Well, every week when I was young, I listened to his radio broadcast, “The Rest of the Story”. In his characteristic voice with relevant pauses, Paul Harvey would describe the life of an ordinary person. Sometimes it would be about someone who came from the so-called wrong side of the tracks. After a well-planned commercial break, the person’s name was revealed and it was always someone very well known. Inevitably, I would be in awe of the rags to riches stories that I heard. For me, they brought hope that when I grew up, there was a chance that my life could become legendary too.
About half of my hopes did come true. I have grown up, or at least gotten older…as evidenced by the fact that I can even talk about Paul Harvey! But my life is anything but legendary and it is unlikely that it ever will be.
Mark’s Gospel is a bit like a Paul Harvey radio commentary read backwards. Beginning with the first verse, Mark introduced us to the central character this way:
“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Instead of beginning with the obscurities of Jesus’ life, Mark begins with a name and an image of someone really special...Jesus…the Son of God… the Messiah… the anointed one who would free Israel from the domination of its oppressors.
Originally read to the community of believers as a whole, the book of Mark flows rapidly from one event to the next with each event connected to the story before and after it. Up until the transfiguration story, Jesus had performed many miracles including healing the sick, casting out demons, exerting control over the stormy seas, feeding thousands, walking on water and raising a child from the dead. The whole time, Jesus tried to convince people not to tell anyone about the miracles. His requests were by and far unheeded and the news of his deeds spread like wildfire.
In today’s text, we find Peter, James and John…alone on a mountaintop with Jesus. Suddenly they are joined by two of the most revered figures in the history of Israel… it’s like a gathering of God’s A-team! Moses, who first led the people out of Egypt into the Promised Land; Elijah, who rode a chariot into heaven so that he could once again return to announce the coming of Messiah; and Jesus, whose face is glowing, like a neon sign announcing his divinity.
In awe, Peter immediately suggested that they build three tents as a tribute to this wondrous event – a hall of fame, so to speak for God’s prophets. He barely got a chance to get the words out of his mouth when a cloud appeared and none other than the voice of God said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
I bet the inner three couldn’t wait to hear what Jesus was going to say! I suspect that if I were one of them, I would have been caught up in the implications of what I just witnessed…. It seems that finally, Moses, Elijah and God officially announced the coming of the promised Messiah. What an honor it would be to spread the news!
But I would have been wrong! Instead, Jesus told the disciples not to tell ANYONE what they had seen. Why would God’s son Jesus, the Messiah, insist that his disciples not tell anyone? Why would Jesus want to be so obscure? Why would Jesus continue to insist that he was going to die?
What follows the transfiguration story seems to suggest that for Jesus, life on earth isn’t at all about the mountain top experience. Instead, this mountaintop experience is a declaration of God’s love for him that affirmed Jesus’ journey into the valley of his own pain and suffering.
Perhaps the true miracle in the transfiguration is not the revelation of Jesus’ divinity, but the fact that Jesus willingly walked away from the mountaintop… no longer glowing and in sparkling white garments, but instead clothed in the mundane form of humanity.
God, in human form, made a choice to fully experience the valley, joining us as we walk through our own valleys. He did this knowing that our misunderstanding of his purpose would ultimately be responsible for his suffering and death on the cross. At the end of his human life, a crown of thorns and a sign hung over his broken body mocking him as the king of the Jews is all that remains.
Last week in our adult discussion group, we had the opportunity to watch a Nooma video titled Kickball. After the video, we discussed the question, “Do you think that God is ALWAYS good?” In the discussion that followed, Dan made a statement that describes why we often doubt God’s goodness and therefore God’s love. Dan said, “God is always good…………. as long as we are the ones who can determine what good looks like.”
Too often, our lives are filled with disappointment and difficulties and during those times we don’t feel very loved by God.
I wonder… Does our own eagerness to be the judge of God’s goodness and love stem from our misunderstanding of Jesus’ role as the Messiah? Can we trust that God is AWAYS good because God loves us???
Today’s story of Jesus’ transfiguration is a sure sign that we CAN. It is a reminder of a love so strong that Jesus was willing to experience a difficult and painful walk in life’s valleys for the sake of the ones he loved.
This week, we will observe Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Together, we will remember that we were fashioned out of dust by the loving hands of God. In the end, our bodies will become dust again. Nevertheless, God cares about what comes between our first and last breath. Because he cares, God’s perfect love for Jesus is revealed to us, offering strength in the deepest valleys of our lives.
May your Lenten journey, inspired by today’s glimpse of God’s love, allow you to be an active part of… in Paul Harvey’s words………………….. The rest of the story!
