Transfiguration February 5, 2017
Transfiguration
Matthew 17:1-9
February 5, 2017
“Stop Talking. Listen.”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We aren’t listening to each other. That’s the facts. It seems that Americans have just forgotten how to do it. We’ve forgotten that having a conversation means actually listening to someone else other than ourselves. I’ve read numerous really good articles about it in the last couple weeks. One this last week said that our new religion is something called “destructive escalation”. It’s where we refuse to listen, and instead we retaliate, we stereotype, we disassociate, we polarize, and we violate. We’ve forgotten that being different from one another is healthy and good. One of the seven habits of highly effective people is that you listen. It’s number 5, “Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood”. Will we Americans learn to listen to each other again? I don’t know. I hope so.
But one thing I do know—is that we Christians have the same problem. We’re quick to talk and slow to listen. With other people? Yes, sometimes this is true with other people—we don’t listen to others as we should. But that’s not the issue of our Scripture readings today. The issue in God’s Word today is that we don’t listen to God.
Peter, a sinner just like you and me, wasn’t listening to God. Peter was a bit on the arrogant side. A bit of a know it all. Just six days before the Transfiguration, Jesus was telling them important stuff. He said that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. That’s just a few verses before our Gospel reading today. He tells them He’s going to die and rise. But Peter doesn’t listen. He says, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” For this, Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Think about that. Peter wouldn’t listen to God and so Jesus calls him Satan. When you don’t listen to God, you’re playing the game of Satan. That’s what Satan does. He doesn’t listen to God but wants His own way. So Peter was struggling a bit with listening here. But did he learn?
Well, six days later we’re at our Gospel reading today. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on the mountain and He’s transfigured. Moses and Elijah are there and they’re talking with Jesus. But again Peter won’t listen. He interrupts them and says that they should stay there for a while and build three tents.
Now this time it’s not Jesus who yells at him. This time it’s God the Father from heaven. Peter hadn’t even finished His sentence and God has had enough. And here comes a bright cloud and a loud voice, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” And the disciples were so scared that they fell on their faces. And they should be scared. That’s the point. Because we need to understand—it’s time to stop talking and listen.
I’ll give you a few quick examples of what this scene is like. Some of our members here are teachers. Teachers all have times where they have to do what God does here. They have to get their kids to stop talking and listen. So one way or another—they get the attention. They have to. That’s their job. So maybe the teacher raises her voice and the kids all quiet down. Maybe she bangs something on the desk. Turns the light off. Whatever.
Moms and Dads do the same thing. The kids are causing a ruckus. It’s the worst when you’re in a car. In a tight, confined space. That’s when it always drives me the craziest. But it’s loud. No one’s listening. So Mom or Dad scares ‘em. One way or another. And they stop talking and listen.
Even judges have to do that, right? Bang the gavel on the desk, “Order! Order in the court!” Maybe that’s just on TV.
We should have a fear of God. That’s a good thing. A healthy thing. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, says the book of Proverbs. Just like kids should have a healthy fear of their parents and students should have a healthy fear of their teacher. Just like all of us should have a healthy fear of the police and government. That if we don’t listen and don’t follow the Law—there will be consequences.
So we should have a healthy and good fear of God. God speaks from the cloud, “Stop talking and listen! This is My Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” And the proper response is….to stop talking and listen.
So let’s listen this morning. We’ll go up there with Peter and James and John and listen to what’s going on at the Transfiguration. Listen to Jesus. He’s having a conversation with Moses and Elijah. This has got to be a pretty good conversation, wouldn’t you say? Because here you’ve got two powerhouses of the Bible—Moses, the hero of the first five books of the Old Testament who led the people out of Egypt and parted the Red Sea and gave the Law and instituted the worship and led them to the Promised Land. And then you’ve got Elijah, the fiery prophet of the Lord who faced kings and queens and famines and armies and was carted to heaven in a blaze of fiery horses and chariots.
These two guys are talking to Jesus! What do you think they’re talking about? You think they’re swappin’ tales of miracles and victories? Well, they’re not. They’re talking about Jesus’ death. Matthew doesn’t include that part but Luke does in His Gospel. Yep, we actually know what they were talking about. They were talking about Jesus’ death. Now you might remember that that was exactly what Peter did NOT want to talk about. But Moses and Elijah do. Because there’s nothing more important than Jesus’ death and resurrection.
As far as conversations go, this is the conversation that Jesus wants to have with you every single day. That’s why God is telling you and I to listen to Him. Every single day He wants to tell you about His death and resurrection for you. And He wants to tell you about your death and resurrection—which is repentance and the forgiveness of your sins.
That’s the conversation. What did the apostles talk about after Jesus ascended into heaven? They talked about Jesus’ death and resurrection. They preached about repentance, which is dying with Christ, and forgiveness of sins, which is rising with Christ. They wanted everybody to hear it.
God wants you to listen to Jesus because He has a word of forgiveness for you in Jesus. He wants you to listen to His Word of Baptism every day—that you’re His child and that He forgives you and loves you and calls you by name. He wants you to listen to His Word in the Lord’s Supper—that He gives you here His body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins.
And He, most certainly, wants you to listen to His Word in the Holy Scriptures. And now then I would turn you to the words of none other than Peter himself in the 2nd reading today. Peter, the same guy who was there on the mountain with Jesus and wouldn’t stop talking—he himself says to us to listen and pay attention to the Scriptures.
Here’s what he says, “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” In other words, listen to God’s Word he says. Pay attention to it. Stop talking and listen.
God’s Word is like the sun coming up in the morning. It lightens our entire world and your entire life. It lightens us with the light of Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection. Every morning that the sun comes up and shines on you—God also wants His Son Jesus Christ to shine on you. Every day.
And that means every day listening to Jesus in His Word. Hearing of His love for you, His promises to you, His strength and joy for you, His peace for you, His forgiveness for you.
We’re often so busy talking and filling the world with our own words and thoughts—that we can’t even hear what Jesus has to say to us. Peter was that way. So busy talking that he didn’t have any time to listen.
God is speaking to you and me in His Son Jesus. In His Word and Sacraments. We will do well to pay attention.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.