Tuesday anticipating Sunday

 

This is a photo that I like. Last evening before we left to go have supper with friends, I was sitting outside on 7H porch as the sky darkened and the clouds became more threatening. Though I snapped the picture in an instant when no lights were flashing, I was watching across the Bay, lights at Tyndall AFB, the green and white beacon, and the red flashing lights on top of the two water towers that I can see from here. Some evenings there are night ops or touch and go as fighter jets circle around practicing take off and landing, but not last night. 

The weather was clear with low, dark clouds, 60°F and comfortable for sitting outside. This is the greatest place we can imagine for us to bi living at this extreme old age. My only trouble is trying to get Linda to accept that at our age we are SUPPOSED to have dry spilled food crusted on our clothes.

In the cards for the upcoming Sunday, the Last Sunday after the Epiphany is the other of the NT's two grand epiphanies - - the first being Jesus' baptism, when the voice from heaven (God's abode) speaks, "You are (Mark & Luke) This is (Matthew) my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The difference - - whether it's "This is" or "You are" - - is significant, at least it is for Mark and Matthew, and depends on the gospel writer's agenda about presenting the gospel message, including to whom the voice is meant to be speaking. 

So anyway, the gospel for the Last Epiphany is always the story of Jesus' on the mountaintop with his main three companions Peter, James and John (never Andrew), standing with Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the Prophets) Transfigured in blinding white brilliance as the voice tells the three witnesses, "This is my beloved Son: listen to him." Mark's NT Greek word for "transfigured" (it's Mark's story, Matthew and Luke get it from Mark) is μετεμορφώθη, a complete physical and spiritual change, which we would understand as metamorphosis, meaning changed into a different being, as a tadpole into a frog, a caterpillar into a butterfly. 

This is Year C, so we'll be reading Luke's version of the story.

In the metamorphosis, is Jesus "really" changed, or is he changed in their eyes, how they know him, and how the gospel writer's audience is now supposed to know Him? 

In parish ministry, I loved Bible study in a small group, and that's a question I might have asked an adult Sunday school class or midweek Bible study group if they'd like to explore. After all, the gospel stories aren't simply being recorded for historical archives, they are written for ongoing proclamation and realization, which is Epiphany.

Life changes, doesn't it!! Mine certainly has changed and is changing, but I'm still Seeking, by now fairly sure that I'll never Finally Find and be satisfied and done with it.

RSF&PTL anyway, eh?

T89&c