Shine, shine, shine.

Today is the last Sunday of the Epiphany season. At Christmas, we celebrated the Light that came into the world-Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Since then, in this season of Epiphany, we've heard some of the ways that Jesus' light shone in his ministry, and how all sorts of people were drawn to that light-from wise men who traveled great distances to see him, to humble fishermen, peasants, the poor and the sick.

Now, on this last Sunday of the season of light, we see Jesus shining with an unearthly brilliance in this mystical experience on top of a mountain. I would like to offer three perspectives on it. First, the theological significance-what does this story reveal about God's purpose of salvation. Second, what might this incident have meant to Jesus, as he turned toward Jerusalem and the cross? Third, what message can we take from it for our lives?

Theological significance

The story of the Transfiguration refers back to the Old Testament in many ways-from the appearance of Moses and Elijah with Jesus, to various details of the story-the mountaintop, the glory of God and the cloud. Moses and Elijah were two of the most revered figures in Judaism and they both were symbols of Israel's hope of salvation. In Deuteronomy, God promises to raise up another prophet like Moses, who will liberate his people. (Deut. 18:15-19). Jesus is that prophet-he has come to set God's people free. His face and clothes shine, in an echo of Moses' face in today's story from Exodus. When Moses came down from the mountain where he had encountered God, his face shone so much that people were afraid and he had to cover it with a veil.

Elijah was the prophet who was expected to come at the end of history and the beginning of a new era of God's reign. That is why Jews to this day set a place for Elijah at Passover seders, in case he comes to usher in the new era.

The appearance of Moses and Elijah is a sign that the time of liberation has come, the new era of God's reign is beginning. Luke tells us that they spoke of Jesus' departure which he is about to accomplish in Jerusalem. The Greek word for "departure" is actually "exodus." Somehow, through Jesus' ministry, his crucifixion, death and resurrection, he will liberate his people, the way that the Israelites were liberated in the first exodus. But the freedom Jesus brings about encompasses not only political liberation, but also liberation from sin and death and evil.

So we are to understand that in Jesus, God's promises are being fulfilled. God's people will be set free, their hearts will be turned back to God, and a new era will begin. The law and the prophets, represented by Moses and Elijah, have been fulfilled in Christ.

The story also looks forward to the resurrection. Even though Jesus is heading toward Jerusalem where he will face suffering and death, the Transfiguration is a glimpse into the future beyond that seeming dead end. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. God is greater than anything we can do, and God's love will finally defeat evil, violence and even death.

Significance to Jesus

Luke tells us that Jesus prayed frequently. On a few occasions, the gospel offers us a window onto his prayer life. First, we hear that Jesus was praying after he was baptized, when all of a sudden, he received the Holy Spirit and heard a voice from heaven. Immediately after that, the Spirit drove him into the wilderness to face temptation. Then, we hear that he prayed immediately before predicting his passion and death for the first time. Now, just before he heads toward Jerusalem, he is praying again, when he experiences the transfiguration, the encounter with Moses and Elijah and the voice from heaven. The next time we catch a glimpse of his prayer is in the Garden of Gethsemane, where interestingly, Peter, James and John are also with him. And he prays for God to take this cup from him if possible, nevertheless, "not my will but thine be done."

Perhaps like most of us, Jesus experienced times in prayer when nothing much seemed to be happening. But by remaining faithful in prayer, he was strengthened and received spiritual grace when he needed it. Jesus needed grace especially at the beginning of his ministry, facing temptation and danger ahead. He needed grace to come to grips with his vocation to suffer and die, and not try to escape or strike back. The Transfiguration is a moment of extraordinary grace-a vision of God's love and power and glory. The First Letter of John tells us that perfect love casts out fear, and I imagine that at least in that moment on top of the mountain, Jesus had no room for fear. (I John 4:18). He was given a glimpse of the love that is more powerful than death, and was strengthened for his journey to the cross.

The story of the Transfiguration is sometimes separated from the story that follows, of Jesus coming down the mountain and healing a boy having terrible convulsions. But most commentators believe they should be read together. The purpose of mystical experiences and spiritual grace is not to encourage us to stay on the mountaintop and try to remain in that ecstatic frame of mind, even though it's tempting. That may have been what Peter had in mind when he offered to build booths for everyone. The point is to strengthen us for service. Jesus' response to this experience of God's power and love was to return to the people who needed him most, to give himself in love for them.

Message for us

2nd Corinthians reminds us that as we gaze upon the glory of the Lord in the face of Jesus Christ, we are being transformed from glory into glory in his image. Wow! What an extraordinary statement. As we remain faithful in prayer, and as we listen to Jesus (as the voice from heaven says), God is at work in us, transforming us into the image of Christ. We are not perfect, and as human beings we will always struggle with our fears and our failings. But as we grow in love, there will be less and less room for fear in our hearts. We too will be transfigured. All of us are meant to shine, to be radiant with God's love as Christ is. That is what it means to be fully alive and fully human. That is our destiny.

We have all met people who are radiant-who seem to glow with love. I think of Donald, a man at my former parish who was in his late 80's when I met him. He simply beamed-he lit up the room with his smile. His wife had died several years before I met him, of Alzheimer's. But I learned that he cared for her for years at home, until she finally had to go to a nursing home. He brought her to church each week for years, with her stuffed animals so she wouldn't be scared. When she went into the nursing home, he spent the better part of each day with her, and he even donned a teddy bear costume and hosted teddy bear teas for the residents. He kept visiting there after she died, doing teas for the other residents. That was only one of a million kind things he did. Once when there as a conflict in the church, he came up to me and said, "I don't know exactly what the fight is about, but I want you to know that I am praying for you and for the church. And everything will be alright." And I believed him because of his face that shone with love.

All of us shine like that at times. I have seen all of you shine! As God transforms us, we will shine more and more. We are being transfigured, into the image of Christ.