Leaving One Mountain
for Another
Grace to you and peace from God our
Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
At
first, Peter, James, and John wanted to stay on the mountain. Then they were
afraid. And then, at last, they saw no one but Jesus only, and they followed
where He went. But trouble was still to come. Their journey was not yet done.
They saw Jesus only. They were focused. But the flesh was still weak. They
followed to the garden and could not stay awake. And when that fateful
betraying kiss was done, Peter grew angry and lashed out with violence. John
followed at a distance, took advantage of his connections, but was too afraid
to speak. And James simply ran away.
On
the Mount of Transfiguration, with Moses and Elijah and a glorified Jesus, the
favored disciples would have stayed. But they wanted no part of Mount Calvary,
where God was revealed and seen not in glory but in His humble, bloody, dying
mercy. To their shame, they did not want that. Yet Moses and Elijah came to the
Mount of Transfiguration in the only way that men do: by means of death. There
is no other way. You either die to this life and ascend, or you die in eternal
death and descend. In this all are the same: all die. Even those still living
at the return of Our Lord will have either died in Baptism and therefore go to
Life, or they will die eternal death.
Peter
eventually learned a hard lesson. He wept bitter tears of shame and of sorrow.
The muscles built on the Sea of Galilee, the
brawn and street smarts, the plans and schemes and ways with men, all fell away
to nothing when faced with God’s glory. Peter was afraid. They fell away again
when faced with Our Lord’s willingness to suffer and to die for men who hated
Him. Peter’s courage left in the face of God’s faithfulness and loyalty to
betrayers and rebels. It was too much, too great, too incomprehensible, too
wonderful to behold, and thus did Peter weep. For in the face of that great love
and loyalty Peter knew just how far he’d sunk, how awful were the things he’d
done, how disgusting were the things he’d said and thought, how terrible were
the lies that he had told, how false and shameful was his bravado and
pretending piety. The eyes of the Lord fell upon Him. The rooster crowed. Peter
wept.
Before
you condemn Peter, look at yourself. How cheaply will you sell your soul? Do
you not even have the decency of Peter to be afraid? Are you so confident in
your sins? Do you think that you can fool God as you fool men, as easily as you
fool yourself? Do you dare to challenge God and risk His wrath and the Law? Why
should God put up with you? You are as disobedient as Peter, as quick to betray
your Lord when you are put to the test, as quick to deny Him when the world
demands an answer of you. Repent. Weep bitter tears. Turn from your self. Turn
to Christ.
Then
arise and do not be afraid. God does not merely put up with you. He saves you,
and He does so because He is good and His mercy endures forever; because He
promised to be your God and to love you; because He, unlike men, does not lie.
Arise and see Jesus only. Your own transfiguration is coming. Do not focus upon
yourself but upon His unfailing love and promise. He went to death like a Lamb
to the slaughter: without complaint. But He did not go without knowledge or
against His will. He went in perfect love, in consummate obedience, with
nothing more than the desire to make you His. For He knew this was the cost. He
knew what it took to bring Peter and James and John, Moses and Elijah, David
and Nathan, and to bring even you to Himself and His Father in heaven. He was
always willing to pay that price. He did not flinch or hesitate. He endured all
of Hell’s fury to wipe away both Peter’s tears and yours. It is worth it to
Him. You are worth it to Him. And He has no regrets. His love for you is pure
and undefiled. Hell cannot stop it. Death cannot hold Him. It will not hold
you. He leads you out of death’s shadow and slavery and into the promised land
that Abraham now enjoys.
So
arise. Do not be afraid. He has provided the Lamb for the sacrifice. There is
nothing more to pay, no sins left to forgive, nothing so bad or painful that He
cannot overcome. He has placed His Name upon you. He is well-pleased with you.
And He provides for your nourishment and strength, for your courage and your
loyalty, giving you His Body and His Blood. Do not be afraid. Eat. Drink.
Rejoice. Rest. He knows what He is doing. He is loving you, and He will never
stop loving you. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep
your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.
Amen.
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