Introduction
Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. – Luke 9:28-36
This past Sunday, we heard about Jesus taking Peter and James and John up for a mountaintop experience. The view was beautiful. When Jesus prayed, the disciples were awakened to his true identity. Before they could wipe the sleep from their eyes, the glory of God tripled with Jesus the Messiah now alongside Moses the lawgiver, and Elijah the Prophet – the Mount Rushmore of faith. But just as quickly as the clouds parted, the disciples were overshadowed with a promise and a command, “This is my son, my Chosen, listen to him.” And before they knew it, they were alone with Jesus, following him down the mountain into a world of illness yet to be cured, lepers who were still banned from society, paralyzed who did not know they would walk, and sinners who did not know that they were forgiven. God was on the move and they were to follow.
Tomorrow the Christian Church begins the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. Lent is a 40-day period, modeled after Jesus’s 40 days in the wilderness, that leads us to the cross of Good Friday. The name comes from the old English word “Lenten,” meaning “spring.” This is not only the season before Easter but something of a springtime for the soul’s waking up to what it means to be human and to live by God’s grace alone. In these 40 days we recognize who Jesus is and obey God’s command to “listen to him,” as we follow him into the valley of our own humanity and the world around us.
For those of you joining in the congregational reading of Henri Nouwen’s book, “Following Jesus: Finding our Way Home in an Age of Anxiety”, these daily reflections will hopefully deepen that journey. For those of you who simply want a resource to guide you through Lent, this is a companion for a walk that no one should take alone. Just as the disciples followed Jesus down the mountain, we too are invited with a promise and a command, rooted in the hope that, “God is leading and that what lies ahead is even greater than what we’ve already experienced.”1
PRAYER:
Lord, as we glimpse your glory, overshadow us with your invitation to follow you into the valley of our humanity. Grant us, in these forty days, a hope that moves us deeper, a faith that navigates the darkness, and a love that brings us closer to you, to one another, and, by that, to our true selves. Amen.
1 The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol IX (Nashville: Abingdon Press), p. 207.
The daily devotionals for the season of Lent are written by Rev. Dr. Kirk Hall, Associate Pastor of Formation at First Presbyterian from 2010-2013. Kirk is the former Chaplain and Chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department at Salisbury School in Salisbury, Connecticut. He is currently a founding partner at The Metis Project, LLC. and lives with his wife and two girls in Salisbury, Connecticut.