Unveiling the Kingdom
2 Corinthians 3:17-4:6; Mark 9:2-9[1]
Anytime we achieve some major success, we tend to want to
publish it as far and wide as possible. Sometimes, as with the birth of a
child, we would shout it from the rooftops of our neighborhood if we could get
away with it! But this seems to be a part of human nature: when something
really great comes our way, we can’t wait to share it with someone. Depending
on our personality, we may be more or less discreet with that sharing. Some of
us choose only trusted friends. Others publish it all over social media! It
just depends on how comfortable you are with people knowing your business!
Regardless of personality traits, anyone who is chosen for a
special task, especially if it is one that carries a significant amount of
honor, wants to tell someone about it immediately. And the more important the
position, the more widely we spread the word and the more we make a big deal
about it. The arrival of a new and promising coach generates a lot of
excitement. The inauguration of a new leader may draw a large and distinguished
crowd to the event. Whenever we have new and important roles assigned to us, we
mark the occasion with some kind of special observance. We want people to know
about it and celebrate it with us.
The strange thing about Jesus and the kingdom of God, however,
is that he went about things in the exact opposite way. In our Gospel lesson
for today, we hear the story of his “transfiguration” before the disciples
Peter, James, and John. His appearance is transformed, and they hear the voice
of God telling them, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” (Mark 9:7).
It would seem that the whole event was designed to reveal to them that Jesus
really was the one who had come to bring the blessings of new life God had
promised. In a way, it was a confirmation of Jesus’ message that though his
ministry, “the kingdom of God has come near.” As we have discussed, that was one
of the major themes in the Gospel. In a
very real sense, we could say that Jesus’ whole life and ministry was an
unveiling, a disclosure of God’s work of salvation for us all.
But the strange feature of this “unveiling” that took place through
Jesus’ teachings and ministry is the fact that it was somewhat understated and
easily overlooked. Many in Jesus’ day did just that: they missed the whole
picture of what he was saying and doing. They missed the fact that Jesus had
come to reveal the presence of God’s kingdom already working to make all things
new, to set things right and restore life as God intended. In light of this, it
might make sense for us to speak of Jesus’ life and ministry as a kind of
preview of the Kingdom. In him, we get a taste of what is coming, but the full
dimension of what that will be remains to be seen.
That’s what the transfiguration of Jesus was—a preview of what
is to come. Whatever you make of it in
terms of “just the facts”, the point of the transfiguration was that it was a “pre-view”
of Jesus’ resurrection. And, in turn,
one aspect Jesus’ resurrection is that it serves as a “pre-view” of the restoration
of all life and indeed all creation. So
the “unveiling” that occurred when Jesus was transfigured before his disciples
reveals the light of God’s new life already breaking into this world.
St. Paul the Apostle says it this way, “God commanded light to
shine in the dark—Now God is shining in our hearts!” (2 Corinthians 4:6
CEV). Although St. Paul knew as much as
anyone that the light God has poured into this world is one that can be veiled,
he nevertheless believed without a doubt that the light is indeed shining, here
and now. And he was convinced that all
who have the chance to catch a glimpse of this light in Jesus wind up
completely changed. Just like with the kingdom of God, it’s easy to overlook
the changes God’s light in Jesus makes in us. But Paul nevertheless insists
that the light of God’s new life is
indeed shining here and now, and changing all of us to be more and more like
Jesus.
I think it’s still very easy to overlook what God is doing in
our lives through Jesus today. The reason for that is that the way God’s
kingdom works is very different from the way things work in our world. Instead
of turning it into a “media event,” as Judas suggests he should have in “Jesus
Christ: Superstar,” the way Jesus unveiled the presence of the kingdom was understated
and easily overlooked. I think part of the reason for that was he didn’t want
to confirm the false assumptions people had about what the kingdom would look
like. But I also think that his approach to unveiling the kingdom was so discreet
because he only wanted those who were sincerely looking for it to see the signs
of its presence.
In the midst of all the clamor for attention by those who are
blowing their own horns in our day, we have to be sincerely looking for the
signs of God’s kingdom to be able to see them. Wherever God’s love is shared
freely with those who may not deserve it, there is the kingdom. Wherever words
are spoken and encouragement is given in such a way as to renew faith and
strengthen hope, there is the kingdom. The signs that “the kingdom of God has
come near” are the same now as they’ve always been. We have to be truly looking
for them in order to see the ways that Jesus continues to unveil the kingdom’s
presence in our lives.
[1] ©2018
Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Alan Brehm on 2/11/2018 at Hickman
Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.
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