shines on the world and graces us with His Law and lightens even the darkest mind with His wisdom, such that He will judge this world, this dwelling place, according to His wisdom and with the light of His righteousness (Ps. 9:8). And in a bit more of God’s transparency, it turns out that you are a dwelling place as well.

 A dwelling place that is supposed to house the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16). A shining city on a hill, not a light under a bushel. “Let your light shine before men” and “you are the light of the world” says Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:14-15. 

 And yet here we are, opaque with sin, doubting, unbelieving. Here we sit in the world that satan was hurled to as lightning (Lk 10:18). Jesus continues in Luke 11, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is [transparent], your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness” (v. 34-35).

 Be careful, He says. Too late. Romans 7 tells us that what inhabits us is sin, darkness (v. 17). Sin that causes God’s transparency to become thick darkness, and lightning, and fire, as on Sinai (Ex. 19:16). Darkness that causes us to be lumped in with Lucifer and only appears right.

 But therein lies the epiphany, the lightning of Transfiguration. You see, when Jesus shines His light upon the world, His glare is pointed at us and the darkness scatters, leaving only Him standing as righteous and holy, because sin and corruption are destroyed by it. But, that sin-destroying, wrath-filled light is redirected to the image we see today. 

 Like a high-powered lazer set to “kill”, the light of God’s judging Law is focused upon Jesus. Jesus is illuminated. Jesus is captured by the prison-guard light of justice. Jesus alone is seared by the flames of God’s wrath in judgement upon this world. And Jesus alone takes the wrath-filled light, and changes it into Easter light.

 1 John 2:8 says, “…the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.” “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people”; “the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior” (Titus 2:11, 3:4). Salvation means that your darkness is passing away. Indeed, in the goodness and loving kindness of our Savior, it has already passed. For this salvation is for all the living, the whole world that this light has enlightened.

 Just as you have already passed from death to life in baptism, so has your darkness passed away. Though you retain your sin, it has passed away with Christ’s passing on the cross. Where Christ was raised, never to die again, sin has been razed, never to rise again. 

 You “outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Mt 23:28). This is the opaqueness of sin that God’s light settles upon. In the transparency of God, “you are God's temple and…God's Spirit dwells in you” (1 Cor 3:16) for, “light [has been given] to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide [your] feet into the way of peace” (Lk. 1:79).

 In Baptism, the evil spirit is cast out and room for the Holy Spirit is made within you. AS you commune with your Lord, the injuries and wounds from sin and death are patched up in light. In the Word and Sacraments, you are daily being built up into a holy temple, a royal priesthood for God.

 The Lightning from God has made the world transparent. That is, in His Light we can see the sins of the world and our own sins. It is apparent that God’s holy Light will scatter the darkness, even the darkness that is a part of us, leaving only light. Not such a pleasant experience, especially for those who love the darkness and love to throw around the word transparency, but mean the opposite.

 It has also been brought to light that God’s Holy Light will fall upon the Son, indeed is the Son Himself, Who sacrifices Himself and instead shines the light of forgiveness upon those who believe in Him. In complete transparency, God offers Himself, in order to reveal the true nature of the world and His true work of salvation.

 In this world, we will not find transparency, no matter how many times someone uses that word. With God alone is all transparency. There is no shadow, or darkness, or scheming with Him. He will not trick you, fleece you, or pull the rug out from under you. There is no secret code, or handshake, or password. There is no permit, paper work, or application. No interest, hidden fees, or penalties.

 There is only Jesus. Jesus Who saves Whom He wills and has mercy on Whom He will have mercy. How this is done and who these people are is also no secret. We clearly see His salvation for all people in baptism and weekly communion. 

 The Word and Sacrament are the transparentest things on this planet. There is no hiding water, anyone can find some. There is no hoarding of bread or wine. These means of the Spirit are so abundant, that no one can withhold or keep them from anyone. Secrets are hoarded on earth, but the way to heaven is open as the wounds Christ bore for you on the cross.

 In this world we deal darkly and with shadows. In the world of the Gospel all are known, even God Himself. For as He told us, after the lightning had passed, after the terrible light made known the darkness, after all the world had witnessed it, we lifted up our eyes and saw no one but Jesus only.

 

Surrounding God [Epiphany 2]

 Readings from Holy Scripture

    Exodus 33:12-23

    Romans 12:6-16

    St. John 2:1-11

Surrounding the Lamb

Only God can save you. Only God will save you. Not a mask. Not a syringe. Not a civil war. God has a plan to save you and He lays it out today how He is going to do so. There will be a party, a wedding even. There will be a Groom and a Bride. There will be wine. There will be belief.

There will be no masks as holy Scripture never mentions them. Well, it does, but its in the negative. Moses wore a mask so that the people couldn’t see God’s shining glory streaming out of his face, Exodus 34 (v. 30ff): “Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him…And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.”

But we are not like Moses who proclaimed a ministry of death, written on stone, by his mask, says 2 Corinthians 3 (v.7), because the Holy Ghost has more glory than stone, death, and a mask. Our mask is instead over our hearts and the mask on our face reflects that “whenever Moses is read” to us, continues 2 Corinthians 3, “a [mask] lies over [our] hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the [mask] is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with [unmasked] face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (v.15-18).

Thus we hear today in our Gospel the unmasked glory of the Lord’s Wedding Feast, which is His plan for us and His solution to all our woes and fears. This unregulated, unmitigated, anti-social distancing nightmare is what God has planned for your life, not just in the future, but today. For today God shows you what His back can accomplish and what you receive by being behind Him, as we heard from our OT reading.

Not like our political handlers, who within minutes of fearing for their lives and being harried in a chaotic retreat out of the Capitol building a week and a half ago, our duty-bound millionaires bravely took their rightful place in front of camera and microphone immediately to deliver a carefully written, and long-thought out speech. Funny.

In this miraculously prepared speech, the deeds and accomplishments of a great temple were listed off in order to be worshiped. We are told to rally around democracy, whatever that is, and the party. If we just follow these millionaires, we will be alright. If we just get behind their idea of life, we will be healed. If we just bow down…

But really, they are just fleecing us. They do not want us behind them, they want us in front of them. They want us to go along with their idea and, instead of going with us they will leave us out in front to face the consequences. However, they will be behind us using us as a meat shield.

This is the lie that Satan told to Adam and Eve. If you just eat this fruit first, you will be like God. Go ahead of me, Eve. You bite the bullet first.

In fact, satan was also saying to go ahead of God, for God’s Word to them was not to eat. Satan was saying that if you take the next step in faith, eating, what God really wants you to do is step out on your own two feet and then you will have it. As we found out, there is only death ahead of, or in front of, God.

Jesus also takes a hold of and claims the idea of “getting behind” Him, not in front of Him. And we are considering just what He means, because Moses is shown God’s back today. So we must find out what God means by revealing His back, because what sinful man always means when he says “get behind me” is “you take the fall instead of me”.

Now Jesus tells us to follow Him in many places in holy Scripture, so we can assume that He is going to stand in front of us, which He does. But when He does so, He says to “follow” Him, in other words, get behind Him.

But what is behind Jesus? what exactly is this back that Moses is seeing in Exodus 33?

Jesus says, “Get behind me satan” in Matthew 4 (v.10), then says to St. Peter, “get behind me satan” in chapter 16 (v.23). He tells the Apostles to come behind Him and He will make them fishers of men, Matthew 4 (v.19) and whoever does not pick up his cross and get behind Him is not worthy of Him in Matthew 10 (v.38).

Quite the motley crew gathering behind Jesus, at God’s back. The sinners are there. Both believers and unbelievers. For, according to St. John, who’s Gospel we heard today, those disciples that could not stand the practice of eating and drinking the Body and Blood of our Lord, also went behind Jesus, but did not follow Him any more (6:66).

In fact, the whole word goes after Jesus, as the Pharisees prophesy in John 12:19. That is to say, that when God reveals His plan, those who hate it and those who love it will be behind Jesus, following to see what He will do.

Also in St. John’s gospel, Jesus is the one Who “gets behind”. He is the one “behind” or coming after John the Baptist in 1:30 and the One behind St. Mary at the Empty Tomb on Easter (20:14).

Now Jesus is not only before us, but behind us as well, where our social managers are only behind us hiding as Adam and Eve did hoping to avoid all divine attention. Psalm 139:5 says, “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.”

Jesus is in front of us in every aspect. In creating all things, He was first in the universe and first on earth and first to see everything in it. In becoming incarnate, He was first to be miraculously conceived and born of a virgin, first to mature and live as man perfectly united with God. In being crucified, He was the first to endure the sum total of all sin and in the resurrection, He is the first to leave all that behind and take a human body and soul to eternal paradise, ruling all things.

This is what Moses sees at God’s back. He sees a savior Who stands in front. He sees a God Who sacrifices Himself and lays down His life so that his could be redeemed. He sees a back strong enough to bear the weight of suffering and the cross caused by all sin of all time and yet still rise again for the fight.

To get behind Jesus is to see Him do all these things. To see Him do all these things on your behalf is to believe, as the disciples did today at the Feast of Cana. Notice how careful the Lord is with Moses. He places him in a safe, secure spot. He covers Moses to protect him. He tells Moses exactly what’s going to happen and exactly what he’s going to see. The Lord stands behind Moses, supporting him.

Jesus is behind us, in every respect. Not only is He our support and strength in times of trouble, but He has also placed Himself lower than us, becoming the chief of sinners on the cross. He the servant, I a lord. He gives us the glory, the crown, and the honor. All that He has from His Father, He gives away, to you.

To be in front of Jesus is to see everything that He has purchased and won on the cross. Life, light, salvation. To be in front of Jesus is to be received into the Lord’s presence with the merits and worthiness of Christ. To be in front of Jesus is to be pushed into death, only to be led right back out again by Jesus in front.

Psalm 17:9 laments that my deadly enemies surround me. They have “surrounded our steps;

    they set their eyes to cast us to the ground” (v.11) in death, as Daniel was surrounded by the lions. 

• Psalm 32:10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.

• Psalm 125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore.

And

• Psalm 32:7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. The shouts of deliverance that echo in this church. 

If God wants you to get this virus you are getting this virus. But God doesn’t want to give you this virus, He wants to give you His Body and Blood. You may still get the virus to produce repentance in you and for you to do better, but only to lead you to His forgiveness that you can eat and drink. This is the reason why we should want Communion every chance we get and offer it every Sunday, at least.

Because God’s plan is to have you surround Him, now. God’s plan is for you to hem Him in on all sides. God’s plan is for you to approach His back, which is Jesus, in Body and Blood for the medicating of both body and soul and vaccination against death and sin. 

The whole world does follow Jesus, as the Pharisees prophesied, along with death, disease, and tragedy. But those baptized into the faith follow to the wedding hall, where not only is water turned to wine, but wine turned to Blood for the forgiveness of your sins.

The whole of Christendom follows behind Jesus and is spurned onward by Jesus, to His Holy Supper. Where we fail, God is trustworthy. Where we are placed in difficult and impossible situations, God is faithful. He hems you in. There is nowhere you can go where He will not follow you, not even to hell.

Psalm 139:8 says, “If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!”

Only God can save you and He does. He saved you through the past, the death and resurrection of His only begotten Son. He saved you “…by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on [you] richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:5-6).

And He saves you now, from all things, by His means of His Spirit, the Word and Sacrament, which you surround. Dear Christian, you are already saved. In faith, you have already won the race, you have made it and no matter what this world does to you it can not take that away. In faith, you will be saved. You will awaken from death and arise to a final, eternal life next to your Savior. 

Today, you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, alive. Today you eat and drink and make merry, because tomorrow you live. God spreads His wedding feast in jars of clay and offers this spot at the table next to Himself, just for you.