Strength to Resist

In addition to being Youth Sunday, this Sunday, February 22 is also the Sunday when we remember the transfiguration of Jesus, when he communed with Moses and Elijah, during which time his clothes became dazzling white. For those of you who have seen (or read) the Lord of the Rings series, you may remember Gandalf. When we first meet him he is known as Gandalf the Grey because of his grey robes and grey hair and beard. But after battling and defeating an ancient foe, Gandalf is transfigured and his hair, beard and robe are turned from dull and dirty grey to dazzling white.

But along with Gandalf’s dazzling appearance came a new sense of calling and purpose. Gandalf knew he must resist the growing presence of evil in the world and his transfiguration/resurrection gives him the clarity and the strength to resist and prevail over the evil forces afoot. In the Gospels it is after the transfiguration that, in the words of Luke, Jesus “sets is face to Jerusalem,” aware of what awaits him there. It is after Jesus talks to Moses and Elijah (both dead for centuries by this time) that he begins his journey to Jerusalem, where through the cross he confronts and defeats the evil forces afoot in the world.

Moses, with the guidance and strength of God, stood up to Pharaoh and demanded that God’s people be set free so they might serve their God instead of living as slaves in Egypt. In the Old Testament Moses represents God’s law, or instruction. Elijah represents the prophets. The readings from I Kings below remind us of the contentious relationship between God’s prophets and those in power. These two central figures from the Old Testament remind us that God has always stood against the worldly powers that would enslave us and turn us away from the life and goodness only God can grant. By communing with Moses and Elijah, with the Law and Prophets, with the fullness of God’s word to Israel, Jesus is gaining strength and clarity to resist evil through the most unusual means of the cross.

Transfiguration Sunday is always the last Sunday of the season of Epiphany, and it’s important to note the movement we experience through the church year. The “New Year” begins with Advent, where we anticipate the birth of Jesus, the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel. At Christmas nature reflects what we celebrate: as we celebrate the birth of the light of the world, the days begin growing longer. During Epiphany we celebrate the appearance/revelation of Jesus as God’s Son: we remember God acclaiming Jesus as God’s beloved Son at baptism, we witness Jesus calling disciples and healing people as he begins his mission. The season of Epiphany always ends with the story of Jesus’ transfiguration, after which Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem, the place of his crucifixion. Wednesday, Feb. 25 is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, the season where we reflect on what it means to bear our cross as Jesus journeys to Jerusalem to bear his.

What worldly powers are we called to stand against? How does the cross shape the way we resist evil? The readings from the New Testament below offer us hope for our own transformation even as they remind us that the world will often turn a blind eye to God’s saving action in Jesus Christ. How is God transforming us? How does the world resist the transforming presence of Jesus?

Thursday, 2/19
I Kings 11:26-40
II Corinthians 2:12-17

Friday 2/20
I Kings 14:1-18
I Timothy 1:12-20

Saturday 2/21
I Kings 16:1-7
Luke 19:41-44

Read Psalm 50:1-6 each of these three days