The Last Sunday after the Epiphany February 3, 2008
Exodus 24:12-14, 15-28
Psalm 99
Philippians 3:7-14
Matthew 17:1-9
You may remember from your Sunday School days that 40 is a special number in the Bible. While Noah was in the Ark, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights and whole world was flooded. The tribes of Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years as they make their way from captivity in Egypt to their home in the Promised Land. If you note in the OT lesson this morning, the very last sentence (Ex.24:18,) that “Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights” before he received the 10 Commandments from God.
In another story, the great prophet Elijah is commanded by God to trek in the wilderness forty days until he comes to the Holy Mountain. There he awaits the revelation of Almighty God.
We are told in the 17th chapter of I Kings, that Elijah was severely depressed and God told him to “listen up.” We read that a mighty wind “tore the mountain apart and shattered the rocks,” but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was a great earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there came fire, but God was not in the fire. After the fire came what the King James Version of Scripture called “a still small voice.” God spoke gently to Elijah.
Here we have two men, Moses and Elijah, who went up the Holy Mountain at very different times, in very different circumstances, but both were spoken to by God.
Moses received the tablets of stone and the laws of behavior for all who would be faithful. Elijah had fought against the prophets of Baal and consequently their chief priestess, Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, king of Israel and he fled for his life. In seclusion he received a comforting word from God in the midst of chaos.
As we anticipate our upcoming forty days of preparation for Easter, we read of Jesus ascending the Holy Mountain with Peter, James and John.
There appeared Moses and Elijah: And our Lord is transfigured. Here is our Lord, glorified: Intense light flows from his being in anticipation of his resurrection and Moses and Elijah disappear and leave Jesus only. And God says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
So God the Son speaks to us. From Elijah’s experience we learn that God prefers gentleness, peace, stillness to communicate with us. But our busy, stress filled lives so often drown out the whispers of God.
For the 40 days of Lent we are called upon to devote ourselves to listening. We are called to reflect and then to stop and listen. If we do it right, its hard work and perhaps even a shock to our systems. It’s not so much abstaining from devouring chocolate or good scotch, as worthy as that may be. Its not even taking on new projects of out reach: feeding the poor, visiting those imprisoned by bad health, or helping a small child to read. These are very good things, but do they help listen to the voice of Christ?
The Prayer book tells us that Lent is a time of self-examination and prayer; this may mean it is also a time of reflection and regret. Let me give you an example.
Some time back I was preparing to conduct a funeral, when I ran into someone who new the deceased quite well, and in the course of our conversation I shared that I was having difficulty coming up with a Eulogy.
This fellow said to me, “Preach on doing it.” I looked at him quizzically. He continued, “I kept getting these promptings to go visit the deceased, but I just couldn’t find the time. I felt so awful after I heard that he had died, and I hadn’t come by. “Preach on doing it.”
So I’m preaching on doing it: Listen—Christ will speak to you—and then do it. This can be difficult, especially when the more obnoxious sides of our natures take over. I have to tell you that we can’t do it by will power—or as an old sage once said—won’t power alone. I have found that most change comes from God’s grace.
Let me give you some practical examples. Are you being prompted to pray more, but you just can’t find the time? Then take one minute every day and just think about Jesus: all that he taught and all that he did for you. I believe that you will soon start to pray more.
Are you being called to be more patient? Years ago, I came across a piece of advice from a wise old Rabbi: “If you want to be patient, stop complaining. There are other great words: kvetching and whinging are two. Work at saying only kind and positive things. I tell you, this can only be done by God’s gracious intervention, because it means that you really have to change.
Do you have a tendency to be catty or critical, and you believe that Christ is calling you to stop? Look for the underlying resentment in your life. Resentment is the biggest joy sucker out there, and when we are resentful, we tend to get mean. Again, only God’s grace can overcome this.
These may not be the issues Christ is calling you to address during Lent, but you know that there is something. How do you tell?
1.
Listen; really listen, to feedback from your loved ones, especially your children. If you haven’t scared them into servility, they will tell you what you need to hear. Part of the discipline is just to listen to them without correcting them or making comment other than for clarification. Getting defensive is a strong indication that they have hit the spot that needs to be changed.
Listen; really listen, to feedback from your loved ones, especially your children. If you haven’t scared them into servility, they will tell you what you need to hear. Part of the discipline is just to listen to them without correcting them or making comment other than for clarification. Getting defensive is a strong indication that they have hit the spot that needs to be changed. 2.Pay attention to your strong dislikes in other people. There is a good chance that it may be an indication of something in you that needs to change. For example, if you don’t like bossy people, there is a good chance you may tend to be bossy. If you think someone is conceited, then there is a good chance that you are too self-preoccupied, and so on.
Pay attention to your strong dislikes in other people. There is a good chance that it may be an indication of something in you that needs to change. For example, if you don’t like bossy people, there is a good chance you may tend to be bossy. If you think someone is conceited, then there is a good chance that you are too self-preoccupied, and so on. 3.If someone or something frightens you unreasonably, then look for the love: The Epistle of I John tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18)
If someone or something frightens you unreasonably, then look for the love: The Epistle of I John tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18)Be wary of grand dramatic changes. Healthy growth almost always comes in small increments. The goal is to be humble before God.
In his book “The Screwtape Letters,” C.S. Lewis tells of a progress report from Wormwood, a junior devil to Screwtape, his boss.
Screwtape writes to Wormwood about winning a “patient” he calls it, a Christian away from Christ.
“My dear Wormwood: The most alarming thing in your last account of the patient is that he is making none of those confident resolutions…No more lavish promises of perpetual virtue, I gather; not even the expectation of an endowment of grace for life, but only the daily and hourly patience to meet the daily and hourly temptations. This is very bad.”
“I see only one thing to do at this moment. Your patient has become humble; have you drawn attention to that fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is especially true of humility. Catch him at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, ‘By Jove, I’m being humble,’ and almost immediately pride—pride at his own humility will appear.”
Being humble is the virtue. It’s not thinking poorly of yourself, as it is thinking more of Christ and the needs of others.
I close with this poem by the onetime Dean of York Minster Cathedral, Eric Milner-White.
“Lord, bless me this Lent.
Lord, let me fast most truly and profitably,
By feeding in prayer on the Spirit:
Reveal me to myself in the light of thy Holiness.”
“Suffer me never to think that I have
Knowledge enough to need no teaching,
Wisdom enough to need no correction,
Talents enough to need no grace,
Goodness enough to need no repentance,
Devotion enough to need no quickening;
Strength sufficient without thy Spirit;
Lest, standing still, I fall back forevermore.”
“Show me the desires that should be disciplined,
And sloths to be slain,”
Show me the omissions to be made up,
And habits to be mended,
And behind these,
Weaken, humble and annihilate in me
Self-will, self-righteousness,
Self-satisfaction, self-sufficiency,
Self- assertion, vainglory.
May my whole effort be to return to thee;
O make it serious and sincere,
Preserving and fruitful in result,
By the help of thy Holy Spirit,
And to Thy Glory,
My Lord and my God.
Amen.
