The Torn Curtain, March 22, 2015

The Torn Curtain

Exodus 26:31-35, Matthew 27:45-54

Grace Presbyterian Church

March 22, 2015

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Marathon  His name was Pheidippides. The date was 490 B.C. The event was the great battle between Greece and the invading army of Persia. The place was Marathon, a town a little over 26 miles from Athens. Although severely outnumbered, Greece defeated Persia. Immediately, Pheidippides was dispatched to take the good news back to Athens as fast as he could. And so he starting running. And he continued running. He never stopped until he reached Athens. He burst in to the Athenian Assembly and exclaimed, “We Won!”  He then collapsed and died. However, his great run is memorialized today every time a Marathon race takes place.

Communication Today  Now let’s fast-forward to 1960 and the Andy Griffith show. Andy wants to call Aunt Bea. He picks up the phone and says, “Sarah, would you ring Aunt Bea for me?” And Sarah says, “Well, hello, Andy. I just saw Aunt Bea go into the butcher shop. I’ll ring her there.”

We’ve come a long way since Pheidippides in 490 b.c. Or since the days of Andy, Barney and Aunt Bea. Whereas we used to get in touch with people primarily by telephone, telegraph, or letters, today we carry our cell phones so that people can reach us no matter where we might be. We email, text, twitter and post pictures and information on facebook. Classes are offered on how to use the numerous forms of social media.

Mennonite Minister  I appreciate emails for many reasons. They keep me in constant contact with my classmates and cousins. In 2001, I was in Amsterdam where I had supper with Ed Van Straten, a Mennonite minister. As we visited, we discovered that we were both born on the same year, month and day. We both had beards, wore glasses and had two children, a son and a daughter.

So every year, we email each other at Christmas and on our common birthday. Instantly, our greetings are sent thousands of miles to one another. So it is really wonderful how we can connect with each other so quickly. And of course, many of us connect with friends every day.

Connecting with God  But what about connecting with God? As far as I know, God doesn’t have e-mail, a blog or a web site. Maybe God’s old-fashioned and doesn’t want to fool with these newfangled things. Be that as it may, people have been trying to find ways to connect with God from the beginning of time. And most of the time, prayer was the answer. But sometimes they felt unworthy to talk with God. In that case, they’d ask the most spiritual persons they could find to speak to God on their behalf - the priests. They assumed that God would be more willing to answer prayers of priests than the prayers of ordinary persons. And so a system evolved by which priests became the intermediaries between God and the people.

Background of Curtain in Holy of Holies  In the Jewish Tabernacle, there was an inner sanctuary called the Holy Place where only priests could enter. Beyond that was another room called the Holy of Holies. It was the most sacred room in the Temple where only the High priest could enter, and then only once a year on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Holy of Holies was a room twenty cubits by twenty cubits by twenty cubits, or about thirty by thirty by thirty feet [1 Kings 6:16, 20]. This was considered the place where God dwelt. In this room were kept the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments. A wall separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the tabernacle. In the wall was an entrance covered by a curtain or veil. In our morning scripture from Exodus we read a description of the entrance curtain of the Holy of Holies. “You shall make a curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, which have hooks of gold and rest on four bases of silver. You shall hang the curtain under the clasps, and bring the ark of the covenant inside, within the curtain; and the curtain shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy.”  [Exodus 26:31-33 NRSV]

Curtain a Barrier  Thus the curtain or veil was a symbolic barrier preventing the people to speak or communicate directly with God. If they wanted to give thanks to God, they presented a grain offering through the priests. If they wanted God to express their love and devotion for God, they gave a burnt offering. If they wanted God to forgive their sins, they had to make a sin offering to God through the priests. The priests acted as intermediaries between God and his people.

In spite of the social media options available to us today, barriers to communication still exist. Some pastors feel that the pulpit is a physical barrier between them and the congregation. Solution? They walk up and down the aisle while preaching. I tried that once but it wasn’t for me. It just didn’t feel right. I felt it was too distracting to the congregation. Besides, I found that I couldn’t preach and walk at the same time.

The Curtain was Torn  But the curtain in the Temple did serve as a barrier preventing the ordinary person from communicating with God. But then Calvary took place. This singular event changed all that and directly impacts on our lives and worship today. When Jesus died, the Gospel of Mark states,”With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” [15:37-38] The rending of the curtain symbolically opened up the way for all people to have direct access to God. A priest to speak to God on their behalf was no longer needed. They could thank God, seek his forgiveness, and ask for strength and help directly.

Our morning scripture from Hebrews puts it this way, “Since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” The curtain that closed off the entrance to the Holy of Holies and which prevented people from communicating with God has been removed. It is now replaced by an Open Door Policy by Christ’s sacrifice which once and for all atoned for all the sins of the world.

Priesthood of all Believers As Presbyterians, we affirm the belief that each of us can go directly to God in prayer and that God will hear us. This belief is part of what we call the Priesthood of All believers. This doctrine arose out of the Reformation and dismissed the medieval Christian belief that Christians were divided into two classes: "spiritual" and "temporal" or non-spiritual.

Luther put forward the doctrine that all baptized Christians are "priests" and "spiritual" in the sight of God. In fact, we are all consecrated priests through baptism. Peter writes: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood and a priestly kingdom," [1 Peter 2:9]. John echoes this sentiment by saying, "Through your blood you have made us into priests and kings."[Revelation 5:10] Thus, all of us are priests. Being priests enable us to do the following.

Direct Access to God  One, we can go directly to God in prayer. We don’t have to ask Andy Griffith’s Sarah to connect us with God. We can dial direct instead of going through a priestly operator. This is why we Presbyterians do not have a confessional booth in which to confess our sins to a priest. And this is why we do not have an altar upon which to offer sacrifices to God. Instead, we have a communion table where we celebrate the sacrifice that Christ made for our sins.

Priests to and for one another  Next, we are priests to and for one another. This is why we do not elevate the clergy over the layperson. Elders, Deacons and Ministers all take the same ordination vows. At presbytery meetings, an equal number of elders and ministers are required. That having been said, there are still many people who feel that a prayer by their minister is heard more readily by God than their own prayers. They feel that their pastor has an inside track to God and can make things happen that an ordinary layperson can’t. Of course this isn’t true. In fact, I would say that if there is a difference in the effectiveness of prayers, little children’s prayers are the best of all!

 

 

Our priestly functions include praying for those in need, praying for our nation, and in telling others about the good news of Christ. I firmly believe that when we hold the hand of the bereaved, we are performing a priestly function. When we forgive someone of their sins, we are performing a priestly function. When we pray with and for others, we are carrying out the function of the priest.

Nursing Home  I remember a lady in one of my former congregations who was in a nursing home. She was so weak, she could not lift her hands to take the bread or the cup of communion, so my elder gently placed the bread in her mouth and raised the cup to her lips. The elder was carrying out a priestly function.

Final Thoughts  The fact that we can pray directly to God and receive forgiveness, is a gift from God which came to us because the curtain of the Holy of Holies was torn in two at the moment of Christ’s death. Jesus put it this way, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” [John 10:9] The door of access to God is now wide open to anyone. So rejoice in your ability to go directly to God in prayer. And look for opportunities to become priests to one another. Amen.

Exodus 26: 31-36 NRSV

You shall make a curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, which have hooks of gold and rest on four bases of silver. You shall hang the curtain under the clasps, and bring the ark of the covenant inside, within the curtain; and the curtain shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy. You shall put the mercy-seat on the ark of the covenant in the most holy place. You shall set the table outside the curtain, and the lamp stand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table; and you shall put the table on the north side.

Matthew 27:45-54 NRSV

From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘This man is calling for Elijah.’ At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.’ Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’

Garments of Freedom, March 15, 2015

Garments of Freedom

Luke 23:50-56, Colossians 3:12-17

Grace Presbyterian Church

March 15, 2015

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Review So far in our journey through Lent, we have looked at the Ashes of Mourning, the Coins of Betrayal, and the Sword of Revenge. This morning, we look at the Garments of Freedom. We’ll do so by reviewing the various garments of the Bible and particularly those associated with Jesus leading up to the crucifixion. We’ll also look at the spiritual garments we can put on that free us from the powers of sin and evil.

Garments As we know, garments have many functions. We wear clothing for modesty and comfort. For safety and style and social status. Garments keep us from getting wet or too hot. Clothing also reflects religious preferences. If people visit Calvary and see me in my clergy robe, they conclude rightly that I am the pastor. My Mennonite ancestors dressed in such a manner that when they went to town, people knew at once their religious preference.

Clothes of the Bible If we look at the clothing in the Bible, I read some where that in the beginning Eve had three complaints; "I haven't a thing to wear." "I haven't a thing to wear." "I haven't a thing to wear." Of course, this problem was solved when they sewed fig leaves together as a garment to cover themselves when they heard God approaching. [Genesis 3:7] And later on, when they left the Garden of Eden, God provided both Adam and Eve with clothes made from sheep skins.

Coat of Many Colors  We move from fig leaves and sheep skins to Joseph’s famous Coat of Many Colors which he received from his father, Jacob. It was the designer fashion of the day. [Genesis 37:3]

Camel’s Hair  John the Baptist wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. [Matthew 3:4]

Sackcloth  Sackcloth worn as sign of repentance and sorrow [Daniel 9:3]

The Clothes of Jesus If we look at the life of Jesus, we find that he wore many different garments. When he was born, Matthew tells us that Mary “brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger..” [Matthew 2:7 KJV].

As he grew older, he dressed in the traditional garments of the day. This included six items of clothing:

1. A linen shirt was worn next to the skin..

2. Over the linen shirt was worn a coat or tunic.

3. To secure the tunic. a leather or linen girdle would be wound several times about the waist.

4. Over everything was the outer garment, called a mantle or cloak.

5. On their feet were worn wooden or leather sandals.

6. And although never mentioned specifically in the Bible, no Jewish teacher of Jesus’ day would appear in public with his head uncovered. So it is likely that Jesus wore a turban made of white linen

Over his lifetime, Jesus wore many special garments, some reflecting glory and some not.

For instance, at his Transfiguration, Jesus’ clothes became dazzling white [Matthew 17:2]

At the Last Supper, the night before he died, Jesus took off his outer robe and put on a towel. [John 13:4, 11]

When he was arrested and flogged, the soldiers stripped Jesus and mocked him by putting a scarlet robe on him. [Matthew 27:28, John 19:2, 5]

When he was led to be crucified, his clothes were taken away entirely and divided up between the guards. [Luke 23:34, John 19:24] However, since his tunic was woven without seam, they cast lots to see who would get it.

At the same time, they placed a blindfold on Jesus, taunting him. [Luke 22:64, Mark 14:65]

When Jesus was placed in the tomb, Joseph from Arimathea wrapped his body in a linen cloth and placed a burial cloth around his head. [John 20:6-7. cf. Lazarus, John 11:43-44]]

Birth and Death  So Jesus was wrapped in cloth at his birth and again at his death. Just as he outgrew the swaddling cloths of his infancy, so he cast off the cloths that bound him at his death. We are bound by sin as tightly as the dead were wrapped with binding strips of cloth. When Jesus cast off his burial cloths at his resurrection, it enabled us to throw off the binding clothing of sin.   

Putting on Spiritual Clothing   Today we are asked to put on spiritual clothing. Paul mentions such clothing several times in his letters.

1. In Colossians, he wrote: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” [Colossians 3:12-14]

When you awakened this morning, did you clothe yourself with compassion? With humility? Gentleness and patience? Did you forgive those who have hurt you? If so, you are beautifully dressed!

2. To the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote : “Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)/ Here Paul is talking about getting a brand new wardrobe! Clean out your closet! Get rid of all the clothes that belong to your old nature and dress yourself with the new garments of righteousness and holiness. After all, Jesus paid for it on the Cross at Calvary.

3. To the church in Corinth, Paul wrote: “For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (I Corinthians 15:53) “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling....” (II Corinthians 5:1-2) When we die and leave our earthly tent, we receive a building from God not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Our mortal nature is replaced with an immortal life. We are clothed with our heavenly dwelling.

4. To the Ephesians, Paul writes: “ Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ” [Ephesians 6:13] The armor Paul describes includes the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. The belt was used to hold the sword and the breastplate protected against weapons of the enemy. Paul goes on to say that we are to carry the shield of faith with which we can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Then we are to put on the helmet of salvation and carry the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. As you’ll remember, when tempted by the Devil in the wilderness, Jesus used the sword of the Spirit, that is scriptures, to withstand temptations when they come.

Charles Wesley  As many of you might remember, Charles Wesley was a prolific hymn writer. He wrote such hymns as “Jesus Christ is Risen Today,” and “Hark, the herald angels sing.” In 1749, he wrote the words to “Soldiers of Christ, Arise.” The first stanza reads: “Soldiers of Christ, arise and put your armor on, strong in the strength which God supplies through his eternal Son. Strong in the Lord of hosts, and in his mighty power, who in the strength of Jesus trusts is more than conqueror.”

Results of Garments of Freedom  All of these garments are garments of freedom which have been created by God. When we put them on, two things happen.

1. We become protected from the darts and arrows of temptation. We must get dressed every morning with the armor of God for we have no idea what test might come our way during the day.

2. We become ambassadors for Christ to the extent that we model the clothing he has given us. People can tell we are Christians by our garments of speech and actions. We model these garments so that others will want to put on the garments of freedom - freedom from the power of sin and death.

Clothe Ourselves with Jesus  Finally Paul says, “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.”(Romans 13:14). When we do this, we clothe ourselves with his power, his forgiveness, and his love. So every day we need to allow Jesus to clothe our thoughts to make them pure, clothe our minds to make them clean, clothe our words to make them uplifting, clothe our actions to make them useful, and clothe our hearts to make them loving. Then, we need to put on the whole armor of Christ to make our lives strong and courageous. As we leave here this morning, I urge us all to pay careful attention as to how we’re dressed. Amen.

Luke 23:50-56 NRSV

 

The Coins and Kiss of Betrayal, Feb. 22, 2015

The Coins and Kiss of Betrayal

Psalm 25:1-7, Matthew 26:14-25

Grace Presbyterian Church

February 22, 2015

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

Introduction  This morning we begin our Lenten journey - a journey which will take us from the betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane to the agony of the Cross of Calvary. To do this, we’re going to look at coins of betrayal, a crown of thorns, the sword of revenge, garments of freedom and the curtain in the Temple. This morning we start with “Coins of Betrayal.”

Three Tales of Deceit  To do this, I’d like to share three famous tales of deceit and betrayal - Marcus Junius Brutus who betrayed his friend, Benedict Arnold who betrayed his country, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed his master.

Marcus Junius Brutus, Betrayer of a Friend  The betrayal carried out by Brutus involved his good friend, the Roman General Julius Caesar [100 B.C. - 44 B.C.]. Caesar  trusted Brutus to such an extent that he made him a part of his inner circle and appointed him governor of Gaul. However, Brutus and others felt Caesar was assuming far too much power. So treachery, betrayal and conspiracy began to grow in the heart of Brutus. Along with sixty other senators, he agreed to be a part of an assassination attempt on Caesar to take place on the Ides of March - March 15 in the year A.D.44. When the men attacked him, Caesar saw Brutus among the group with his dagger drawn. At that point, Caesar ceased to struggle and asked the famous question, "You too, Brutus?" (Shakespeare, “Julius Caesar,” 1599, Act 3, Scene 1)

Benedict Arnold, Betrayer of his Country  The betrayal carried out by Benedict Arnold V (1741 - 1801) involved his country. Benedict was an outstanding Major General in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. But he felt he had been slighted and overlooked for promotions on several occasions.

So when he was granted command of the fort at West Point, he switched loyalties and tried unsuccessfully to surrender West Point to the British. The plot was discovered and Benedict escaped to become a Brigadier General for the British Army.

Had he succeeded in giving West Point to the British, the British might have won the Revolutionary war and today we’d all be driving on the other side of the road.

Judas Iscariot, Betrayer of Jesus  The betrayal carried out by Judas Iscariot involved his Master, Jesus of Nazareth.  Judas was a man whose name is defined in the dictionary as “One who betrays under the guise of friendship.” But his name wasn’t always a symbol of betrayal. After all, three years earlier, Jesus had said to Judas, “Follow me!” And Judas had responded by leaving his home and family to follow him.  It’s interesting to note that Judas was the only disciple not from Galilee. Since Galileans tended to look down upon Judeans, this may have caused friction between Judas and the eleven other disciples. However, Judas embraced the cause of Jesus fully and completely. Scriptures indicate that Judas held a very special place in the life of Jesus. Jesus trusted him with their money. (John 12:6) And at the Last Supper, Judas was sitting on Jesus’ left, the place of honor.

While they were eating, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’ They looked at one another, uncertain of whom Jesus spoke. It was not at all obvious to them that Judas was the one who would betray their master and lead the authorities to Jesus. No one immediately pointed to Judas and said, “I’ll bet Jesus is talking about him.” Instead, they were afraid that Jesus meant them.

 

 

Jesus then further clarified his statement by saying, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.” Because they were sitting next to each other, Jesus could hand Judas the morsel of bread and say to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly,” without any of the other disciples hearing him.

Coins of Betrayal  Judas immediately left the Last Supper and went to the chief priests who paid Judas thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus. Thirty pieces of silver may not sound like much until one realizes that in those days, this was equal to about four months wages for the average worker. So take your monthly income, multiply by four, and that gives you an idea of the value of the coins of betrayal. It was more money than Judas had ever seen in his life. And Judas loved money.

Ointment  In fact, In the Gospel of John, Judas criticized Mary for using expensive ointment to anoint Jesus’ feet. He said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (John 12:5) [This was a day’s wage for a laborer]

Judas was a Thief  Judas didn’t say this because he cared for the poor, but rather because he was the treasurer of the disciples’ money and had been routinely stealing from their money box for some time. Jesus quickly replied, “Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial.” This reprimand from Jesus may have upset Judas to the point where he no longer had loyalty to their cause. Or Judas may have expected Jesus to conquer Rome by force instead of allowing himself to be crucified. And the thought of making 30 pieces of silver was too great a temptation.

The Kiss of Betrayal  No matter what his motives for betrayal might have been, once he received the payment, Judas entered the Garden of Gethsemane with soldiers. Since the soldiers had no idea what Jesus looked like, Judas identified him by greeting his master with a kiss on the cheek - a kiss which sent Jesus on the lonely, painful road to the Cross. In this case, the kiss, normally a sign of affection, love and trust, became an instrument of deceit.

Regret  Judas soon regretted his act of betrayal so he gave the money back to the chief priests. Then, filled with remorse, he went out and  hanged himself, never experiencing the exultation of the resurrection.

Betrayal Takes Time  As we think about betrayal, we realize that it doesn’t happen on impulse, all of a sudden. Betrayal is a well thought out act that develops in our minds over weeks, months and sometimes years before we put it into action. Little by little, our minds think of why it is perfectly OK to take the road of deceit and betrayal. Once conceived in the mind, betrayal slowly but surely takes on a life of its own. Little by little, Judas rationalized the action he was going to take. Once he had justified his act of betrayal, he set the act in motion.

Closeness and Betrayal   It is also a fact that the closer our relationship is with a person, the more intense the pain and hurt if betrayal occurs. This is why Jesus must have felt immense grief and pain when Judas betrayed him. The psalmist said, "Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted his heel against me." [Psalm 41:9 NRSV]

Jesus would have Forgiven Judas  The amazing fact which Judas didn’t realize is that Jesus would have forgiven him at once had Judas asked. In other words, Judas didn’t need to take his life. All he needed to do is ask for forgiveness.

They All Fell Away  At the same time, we must not put all the blame on Judas. While in the Garden, Jesus said to the rest of his discples, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me..” [Matthew 26:31 NRSV]. Peter said to him, ‘Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ Peter said to him, ‘Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And so said all the disciples.” [Matthew 26:33-35 NRSV] But before the night was over, Peter indeed denied even knowing Jesus.  In fact all the disciples deserted Jesus when he needed them most. They had betrayed their Master.

Our Story  As we look back, we realize that the story of Judas is our story because each of us has within us the potential to betray. To be unfaithful to covenants. To lie and practice deceit. Like Judas we do and say things in life we wish we could take back. Things we said and wish we hadn’t. Things we did and later regretted. We find that when we’ve betrayed the trust of another human being, we can’t reverse what we have done to make it the same as it was. We can’t turn back the clock. It’s too late!

Final Thoughts  My question this morning is this. Have you, like Judas and the disciples, betrayed Jesus? With words that hurt. Actions that broke God’s commandments? Have you been guilty of violating sacred covenants of friendship or marriage? Are you harboring guilt of betrayals of long ago? Then I ask you to bring your sins of betrayal and lay them at the foot of the Cross. And God will forgive! God will absolve, pardon and acquit you. God will cleanse, renew and sanctify you!

Remember, Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that, “At it’s best the Church is not so much a collection of righteous saints as it is a collection of forgiven sinners.” Or, we could add, a collection of forgiven betrayers. Amen.
Psalm 25:1-7  NRSV

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

O my God, in you I trust;

   do not let me be put to shame;

   do not let my enemies exult over me.

Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;

   let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

 

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

   teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth, and teach me,

   for you are the God of my salvation;

   for you I wait all day long.

 

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,

   for they have been from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;

   according to your steadfast love remember me,

   for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!

 

Matthew 26:14-25 NRSV

Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I betray him to you?’ They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ He said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.” ’ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

 When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’ He answered, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.’ Judas, who betrayed him, said, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’ He replied, ‘You have said so.’

 

The Music Stopped and No One Noticed, March 9, 2015

The Music Stopped and No One Noticed

Transfiguration

2 Peter 1:16-19, Mark 9:2-9

Grace Presbyterian Church

March 9, 2015

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

The Man and the Violin The other day, I read the true story of a man who sat at a metro subway station in Washington, DC on a cold, December morning. For about 45 minutes, he played six compositions by Bach. During that time it was estimated that a thousand people passed him on their way to work. A few slowed down their pace but then hurried on. One man leaned against the wall to listen, but then looked at his watch and hurried off. In the time he played, only six people stopped and stayed to listen for a while. Some gave him money and he collected $32.00. When he stopped playing, no one noticed. No one applauded. There was no recognition. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the finest violinists in the world. He had just played some of the most intricate violin pieces ever written, and he did it on a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. In fact, just two days before playing in the subway, Joshua Bell performed for a sold out theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each. His appearance in the subway had been arranged by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The questions explored were simple. In an ordinary place at an illogical hour, do people perceive beauty? Do they stop to appreciate it? Do they recognize talent in an unexpected context? The answer in this case was No.

The fact is that we see only what we expect to see. The people saw a nondescript man playing a violin in a subway station. “He’s out of work,” people thought, “and is trying to make a few dollars. He can’t be very good if he’s playing here.” Obviously, what they thought they saw wasn’t accurate. And thus when he stopped playing, no one noticed. We’d probably have done the same things. We’d have been anxious to get to work and hurried by this superb violinist.

Seeing Better  Over the years, many inventions have helped people see better or in different ways. For instance, about 2,000 years ago, someone took a 1 ½ inch glass sphere, held it over some words and discovered that it magnified the letters. As a result, words that were fuzzy before came into clear focus. People could see in new ways. In 1284, Salvino D’armate invented the first wearable eye glasses. People could see in new ways. In 1895, Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-Rays. Now doctors could see things in new ways. Infrared enabled night vision so that people could see in new ways. Geiger counters, CAT scans, MRI’s, and Thermal imaging enable people to see things in new ways. In 1990, the Hubble telescope enabled people to see the universe in new ways. All of these inventions, and many more, have opened up ways of seeing things in new ways or seeing things we’ve never seen before.

The Transfiguration of Jesus About 2,000 years ago, something happened on a mountain that enabled three men to see Jesus in a new way. These three men were Peter, James and John, disciples of Jesus. They had been with Jesus for some time. And they had seen him heal Peter’s mother-in-law, cast out unclean spirits, healed a man of his withered hand, still the waters of the Sea of Galilee, and cast out demons. They had watched as thousands gathered to hear him speak and teach. But they had not yet recognized him as the Messiah, the Christ, the one and only Son of God. However, this all changed when Jesus asked the three men to go with him as he went up a mountain to pray. Now for Jesus to go off by himself to pray was nothing new. His disciples gone with him many times as he did this.  When they reached the mountain top, Jesus began to pray. But this time, something quite different happened. As he was praying, his garments became glistening white. His face began to shine like the sun. His appearance changed and was transfigured before their very eyes. The brightness of his face and garments was so intense that Peter, James and John were frightened. This was definitely not what they were expecting. All they thought is that Jesus would finish his prayers and that they would walk back down the mountain. But what they witnessed was a man who no longer was simply a carpenter from Nazareth. No longer was he just a teacher who spoke in parables. No longer was he just a miracle worker that healed people.

The Christ of Glory  No, now they saw Jesus of Nazareth transformed into the Christ of glory! Now they knew that the long awaited Messiah was in their midst! They saw Jesus in a new way. If this wasn’t enough, Moses and Elijah then appeared and began talking with Jesus. Their appearance was significant in several ways. Moses was the great lawgiver who gave Israel the Ten Commandments. In fact, years before, Moses had said to Israel, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15] The second man, Elijah, was the greatest prophet Israel had ever known. In the book of Malachi, God said to Israel, "I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” (Malachi 4:5) The appearance of Moses and Elijah affirmed and validated that Jesus was the Messiah, the one and only Son of God.

George got it Wrong Some years ago, George Burns appeared in the movie “O GOD” in which he played the part of God. At one point, a man asks, “Tell me about Jesus.” Puffing on his cigar, George Burns says, “Jesus? He’s one of my boys. He’s one of my sons. Of course, I have other sons. Mohammed. Buddha. Ghandi. I have had many sons, not any special one. Jesus? He is one of my boys.” George Burns was wrong on this one. Jesus was NOT just one of God’s boys. He is not on a par with Mohammed, Buddha, or Ghandi. Jesus was and is the only begotten son of God. As John put it, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son..” [John 3:16] God made this clear on the mountain. A cloud appeared and enveloped all six of them. Then God said, “This is my son, whom I love. Listen to him!” His is the only voice we listen to and no other. 

Down the Mountain The experience was so wonderful that Peter wanted it to last as long as possible. So he suggested building three shelters, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and on for Elijah. But Jesus and his disciples couldn’t stay on the mountain top forever. Their ministry was to be carried out in the valley below, not on the mountain top. They needed to become involved in the daily joys and struggles of the people. And when they reached the bottom, the opportunity for involvement came quickly. They met a boy that had been afflicted with convulsions and seizures from childhood. Jesus immediately healed the boy. As a result, his life, as well as the lives of his family, were forever transfigured. If Jesus had stayed on the mountain top, the boy would have remained as he was for the rest of his life. Now the boy saw himself, his family and his future in a new light - the light of hope.

Transfiguration Moments Today  Of course transfiguration moments happen in our everyday lives as well. When we have a sudden insight, we might say, “Eureka! Now I understand!” We see the light. We see that situation in new ways. Or when we meet people for the first time, they are strangers. But as time goes by, they may become friends. A little over two years ago, I appeared in your midst as a total stranger. But as we got to know one another, our relationship changed from stranger to friend. We began to trust on a deeper level. We began to laugh together more easily. Our relationship has changed. It was transfigured. There are many first moments like this in our lives. Perhaps it was the time you fell in love. Your beloved once was a stranger, then a friend, now the joy of your existence. It could be the time you became a parent. The event has forever changed how you saw yourself and relate to others.

      The Dutch Pastor  There is a powerful story about a Dutch pastor and his family who during the second World War got into big trouble with the Nazis. The Dutch pastor and his family had been hiding Jewish people in their home to keep them safe from Hitler’s forces. The inevitable finally happened. They were eventually found out. And one night in the darkness, they heard the sound of heavy boots and the loud impatient knocking on the door. They were pulled out of their home, arrested and loaded into a cattle car to be taken to one of the notorious death camps. All night long the Dutch pastor and his family rode along in heart-breaking anguish, jostling against one another and against the other prisoners who were jammed into the train cattle car. They were stripped of any form of dignity and absolutely terrified. They knew they were being taken to one of Hitler’s extermination centers. But which one? Would it be Auschwitz, Buchenwald, or Dachau? Finally, the long night ended and the train stopped. The doors of the cattle car were opened and light streamed into that tragic scene. They were marched out and were lined up beside the railroad tracks, resigned to unspeakable pain, as they knew they would be separated from each other and ultimately killed. But in the midst of their gloom, they discovered some amazing good news...good news beyond belief. They discovered in the bright morning sunlight that they were not in a death camp at all, not in Germany at all. Rather, they were in Switzerland! During the night, someone, through personal courage and daring, had tripped a switch...and sent the train to Switzerland...and to freedom. And those now who came to them were not their captors at all, but rather their liberators. Instead of being marched to death, they were welcomed to new life. In the midst of his joy and relief, the Dutch pastor said, "What do you do with such a gift?"

                             

They now were able to see life and their future with new hearts and minds. Despair had been replaced with joy.

Final Thoughts  When we follow Christ, we are transfigured. We begin to see all of life with new eyes, hear with new ears, and respond with new hearts. We begin to recognize and appreciate beauty in loved ones that we had taken for granted. We begin to appreciate splendor in nature that we had taken for granted.

This morning, I suggest that many people fail to recognize love, beauty, kindness,

simply because they’re hearts and minds are not tuned to see and hear and feel them. Only when we allow the Christ of glory to transfigure us will our ears recognize the pure beauty of a violin being played in a subway.

Perhaps Shakespeare said it best. “And this our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.” “The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.” - [Emily Dickinson, poet (1830-1886)]

Moses had many moments that took his breath away. In addition to hearing God’s voice come out of a burning bush that wasn’t consumed, or seeing the waters of the Red Sea parted to allow him to escape the Egyptians, he conversed with God on Mt. Sinai. And when he came down the mountain with the Ten Commandments, his face was so radiant that everyone was afraid to come near him. 

Remember, some things have to be believed in order to be seen!  Amen.

 

 

Mark 9:2-9 NIV After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters——one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

 

2 Peter 1:16-19 NIV  We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.