Luke 9: 29-36
29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.
“A Holy Moment”
Our text shares with us a holy moment. A moment which cannot be captured with words but can only be lived out with deeds. Holy moments are not so much to be talked about as lived out. And we all have them if we will only stop and see them.
They also are not to be lived in; we can’t stop the world and just stay in the holy moment.
This would make an idol of that experience. Rather they are to be windows through which we see more clearly the road we are to travel and the presence of a loving God for our journey.
“They Told No One”
It was a mystical, spiritual, psychic, weird, crazy, spooky experience; too big, too powerful, too unreal for them to talk about. It couldn’t be communicated with words. Words could not contain it, describe it, pass it on. So they said nothing.
I’m glad they couldn’t talk about it. To talk about it would cheapen the experience and make it less real. Something this sacred you don’t cheapen with words.
To do so is to end up worshiping the experience rather than the God who created it.
It is to have pride in our great experience with God; and even gloat over it, rather than be humbled by God’s grace.
What counts is genuine human beings whose lives reflect that something great has happened to them. They may not be able to talk about it; but their lives reflect it. It is felt more then heard. This is what really counts with God. What we do outwardly, because of what has happened to us, often in secret.
p.s. A Zen proverb: "After enlightenment, the laundry."
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