The Grand Old Duke of York, Matthew 17:1-9

The old song goes, “The grand old Duke of York,/ He had ten thousand men./ He marched them up the hill/ And he marched them down again./ Now, when you’re up, you’re up/ and when you’re down, you’re down,/ And when you’re only half way up,/ You’re neither up nor down.”

Welcome to Transfiguration Sunday. Today we are poised on the threshold between the end of Epiphany and the beginning of Lent. We have just come from the mountain on which Jesus preaches his first sermon in Matthew, and now we are standing on another mountain. As we look forward a few weeks, the followers of Jesus will climb the hill at Golgotha and then climb the mountain in Galilee where Jesus promises to meet the disciples after the resurrection. So many mountains, so little time.

In our readings today we also read about Moses and his great trip up the mountain. Lastly, we are reminded in Scripture of the six days of creation and how God did not end creation there but gave us the seventh day for rest, to join God in celebrating the goodness of creation.

So here we are. But you may ask, “Where is here?” I know that Joyce Carol Oates has written a book with that title, but that is not where I am going today. Still I think that it is a good question though. Where is here?

One of the places where scholars believe that Jesus and his disciples may have been standing that day was Mt. Hermon which is the site of the source of the Jordan River. On it is carved the oldest known depiction of Pan. Elsewhere on the mountain are niches that have been carved out for other gods. Is it possible that this is where Peter, James and John stood looking up at the appearance of Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus? Could they have thought that the world would want to remember the moment with three more grottos or niches among so many?

Even if this is the place where the transfiguration took place, I suggest that the problem of the day was that Peter and the disciples did not know where here was. They did not appreciate that the ministry of Jesus was about to change. They did not realize that their place in the mission and ministry with Jesus was about to change. They did not realize that in just a few chapters—days, weeks, months—Jesus would be crucified, he would die, and he would rise again from the dead to lead them from another mountain into a ministry of hope into the world and for the sake of the world. They could not comprehend that there, because they were not able to know where this here is. In many ways they were only half way up the hill even though they had been led up to the top.

So, in the midst of this Transfiguration Sunday, in the midst of seeing Jesus’ face shine like the sun, in the midst of Jesus’ clothes appearing dazzling white, in the midst of the appearance of Moses and Elijah, with the disciples hearing the voice from the bright cloud saying, “This is my son, my beloved, with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.”, do we know where here is? Are we so awed by the vision that we cannot respond appropriately? Are we wanting to lie down in fear of what we are called  to do and be in the world?

Because if we don’t know where here is, then we will never know if we ever get there. As a matter of fact, we may not even know that there is a there to get to.

Are we going to say, with Buffalo Springfield, “something’s happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear.”? Will we then walk away not speaking of what we have seen and heard until sometime in the future? Or, is it possible for us to orient ourselves and claim our place in the world, to declare our here to a world that is struggling with where here is.

Yes, this is Transfiguration Sunday, and the one thing we learn from this passage is that building may not be the right answer or response. We also learn that falling down in fear is not the right response either. Even the majestic image of Jesus with Moses and Elijah may be set aside. What matters most for the disciples and for us today is that when we look at the world we live in, it is not about the distractions of what is going on around us, but, when we awake to the reality of our situations, if we can see only Jesus, that will be enough. God’s voice from the cloud announces, “This is my beloved son. With him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Maybe we should, for whether we are at the top of the mountain or at the bottom, Jesus continues to lead us in ministry to the world.

 “The only son of God,/ He saves us, women and men./ He marches us up the hill/ And he marches us down again./ Now, when we’re up, we’re up/ and when we’re down, we’re down,/ and when we’re only half way up,/ we’re neither up nor down.”

May we know the here of this Transfiguration Sunday so that we might fully know the there to which we are going.

HICKORY DICKORY DOCK or 3 BLIND MICE

THE ANGELUS TRUMPET           

The Unexpurgated Source for Alternative Bible Facts

 

HICKORY DICKORY DOCK or 3 BLIND MICE

In a startling report, Josh Kristy disciples are revealed to be blind.

Dateline: Galilee, February 26, 17:01:09

by Matt Hughes

Following is a transcript of last evening’s broadcast courtesy of our news affiliate ATTV: “If it’s news, it’s where we’re AT.”
Earlier today, Josh Kristy took with him Peter, James, and his brother John, who most think are his closest disciples, and led them up an undisclosed mountain. This reporter was able to follow at a distance and report these happenings to you through enhanced long-range digital camera and sound equipment.

It appears Kristy took these three disciples with him because, unbeknownst before now, they are blind, thus limiting their ability to attest to the strange occurrences that transpired at the ad hoc summit meeting where Moses and Elijah were also ostensibly in attendance.

As the film begins, you can clearly see that Kristy’s appearance is dramatically different from that at his recent gatherings. His face is glowing brightly, and his clothes are sparkling white. The level of brilliance is high enough to distort the image, yet the disciples seem to be unaware. They stand together apparently preoccupied with their own conversation.

In this next clip, two apparitions, most likely Moses and Elijah, join Kristy in what appears to be a serious communication of import and still the disciples seem unaware. They continue to be preoccupied by their own concerns.

And here, you will notice one of the disciples, most likely Peter, tugging on Kristy’s sleeve, still apparently unaware of the spectacle before them, but excited about something.

In this last clip, a cloud, unlike anything our meteorologists can describe or explain, appears, and, when isolated lightning and thunder were seen and heard, the disciples fell flat on their faces as they tried in vain to seek shelter.

And now we see Kristy helping Peter, James, and his brother John, up onto their feet and hiking back down the mountain.

We asked our local specialist on paranormal occurrences, Dr. Yule Ceboetter for his opinion of Kristy’s disciples’ reaction. “Well, it is possible that the intensity of the brightness was such that their retinal sensors were overloaded and ceased to function, but, I believe, that, if you look at your earlier shots, they indicate that they were climbing, using walking sticks and holding on to one another on the way up the incline. The film is not clear, but they certainly could be white canes suggesting that they were blind before this unusual meeting took place.

Ceboetter continued, “Clearly, blindness is the only explanation for their nonchalance at the beginning of this paranormal event. Any normal person would have been overcome by such extranormal events and would have exhibited physical reactions such as cringing or at least shading their eyes. Here you see none of this. In fact, at the end of the second clip, we see Peter tugging on Kristy’s sleeve without any show of noticing the circumstances around him. Yes, in my considered opinion, they all must be blind.”

Ceboetter further opined, “But not deaf. You will notice in the third clip that they all fell down as soon as there was thunder. This would indicate that the lightning did not impress them, but the thunder certainly did. This would confirm, I think, that they are all blind, but not deaf. I am just so delighted that we have this permanent record of what really went on there.”

Ceboetter’s opinion was further substantiated when I caught up with Kristy and his disciples. When asked about the appearances at the summit events, John replied, “What appearances?” Before I could follow up, he rushed off, saying, “I’m sorry, Josh is about to speak, and I want to listen to him.”

This reporter had not considered the importance of blind faith before this. I had always thought it was a figure of speech.