Transfiguration B

Mark 9:2-10

Initial Thoughts

  • Only time you or anyone else will ever use the term “transfiguration.” Christianese can be a turn-off to some, a teaching point for others.

  • “Transfiguration is an occasion of wonder and awe over the revelation of the person of God in Jesus Christ.” (Texts for Preaching, Year B, p. 172)

Bible Study

  • Literary Context

    • The voice from the cloud "This is my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to him!" is a close mirror to the voice from heaven at Jesus’ baptism: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness."

      • Mark 1:9-15 is reading for the first Sunday in Lent, so that phrase will be repeated for two weeks.

    • Lead up to this story:

      • Jesus predicts his death, Peter objects, Jesus says, “Get behind me Satan,” (8:33)

      • Jesus tells crowd that they must “take up their cross and follow me,” and he assures them that, “some of you standing here won’t die before they see God’s kingdom arrive in power.”

        • Is this story the response to that? Is this a taste of “God’s kingdom arriving in power”?

    • Cuts off verses 11-13 about Elijah and alluding to John the Baptist.

    • After this story: They come down from the mountain right into a squabble between other disciples and legal experts. The disciples are unable to heal a boy. Jesus does, and says, “You faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you?”

  • Moses and Elijah

    • The Law and the Prophets

      • “Moses and Elijah: unlikely representing “Torah” (Pentateuch) and “Nevi’im (Prophets); more likely representing Israel’s preeminent prophets, both of whom faced rejection” (Amy Jill Levine, The Jewish Annotated New Testament, p. 133)

    • Both men had mysterious deaths

      • Moses was buried by the Lord, and ‘no one knows where Moses’s grave is.” (Deut. 34:6)

      • Elijah was taken up by a chariot in 2 Kings 2:1-11

    • Mountaintop Experiences

      • Elijah encounters God speaking in the silence when he tries to flee from the authorities (Jezebel and Ahaz) who were hunting him and God calls him back to his task (1 Kings 19)

      • Moses’ message is rejected by the Israelites and has to ascend the mountain again, in the wake of the Golden Calf narrative to receive the message of God again

    • Moses, Elijah, and Jesus form a connection with time. Reminder that Jesus is not an isolated incident, but a part of a story of redemption.

      • That they are dressed in white that shines reveals a holiness that can barely be looked at.

  • Peter, James, and John form an inner circle of three. Same guys he took with him apart in Gethsemane. Also involved in first two call stories (Andrew gets left at bottom of mountain).

    • Peter’s response is justified.

      • Fear is sometimes the right response to God.

      • We (progressives) often do not like to think about a proper fear of God, but when faced with the power of God, fear is the only true response.

    • Peter’s response is faithful.

      • Building shrines is a way to house one of these men in preparation for the coming kingdom. Peter thought that they were going to stay and spend the night. He has no way of knowing that they aren’t sticking around. Jesus tells him otherwise.

    • Peter’s response is bad timing.

      • The coming of Moses and/or Elijah signaled the beginning of the end. Building booths was the right thing to do. The problem is that Jesus says, “Not yet. I still have to suffer and be rejected.”

      • You cannot skip over the bad parts.

  • Markan Secret and Disciples’ confusion.

    • He orders them not to tell anyone and they are confused about the concept of being raised from the dead.

    • Both are common themes in Mark. Serve as story-telling device and as a way to contrast those who were there and do not understand, and those who hear the stories, and do.

Thoughts and Questions

  • Parallel between Jesus’ baptism/transfiguration and our liturgical understanding of baptism/confirmation? Next week begins Lent, which is the season of preparation for new members. Lenten journey may begin this week, with a reminder of what lies ahead. Cannot skip the hard parts to get to the good stuff.

  • The Transfiguration reveals Jesus’ full divinity. Clothed with white, talking with Moses and Elijah, and voice from heaven leave no doubt that this is the Messiah. That he continues to go about his business as a healer and teacher reveals his utter humanity.

  • Much can be made of the three who were on the mountain, but we must also remember the other three that were there - Peter, James, and John. They were invited into this experience for a reason. They were meant to be witnesses, at the right time, of Jesus’ glory that was revealed in this encounter with God. We are invited to the same mountain, to take our place with the disciples, armed with the luxury of hindsight. We can know that it is not time to build shrines. Instead, it is time to build bridges.

2 Kings 2:1-12

Initial Thoughts

  • Appear in the lectionary Ordinary 8 in year C (a summer reading)- you can see our notes and listen to that show here: https://www.pulpitfiction.com/notes/proper8c

  • Familiar, mythological image: Chariot of Fire, Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Bible Study

  • Part of a larger chiastic structure that shows the ending transfer of Prophetic leadership from Elijah to Elisha

   A. Elijah and Elisha (E&E)  leave for Gilgal

       B. E and E at Bethel

          C. E & E at Jericho

             D. E&E cross the Jordan

                E. Elijah ascends

             D1. Elisha crosses Jordan

         C1. Elisha at Jericho

      B1. Elisha at Bethel

  A1. Elisha returns to Samaria

  • Where did Elisha come from?

    • Introduced shortly after last week’s narrative, which ended at 19:15, God told Elijah to go back and anoint Hazael. The next verse says “Also anoint Jehu, Nimshi’s son, as king of Israel; and anoint Elisha from Abel-belohah, Shaphats son, to succeed you as prophet.”

      • This would have been nice to include last week. Sorry we didn’t tell you that.

      • Read the rest of chapter 19 to see their introduction, which is immediately affectionate.

    • Ahab continues to be a terrible King, worshiping Baal. His son, Ahaziah, is no different. He dies (which Elijah predicted) in chapter 1 of II Kings. At the same time, Judah’s King Jehosophat “did the right things in the Lord’s eyes.”

  • Chapter 1 of II Kings serves as a reminder that “thus sayeth the Lord” always takes precedence over “thus sayeth the King” (Richard Nelson, Interpretation: I and II Kings)

  • Journey:

    • Gilgal - place where the Israelites camped after crossing the Jordan

    • Bethel - Sacred temple site (house of God) where Jacob dreams of the ladder to heaven

    • Jericho - famous victory of the Israelites over the Canaanites

    • Jordan - sacred river the Israelites parted to pass into the Promised Land

    • Undisclosed location is where the ascension occurs (outside of time and space - not unlike the Transfiguration)

    • God interrupts our lives in the most unexpected places and times

  • Elijah and Connections to Moses

    • Divides the water in two and walks on dry land (Ex 14 and Josh. 3)

    • Elisha is to Elijah as Joshua is to Moses - the inheritor

    • Neither Elijah nor Moses have tombs (unlike the Patriarchs)

  • NRSV uses “mantel” not “cloak.” What’s a mantel?

    •  "short, loose, sleeveless cloak," variant of mantle (q.v.). Sense of "movable shelter for soldiers besieging a fort" is from 1520s. Meaning"timber or stone supporting masonry above a fireplace" first recorded 1510s, a shortened form of Middle English mantiltre "mantletree" (dictionary.com)

    • Could a mantel be a place of protection, shelter, in addition to a cloak? Clearly, the descriptive action only makes sense if it is a cloak, but the added definition offers some paths of interpretation.

  • Prophetic transition - similar to the Eli/Samuel story that came much earlier in this Ordinary/After Epiphany season

    • Elisha is not a boy- he immediately assumes the mantle of leadership (both figuratively and literally)

    • Transfer of the spirit- not Elijahs to grant because it is not Elijah’s Spirit, but God’s (the group of prophets get it wrong cf v. 15)

  • The focus of this story is as much Elisha (if not more) as Elijah

    • Elisha stays with Elijah- he has 3 chances to turn back ,but refuses to- instead he enters into the known and accompanies Elijah on his final journey

    • Call for silence - the Prophets seem like they want to “talk out” Elijah’s passing, Elisha knows and affirms what is going to happen, but also knows there is no explaining- only accompanying and being with Elijah during this time

    • Request of double portion of the spirit

      • Proper request- the eldest son’s inheritance was typically a double portion (Deuteronomy 21:17)

      • Elisha rightly perceived his inheritance as the Spirit, but it is not Elijah’s to give

    • Grief - Elisha’s faith does not insulate him from grief over Elijah’s leaving

      • dismantles the “be happy- your loved one is in a better place” platitude

  • Prophets

    • Not called to be separate from the joys and griefs of everyday life but are called into it: the grief, the accompaniment

    • Called to be vulnerable and in relationship

    • To listen, affirm and encourage the same from others (i.e. to encourage them to listen as well)

  • “The world of these narratives is certainly not the world of the modern reader… waters part… Chariots and horses of fire appear, and whirlwind takes Elijah ‘up’ to God. In other ways, however, the chapter sounds oddly modern.” (Richard Nelson, Interpretation: I and II Kings)

    • Loyalty to mentors

    • Trouble with changing leadership

    • Grief of loss - denial

  • Elisha’s denial or pursuit?

    • Read the parts that lectionary takes out.

    • Elisha doesn’t want to let Elijah go.

    • Elijah doesn’t want Elisha to have to follow him.

  • Elisha’s request

    • Wants ‘double the spirit’

    • This the inheritance of the first born. The first born gets the “double share”

    • He wants to be seen as Elijah’s son.

    • He wants to pick up Elijah’s ministry.

  • Elisha picks up the cloak (takes up the mantel)

    • Sees Elijah’s death.

    • Mourns - rips his clothes- or rips Elijah’s clothes - holding on to Elijah as he was taken away- unable to let him go (Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary, p. 533)

    • Picks up the cloak, and does just as Elijah had done, striking the water to part it.

    • Elisha’s action bring healing

  • Elijah/Moses parallel 

    • Moses has a mysterious death. No one knows where he is buried.

    • Elijah taken away - leaves his coming back open

    • Moses and Elijah cross over the parted waters

    • Only the successor is able to cross over the second time (Joshua over Jordan, Elisha back to the people)

Thoughts and Questions

  • Elisha accompanies Elijah, knowing that Elijah is going to leave him. Are we able and willing to walk with people into the unknown- knowing that death, grief and pain may be ahead?

    • Walking with people through transitions of life and faith (without trying to fix it or make it better) is a difficult but vital ministry

  • Elisha calls for silence. Maryann Mckibban Dana notes the rhythm: question, answer, silence; question, answer silence and asks “What would it look like to make this rhythm more explicit in worship?”

    • We come with questions and together seek the answers but are we willing to sit in the silence and let the story, the answers sink in without talking it to death?

  • Few are taken to heaven in a windstorm. Many go quietly in a bed with buttons on it. Sometimes surrounded by loved ones who have promised “As the Lord lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” How to die a good death? Is it better to be able to say goodbye? To leave someone with a blessing, final words, a mantel to hold onto long after the deceased has departed. “Do you know that your master is going to be taken from you today?” Is knowing this a privilege or a curse? How do you live as if that were the case?

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Initial Thoughts

  • A little background on 2 Corinthians:

    • Written about 50 CE, several months after 1 Corinthians and Paul’s visit to Corinth (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:5-7)

    • Third letter to the Corinthians. Paul refers to his second letter written in tears and anguish (2 Corinthians 2:4). This “letter of tears” is lost

    • Paul’s relationship has become increasingly strained

    • Paul is addressing claims from other evangelist who have better backgrounds (were one of the 12) or better gifts

    • According to Luther Seminary professor, Mary Hinkle Shore, Paul chooses his words carefully to prevent the relationship from deteriorating, but is also having a hard time keeping his emotions in check. Furthermore he is constantly framing his letter in the theological concept of God’s reconciling work in Christ

Bible Study

  • End of a larger section 3:1-4:6

    • Paul is defending or justifying his ministry over and against others

    • He is comparing the ministries of other (false) apostles as being justified by their credentials and proposing a ministry of death as opposed to his ministry of grace and the Spirit which is life giving and written on our hearts (as opposed to credentials and letters of introduction)

    • READ CHAPTER 3!!

  • Glory of God

    • A new covenant not written on stone (10 Commandments) but written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

    • If a covenant of stone made Moses’ face shine with glory- then a covenant of spirit will make everyone shine w God’s glory (3:8)

    • We are being transformed into a living covenant and witness to the spirit working within us

    • Those who cannot see our glory are on the road to destruction already and are  “blinded” to it

    • Don’t forget it is not our glory, but God’s glory in Jesus Christ

  • The Superapostles vs Paul (Ronald Allen, Feasting on the Word)

    • The other apostles were presenting a glory of Christ they negated suffering and drew people out of the world

    • Paul presented a transformation of the world through suffering - the cross

  • The gods of this world blinding people to the light of Christ

    • What are the gods of this age that continue to blind us to God’s light?

    • How compelling is the way of the Cross to your congregation?

    • The false temptation to self actualization- that we can do it without the help of God

thoughts and Questions

  • Beware Paul’s supersessionist theology. Lift up the light of Christ without disparaging Moses and Judaism

  • What is the good news? What keeps us from hearing it? How do we respond to those are unable to hear it?

    • We live in an increasingly polarized society in which each side claims to have the truth while the other side is blind. Does the good news encourage us to gloat in our self-righteousness? Or should we ask ourselves how we can best let the good news been seen in our words and actions?

  • What are the gods of this age that continue to blind us to God’s light?

    • How might Lent offer spiritual reflection and practices to see the light of Christ around and within us?

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND GET IN TOUCH:

Thanks to our Psalms correspondent, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan (psalmimmersion.com,@pomopsalmist). Thank you to Scott Fletcher for our voice bumpers, Dick Dale and the Del Tones for our Theme music (“Misirlou”), Nicolai Heidlas (“Sunday Morning”,"Real Ride"and“Summertime”), Paul and Storm (“Oh No”), and Bryan Odeen for our closing music.

Epiphany B, TransfigurationEric FistlerMark, 2 Kings, 2 Corinthians, Psalm 1-74Comment