From a distance

‘… they saw no one except Jesus himself alone …..’ (Matt 17:8)

Matthew 17:1-9 (Year A: Eighth Sunday after Trinity 6th August 2017)

 [This passage from the Gospel of Matthew – 17:1-9 is used this Sunday in the Roman Catholic Church.  Other churches sometimes use Matthew 14:13-21.  For a previous blog on this site on the latter passage see here]

The Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord happens to fall on a Sunday this year.

The drama of what happened on Mount Tabor a long time ago involves heavenly visions, voices, visitations, excitement, joy, fear, awe, reassurance and prophecy.  The story of the Transfiguration is saturated in Old Testament talk and image. Matthew and the community he came from and wrote for were steeped in this world. The reckless and brash Peter is very much of this world outlook. His immediate and impulsive reaction to the extraordinary sights and sounds on this mountain is to offer to make three ‘tents’ or dwellings – one for Moses (communicator of the Law), one for the prophet Elijah (a great Prophet) and one for the new Moses, Law-giver and Prophet of Prophets, Jesus the Christ, who will teach and lead his people to the Promised Land. Instead of a slavish adherence to the Law and the Prophets, Jesus has opened up a new way that fulfils the Law and the Prophets. Instead of Mount Sinai or Tabor, we are on another mountain to the North. Instead of being knowingly in the Cloud of God’s presence, we are with Jesus in the Cloud of human unknowing. Instead of light shining from Moses, the everlasting light shines on us through Jesus who was transfigured before his disciples.

Perhaps we could think of these three tents of Peter as standing for (1) Peace, (2) Contentedness and (3) Freedom. Who doesn’t want these things deep down – for themselves and their others?  This is the Vision Thing. Keep moving towards it even after we have come down from that mountain.

God knows we need relief at times on life’s journey not least when we know that major challenges lie ahead – be it pending surgery and other matters or just the business of growing old year by year and drawing closer to advanced ageing, sickness and death – three things we can be certain about in life.

But if we are certain about these three things we can be encouraged and empowered by three other things: trust, hope and love. These make all the difference to us as disciples on the mountain with others, in a cloud, anxious at times but surprised by joy in the presence of Someone greater than our worries, uncertainties and horizons.  The disciples may not have seen too far that day with the cloud (mist?) on the mountain. It might have been like climbing Slieve Donard in the North East of Ireland to find mist and cloud on the way up and hardly a sight of the town of Newcastle and then to see the clouds suddenly lift while the midgets had a field day on raw pale skin!. 

On life’s journey we need points of rest. Deep rest. There, we sense a peace and a well-ness that is healing. I hesitate to say that we sense a presence because for much of the time our senses indicate absence more than presence. But, in absence, we cling in trust to the idea of presence. That’s all. That’s faith.

And on that mountain we can see matters from a distance.  It reminds one of the words of From a Distance by Julie Gold and sung by Bette Midler

From a distance the world looks blue and green
And the snow capped mountains white
From a distance the ocean meets the stream
And the eagle takes to flight
From a distance there is harmony
And it echoes through the land
It's the voice of hope
It's the voice of peace
It's the voice of every man
From a distance we all have enough
And no one is in need
And there are no guns, no bombs and no disease
No hungry mouths to feed
From a distance we are instruments
Marching in a common band
Playing songs of hope
Playing songs of peace
They are the songs of every man
God is watching us
God is watching us
God is watching us from a distance
From a distance you look like my friend
Even though we are at war
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
What all this fightings for
From a distance there is harmony
And it echoes through the land
And it's the hope of hopes
It's the love of loves
It's the heart of every man
It's the hope of hopes
It's the love of loves
This is the song for every man
From a distance we are instruments
Marching in a common band
Playing songs of hope
Playing songs of peace
They are the songs of every man
God is watching us
God is watching us
God is watching us from a distance
From a distance you look like my friend
Even though we are at war
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
What all this fightings for
From a distance there is harmony
And it echoes through the land
And it's the hope of hopes
It's the love of loves
It's the heart of every man
It's the hope of hopes
It's the love of loves
This is the song for every man

The lyrics from above are taken from: Bette Midler - From A Distance Lyrics | MetroLyrics