Sermons

February 3, 2008
Matthew 17:1-9
“Brush With Greatness”

Glory! Now, while the scripture text today never uses the word itself, make no mistake, today's lesson is all about glory. The story Janelle read, titled “The Transfiguration,” is celebrated in the church's tradition on the final Sunday of Epiphany, just prior to Lent. Just a couple of verses before our lectionary text Jesus boldly states, “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father.” (Mtt. 16:27)

Glory is a concept familiar to both the church and to secular society alike, but not all glory is the same. There is the glory of a rock star, a politician, or an athlete and then there is the glory which Peter, John, and James witnessed that day on the mount with Jesus. The former type gets splashed across the pages of magazines and newspapers, television and the internet, billboards and jumbotron screens and seems to be reflected glory, mostly from outside the person. The latter type, however, is closer to what many of us have experienced in our spiritual journeys, when we have had a moment of enlightenment or have been in the presence of someone with deep sacred wisdom. This glory seems to emanate more from within, like a glow from the soul of the person. Each type of glory has very different qualities and thus must be nurtured differently.

Let's be honest, however. Don't we all want a little bit of glory? Whether it is the lure of fame or the quiet simple desire of wanting to make a difference in the world, don't we all have some longing towards glory? Wasn't it Andy Warhol who said, “ 'In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.' I'm bored with that line. I never use it anymore. My new line is, 'In fifteen minutes everybody will be famous.'” (1) I'm not sure exactly what the pop artist meant, except that he reflected the often unspoken desire of many people to share in what we call “glory.”

I believe it isn't vain nor improper to seek glory, as long as it is a godly glory. After all, glory is what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 15 when he proclaims that we shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. The same applies to the prediction of Daniel 12 that the righteous will shine like stars in the sky.

So, if we are going to distinguish one type of glory-seeking from another, without spending too much time being judgmental about which is “good glory” and which is “bad glory,” then at least we can ask the question, “how do we nurture a glory that is godly and Christ-like?” Well, I would put forth from the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus three distinguishing marks of a glory that is of God and from within: 1.) It recognizes the achievements of those who have gone on before us, 2.) It listens more than it talks, and 3.) It seeks to lift up the community more than the individual.

1.     True glory issues forth from humility, first and foremost by recognizing those who have gone on before us. In Chapter 16 of Matthew, immediately prior to today's lesson, the disciples admit that some are calling Jesus Elijah and some Jeremiah. In the scripture lesson itself two figures join Jesus in his manifestation of glory: Moses and Elijah. Jesus does not distance himself from Jeremiah, Moses, nor Elijah, and by not doing so he acknowledges that he is part of a long history of prophets and leaders. He did this all the time.

Now, I don't normally look to the world of entertainment to find examples of Christ-like glory, but there is one moment when actors, writers, and directors show humility in acknowledging those who are around them and those who've gone before them who made it possible for them to be great, to achieve such heights of glory: the awards show acceptance speech. Isn't it ironic that the one time entertainers are allowed to be humble and give credit to others who have helped them is the one time we try to cut them off, and even make fun of their long speeches.

If you wish to seek true Christ-like glory, then recognize those who have made it possible for you to do what you do.

2.     True glory manifests itself in a deeper inward spirituality, and one symbol of such a spirituality is in listening more than talking. God's declaration on the mountain begins with the bold imperative: “Listen!” Jesus, when heading down the mountain urges the disciples to not speak of this until after “the Son of Man has been raised from the dead” and then he immediately turns to his ministry of healing, this time the boy with the demon. Living out the glory of God in deed is far more wondrous than speaking of it with words.

You have heard me quote St. Francis of Assisi far too many times, but it is so appropriate to developing this type of glory. He said, “Proclaim the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” I truly believe those of us, especially in the Protestant-end of Christianity, have been taken captive by words and the belief that words will ultimately convert people to Christ. Both God's imperative and Jesus' actions remind us otherwise, that listening and serving God will convince far more than words ever will.

If you wish to seek true Christ-like glory, then listen and serve more than you speak.

3.     True glory is reflected in the beauty of community more than in individual fame. I am quite aware that Jesus does not go up to the mountain alone, but brings several of his closest disciples: Peter, James, and John, with him. In the same way, when they head back down the mountain, Jesus begins almost immediately to engage in serving the community.

Far too often, even in the church, we allow glory to become an achievement of rugged individualism, of personal opulence, rather than a beacon of true community and shared values. If we think about it, there is no glory if there is no one to behold it. But even more than that, I think there is no Christ-like glory unless there are those who share in it.

If we were to list all those throughout history who exhibited this deeper, emanating glory we would find persons profoundly committed to community. In the last century we could name: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Mahatma Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Ceasar Chavez, Archbishop Oscar Romero, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - All whose glory would be meaningless if they were not bringing the community they served along with them.

If you wish to seek true Christ-like glory, then seek to involve the community in all your accomplishments.

Beloved, there is no shame to seeking glory, as long as it is the glory of God and not the glory of humanity. There is no harm in yearning to exhibit glory through your life, as long as it is God's divine light radiating from within, and isn't the reflection of the lights of the world shining around us.

But lest we work too hard at it, we might realize that this kind of Christ-like glory is not really something one seeks, but is, rather, something that happens naturally when you:
--     Humbly acknowledge those who have gone before you;
--     Listen more than you talk, serve more than proclaim;
--     And seek the welfare of the community as a whole more than you seek your own.

Then, the glory of the Lord shall shine from within you, whether you know it or not!

Amen.

(1) Andy Warhol, Andy Warhol's Exposures (1979) "Studio 54"