Mystics and spiritual pilgrims may be familiar with The Cloud of Unknowing, that stormy weather of the soul in which the fog-bound traveler can do nothing except put her hand in God’s and take one step at a time. Tech-savvy users are aware of The Cloud, some cyber-space place where good little bytes are stored until retrieved for further use. This Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday, where we’ll hear again the awesome story of Jesus in holy conversation with the bright glory of the Father.
“Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.” This reading from Exodus (24:17) speaks of God coming to The Pilgrim People journeying to the Promised Land. Volcanic Mt. Sinai (or Horeb) was where God had intercepted Moses before the Exodus, and where now Moses brought his extended faith-community for further instructions. “Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain….Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain…[and he] was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.” (vv. 15, 18) What would he experience?
The Second Letter ascribed to St. Peter tells a bit in retrospect about his own eyewitness trip with Jesus to a mountain-top. (1:16-21) “For (Jesus) received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ Peter considers this to be a prophecy of the eternal validity of Christ, a sign of the Holy Spirit speaking for the world’s edification. “You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration (17:1-9) continues his argument about the fulfillment of the Messiah-promise to the Jewish community. They of course remembered the Exodus story, especially the segment about Moses conversing with Yahweh face to face. Here is the Divine Glory, wrapped in the cloud for mystery, including Jesus along with Moses & Elijah–the Law and the Prophets! To faithful Jews, this was blasphemy; but to early Believers, it became an affirmation to dispel doubt. Here Jesus the rabbinic teacher was acclaimed as the Eternal Christ, God’s Beloved. Therefore it was correct to build a community of faith on him.
As we prepare to enter the roller-coaster of Lent, we do well to contemplate both the Cloud of Mystery and the Thunder of Spoken Glory. There are new horizons of an unfolding Kingdom to glimpse — and the rifts in the cloud come few and far between. “I’ve looked at clouds from both sides, now….I really don’t know clouds at all.” But listen for the thunder!
God Bless Us,Every One Horace Brown King
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