Seeing it in your face
We’ve all, I’m sure, seen the plethora of adverts for clothes washing products (you can’t say powder anymore can you – tablets, gel, liquids…). Each one of them claiming that they are cleaner, brighter, fresher than the others. They would have us believe that the difference is noticeably visible and obvious.
Being visibly changed seems to be the theme of today’s readings.
Moses had been up the Mountain, where God had given him the Ten Commandments – the terms of his law. He had been in God’s presence and “his face had become radiant, because he had spoken to the Lord”. Subsequently, each time he went into the Tent of Meeting to meet with the Lord, the people could see the glow on his face. It changed him.
Mount Tabor - The Mount of Transfiguration
Jesus also had a visible change when he met with God. He had taken Peter, James and John up the mountain to pray. As he was praying his face was transformed and his clothes shone a dazzling white.
Spending time in God’s presence clearly makes a difference.
I wonder if people notice when I have been in the presence of the Lord. Does it show on my face? In my life? Does meeting with God effect me?
But that is not all that happens for the disciples up the mountain. Two other people, Moses and Elijah, appear with Jesus and begin talking – and it is a glorious sight.
It was obviously such a glorious experience that Peter wants to hold on to the moment. He wants to build shelters for them, memorials to what he has seen. But it cannot last – there is still work for Jesus to do. They have had their experience of God’s glory – and now they must go and get on with God’s work. So they come down the mountain, and are met by the crowds, clamouring, and with people to be helped.
We’ve all had those mountain top experiences – a time when something has been absolutely right and special, but life is not always like that. There is the mundane and the downright awful too. We cannot stay on the mountain top – we have to come down and get on with real life. Moments of experiencing the glory of God serve to spur us on, equip us for the task he has called us to do. Yes we should bask in God’s presence – but then we need to take that presence out into the places we go.
We need to spend time in God’s presence, but we need to distribute it. Jesus took time to go up the mountain to pray and had an amazing experience of God – but he didn’t stay up the mountain, he came down and continued his ministry. Moses went in to The Tent of the Meeting with God – but he came out to share what God said with the people.
It’s a both and. Lets spend time with God, letting him change us and equip us – and then lets live that in our lives.
Pam's Perambulation 