Containing God (Matthew 17:1-9)

Sermon as preached at Lambs and Evington UMC on 3/2/14

Image courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity School

This Sunday is a special Sunday in the life of the church that we call Transfiguration Sunday. It is the Sunday in which we celebrate the special revelation to a few of the disciples of Christ where they saw Jesus transformed in white light and accompanied on the mountain by Elijah and Moses. This story fascinates many of us, while at the same time this story confuses many of us. There is just so much going on, what are we to focus on?  We could focus on what it means for Jesus to be transfigured by glowing light. We could focus on why Moses and Elijah are there with Jesus. We could ask why only a few disciples a privy to this revelation, and we can ask why Jesus tells them not to tell anyone until he is raised from the dead.  We could and we will talk a little about Peter’s request to build dwelling places. There are almost too many things going on to cover in the span of a sermon, and any of the things listed above warrant their own time and energy, but today we will talk about something that maybe is one of the lesser talked about parts of this story, and that is the cloud.

            Verse 5 tells us, “While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!"  Here we see the presence of a bright cloud on top of the mountain, but what does this cloud signify?  As Christians the first thing that jumps out to us is that the words from the cloud here on the mountain are the same as the words from God during the baptism of Jesus.  These words tell us the significance of Jesus Christ as the Son of God as well as the command for him to be listened to, to be followed.  These words continue into the theme of revelation happening during the Transfiguration; that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. These words tell us something else about the voice heard from the cloud, and that is that the voice we hear is none other than that of God the Father. 

            For Christians today as well as Gentiles of that time, we may need this clue to understand the significance of the cloud; however for those from the Jewish tradition, like the disciples of Jesus already knew exactly what this cloud signified.  This is not the first appearance of a cloud like this in the Bible, in fact this cloud was present often through the history of the Israelites.  In Exodus 14 as the Israelites are escaping Egypt we see, “The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. ²⁰ It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.”  Likewise later when the Israelites were constructing the Tabernacle we read, “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.³⁶ Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey;³⁷ but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day that it was taken up. ³⁸ For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud^[f] by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel at each stage of their journey.  This cloud signifies the presence of God with the Israelites. First it is God with them as the escaped from Egypt, and later it was God with them in the Holy Tabernacle.  In fact it was Jewish belief at that time that where the cloud resided was where the Lord was, and the cloud as we read resided at the tabernacle. Those who were able to enter the tabernacle, we able to dwell in the presence of the Lord.

            When we understand this important aspect of the cloud, then it becomes clear why Peter reacts the way he does. Here he see Moses, Elijah and Jesus transfigured by bright light in the presence of this cloud, this cloud signifying that they God is dwelling with them on this mountain. And so Peter simply reacts the only way he knows how; let’s make three dwelling so that what is happening may last, so that this cloud, this presence of God may continue to last for others to come and see. Peter tries so hard to get it right, but poor Peter gets it all wrong. Peter doesn’t understand that God will not be contained, that there doesn’t need to be a special dwelling place for God. Peter misses the whole message of this transfiguration, that God is already dwelling amongst them as a human, as Jesus Christ. God is no longer contained to a special dwelling place, God is with us, everywhere.

            How often do we make Peter’s mistake? It is right and good for us to gather hear together in this sanctuary for worship. It is wonderful to gather here for Bible studies, and UMW, for special benefits, and for the planning and ordering of events of the church. But how often when we refer to church do we mean this building rather than those who are gathered in it?  How often do we view church as something that we go to rather than something that we are always a part of?  How often do we honestly strive to serve and reach out to others in our community but stay here in this building expecting others to come to us rather than we go out to others?  When we do these things, when we think like this we are making the same mistake as Peter did on that Mount of Transfiguration. Too often the church building becomes for us a false tabernacle where we expect God to dwell.  And God does dwell here, but far too often we try to contain God. That God happens here for an hour on Sunday mornings and then I can leave that behind. But the Transfiguration reminds us that God is always with us. That God lived among us as human, and as Jesus Christ ascended he gave the Holy Spirit to be with us always. God cannot be contained, the presence of the Lord is always with us. Let us not set us dwelling places to contain the Lord, instead let us reveal the presence of the Lord for all to see.  Let us always dwell in the presence of the Lord.