February 6, 2023 — “The Mountain Top”

“Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him.They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.” Luke 9:28-36

“…an Orthodox priest…was telling…about the iconostasis which is the screen that is put up in front of the altar in Orthodox churches . On certain occasions in the year, the screen is opened up for people to see through. This only happens at certain times such as Easter week. As Father Andrew was speaking, it made me think about how we, as Christians, only see rare glimpses of God. Much of the time we are either asleep, like the disciples, or experiencing hardship, rather than seeing the glory of God on the mountain top. Indeed if we were really to see God in all His glory we would be perplexed and terrified, just as Peter, James and John were. I’m not sure the experience they had was altogether comfortable!” (bryonytaylor.com)

Have you stood on a mountain top and wondered about life, the universe and all things possible? When you stand on the top of a mountain, it seems nothing can surpass that picture, that view, that feeling. And you are right – nothing can top the top of the mountain. But unless we are moving into a monastery somewhere in the Alps, we cannot live on top of a mountain. Oh, yes, some people try – but eventually then need to come down for provisions, for possessions, and for people.

Jesus goes to the mountain top for the moment of his Transfiguration – and it is there where he speaks to Moses and Elijah. It was good for him to be there – it was good for the three disciples to see this experience. But they were not going to stay atop the mountain. In fact, Jesus comes down so that he can be with the people, to gather more provisions, and to preach against the hoarding of possessions to more people. Mountain top experiences are nice, but the place where real action happens is down in the valley. Why? Because everything that goes up, must come down. Even Jesus did not just stay on the mountain – he came down to make things happen. Life cannot just be about mountain tops – because there is only so much room on the top.

Extraordinary sights are nice, but you and I live within the ordinary, practical side of life. Enjoy the mountain-top experiences G-d may give to you, but do not count this as the ordinary, usual thing – especially when we compare them to our everyday, Christian life. We must need to learn to enjoy the toil of the ordinary life – and to learn to find the beauty in the common things of life — for some of the most common things are among the most beautiful when our eyes are taught to see their beauty.

Let us pray: Dear G-d, as much as I long to see you on the mountain-top experiences, help me to see you as I look to serve those who live in the valleys of life. Amen.

Pastor Dave

February 5, 2023 – Epiphany 5A

“[Jesus said:] “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is  accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:13-20

Today’s lesson from Matthew is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount delivered by Jesus. In the first twelve verses of chapter five we heard the Blesseds. Now we have the “You Ares” – “You are the Salt of the Earth”, “You are the Light of the World”. Intuitively we know how important light and salt are to us. Throughout the millennia, salt has been an important seasoning, preservative and even a source of payment for wages – hence we have the idiom, “He isn’t worth his weight in salt.” And light, well, the first thing G-d created was light. So hearing how Jesus tells them, these disciples and others listening to him, that they are “salt” and “light” – well this would have been so empowering  to them. First Jesus had told them that their eternal futures were secured through their trust and faith in G-d – and now they are told they are elemental people – salt and light.

“You are the salt of the earth”, and “You are the light of the world”.  So what can we learn today from these statements? What does salt have to do with light? Well we know that Salt has various uses: it is almost a magical compound. Salt is an elemental part of the earth and it is essential in our body’s functioning. Like saltwater, our bodies are filled with salt – in a tear, in a drop of blood, in a bead of sweat. Without salt, our hearts would not beat, our blood would not flow, and our muscles would not work properly. I remember, during my few short years playing football, on those really hot, summer days of long practices, there were plenty of salt tablets to take if someone was getting overheated. If you haven’t figured it out yet, what I am saying is salt is an elemental part of our lives. 

So here we have Jesus speaking to his disciples, on the mountain, following what we commonly call the Beatitudes. He continues his Sermon on the Mount by telling his disciples “You are the salt of the earth.” What could he mean? But Jesus did not stop there. He also told them “You are the light of the world”. Now, I don’t have to tell anyone here how important light is to our lives. For Jesus, light has a profound meaning. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is described as the light that “shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”  When Robert Louis Stevenson was just a boy, he watched a lamp lighter lighting the lamps as he walked down the street.  Stevenson said to his pal “I am watching a man put holes in the darkness.” Jesus is the one who has come into the world to poke holes in the deep darkness of sin in this world. But here Jesus is telling his disciples that they are the light of the world. Jesus looks at his disciples and charges them to continue his work of “putting holes in the darkness of this world.”  Jesus charges us to do the same – we are to be lights for one another by living our lives in obedience to Christ’s commands.  When we do that, we will be light for our communities, for the world, and for our families – and we will salt the lives of others with our good deeds.

Pastor Dave