Exodus 24:12-18; Matthew 17:1-9

     This morning our Gospel lesson deals with the well-known story that unfolded when Jesus and his inner circle of disciples, Peter, James and John, were on a mountaintop.   Presumably the four were taking a break from their ministry.  Not long after they completed their climb, a series of paranormal events took place. 

     First, the three disciples noticed that Jesus began to change in his appearance.  His face became bright.  His clothes radiated with light.  The disciples then saw what appeared to be the images of Moses and Elijah.  Jesus and the two visitors began conversing.  When their encounter ended, Peter was the first to speak after the two apparitions disappeared.  He wanted to build three shelters for them.   

     While Jesus was telling Peter that there was no need to build anything, a second experience occurred.  A shimmering cloud descended on them and they heard a voice that exclaimed, “This is my son.  Listen to him.”  Immediately, the disciples were terrified and threw themselves face down on the ground.  In reassuring tones Jesus said, “Do not be afraid. Get up!”   

     Whatever this experience represented to the disciples, Jesus remained in control of his responses.  There was nothing about this experience that startled him. The disciples also appeared to be fine as long as the two apparitions assumed a form they thought they recognized.  However, when something occurred that was beyond their understanding, they were overwhelmed by fear.   

     When we withdraw from the pace of life in order to seek God’s guidance, what do we honestly expect to happen?   Do we want God to remove what is troubling us?   Do we want God to answer all the problems on our test, something we may have prayed for during our week of final exams?  How would we react, if the form of God's response came as it did to the disciples, “This is my son.  Pay attention to him.”?  God's intention was not to frighten the three disciples, but such a direct response was nevertheless very terrifying.  God was giving guidance B “Pay attention to my son!”  

     Guidance often comes in the form of the unexpected, the unanticipated, or the farthest thing we might imagine. Just as it happened to the disciples, life's experiences can be frightening. That sudden pink slip at the office, for example, when we believed our job performance had been exemplary, the wife or husband that is killed in a car accident or our discovery that we have cancer.  The uncertainty accompanying any of these life-changing events alters all our priorities.  Everything that used to dominate or distract our thinking is quickly pushed to the margins. 

     The sequence of events on that mountain is interesting.  God said, “This is my son, listen to him.”  After the disciples heard those words coming from the cloud and dove to the ground as though seeking cover -- Jesus said, “Do not be afraid.  Get up!”    

It was my sophomore year at college when my roommate received a telephone call from his high school girlfriend.  She had met another guy and to her credit, rather than send him a Dear John letter, she wanted to tell Bob herself.  All three of us had attended Bladensburg High School together so I knew them both very well.  Bob was devastated.  

     Did God have other plans for Bob?   Was this a form of divine intervention that Bob's pain would not allow him to recognize?   Jesus never taught that God micro manages human life.  These events simply happen in life.  Yet frequently when we look back on our lives and we see how neatly every phase fits together, we can easily assume that a master architect was at work.  Yet, suppose we draw such conclusions because of the meaning we assigned to each event.  God wired us to create our lives from how we choose to perceive. 

     God provides guidance but not the kind that we associate with our making correct choices. God knows that life has a way of working out when we stop clinging to our hope that nothing will ever change.  God’s words to the disciples were, “This is my son.  Pay attention to what he teaches.”  Then the first words they heard from Jesus were:   “Do not be afraid.  Get up!” 

     The weeks that followed were dark times for Bob.  We did a lot of talking.  He vented his hurt and anger, but he did not stop living because of this painful episode.  He did not invest his every waking moment in nursing his sense of betrayal.  After a period of mourning, he let go of his memory of her and moved on.    

     Today, Bob is the CEO of a major foundation.  He married a college classmate of ours who was and is a remarkably loving woman.  Bob even has access to Bill and Melinda Gates who sent him a check for nine million dollars last year for the foundation.   

     When we experience circumstances that create enormous uncertainty, the secure ground all around us is broken into pieces.  Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not be afraid.  Get up!”  When we do, life goes on even though it may track in a direction other than the one we initially chose.      

     Remember, God who created the lotus flower to grow out of the mud of the Nile River has equally equipped us to grow through the mud of any experience.   No experience is a show-stopper.  The only aspect of life that can end our drama is when we leave the stage at death.  Even then life does not stop; we merely transition from one form into another. 

     What comes up for us during every emotionally disturbing chapter of our lives can be an invitation to hear again Jesus’ words, “Do not be afraid. Get up!”  God would not have allowed us to incarnate into these limited forms without also giving us a bundle of assets to bring to every experience.  The more we trust Jesus words, the more we will realize that life is an adventure rather than a chore.