The Glow

The Transfiguration mosaic, Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor, Israel

Matthew 17:1-9

 

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light... 

 

When I was a kid I thought that Jesus' head glowed in real life. I read a lot of those Bible story books for kids that featured paintings of the Masters in which Jesus always had a halo. I didn't understand that this was just an artistic tool to communicate holiness/sacredness. In my childhood mind I thought that Jesus walked around glowing 24/7 like The Last Dragon. This being the case I just couldn't understand why those around him didn't understand that he was God incarnate...I mean he is glowing people! I would have at least have expected them understand that there was something special about him. What would you think if someone you knew just started shining and emitting light? In today's reading we have a case where this occurred. The Bible never speaks of Jesus walking around with a consistent halo on but it does discuss an episode in which three of his disciples saw his face shine, his clothes whiten and two dead prophets carry on a conversation with him as the voice of God spoke from above. As they found themselves in this fantastic scene they were left with the task of sorting out what it all meant.

 

The Chapel of Moses, Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor, Israel

The Shining

 

...And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”...

 

As was often the case, Peter was the first to speak out. Seeing that the spirits of Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus he offered that they should three tabernacles to honor these three great men of God. Later on in history the Franciscans would build the church that is pictured in these images at the location in which they believe the Transfiguration occurred. Similar to Peter's proposal, they built three chapels in it to honor Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Actually the "chapel" to honor Jesus is the main altar of the church... and technically all of the altars (like the altars in any Catholic church) are dedicated to the sacrifice of Christ (despite whatever particular imagery may be above it). This is because the Franciscans understand something that Peter did not quite grasp in this story. Jesus is greater than any of the great prophets of the past. Jesus was whom they prophesied about. The conversation between Jesus, Moses and Elijah was not a meeting of equals for just like the Disciples, Moses and Elijah two were in need of the grace that Christ would purchase on the cross. But there where significant reasons for Moses and Elijah to be present at this moment.

Moses was the Law-giver. The first five books of the Old Testament are the Torah, the Law. Not only is Moses similar to Jesus in that he heard from God, gave directions concerning the Law and freed God's people but Moses was also the first miracle worker described in scripture (I guess you could sort of consider Sampson's feats miracles). Specifically these miracles are called signs and wonders. They are wonders wrought as a sign that the message proclaimed from these men was from God. Often times when God was revealing something new to humanity he did it through miracle workers to validate there claims of speaking for God. When you consider the time span that the narratives in the Bible occur in, miracles and God speaking didn't occur that often. That is why they were wondrous when they did occur. Except for a few exceptions Scripture records three pairs of consistent miracle working prophets (I use the phrase "pair loosely here): Moses and Aaron (with Joshua), Elijah and Elisha and Jesus and the Apostles (with the Apostolic generation of 1st century believers). The final similarity to Moses is his shining face. Exodus tells us that after Moses would go and speak to God on the mountain his face would shine, so he would wear a veil when talking to the Israelites. The significance of Jesus' shine and speaking to Moses was to show that not only was he authorized to speak authoritatively concerning the Law but he also was in conversation with God Himself.  

 

The Chapel of Elijah, Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor, Israel

I Hear Voices

 

...While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid... 

The Jewish Bible (the Christian Old Testament) is referred to as the Tanakh in Judaism. It is a acronym using the first Hebrew letters of each subdivision of the Scriptures: "Torah ("Teaching", also known as the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im ("Prophets") and Ketuvim ("Writings")—hence TaNaKh." Elijah was seen as the greatest of the prophets. Scripture holds that he was taken into heaven upon a fiery chariot and did not see traditional death. This being the case he has long been associated with being the foreteller of the Messiah. Jesus taught that John the Baptist (Jesus' forerunner) played the role of Elijah in announcing the Messiah's arrival. Being a prophet, Elijah not only spoke for God (and performed signs and wonders) but also heard from God. The most popular one of these instances is when Elijah is fleeing persecution and hears God's voice in an unexpected way... as a still small voice. When God speaks from Heaven to Jesus' disciples it wasn't just to announce that Jesus was the Messiah (symbolized by Elijah's appearance) but that He was God's very own Son. God implored the disciples to listen to Jesus because he was not just the Law-giver or one of the Prophets but because he was the very Word of God in flesh.  

The write of the book of Hebrews starts off by stating: "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds." It basically says God spoke through the Prophets in the past but now He speaks through the words of Christ. You may have noticed that I play softball on this blog. I give a few details on the particulars of what I specifically believe, but as a whole I try to find the good that is in the body of Christ in general. You may know that I am a Baptist, but I usually don't get into too many things that would cause unnecessary division. Sometimes I reveal a little more, not in an effort to demonize another believer with different beliefs but rather to highlight what I think a particular scripture may be showing. Theologically I am what you would call a Cessationist. Cessationism basically states that the sign gifts (miracles, prophecy, tongues, etc.) were for a specific purpose (the initial revelation of God's word) and when that purpose was fulfilled the went away... hence the "cease" part of "cessation." If I were in the position to rename theological notions I would re-brand "cessation" as "graduation." The sign gifts were like classes that you go to every week day for 12 years or more. They are not your life vocation, but they teach you about your future life's vocation. Once you have been taught you graduate into the working world. The sign gifts were an instructional period in Church/Salvation history but now we have graduated into a period in which we work the things that God has taught/revealed to us. Even though the future outside of school may be frightening a graduation is always a time to celebrate and never a time to be scared.

Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor, Israel

Don't Be Scurred! (*intentionally misspelled)

...But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only...

After the transfiguration Jesus looked upon the three of his disciples that had just witnessed the mind boggling event. He saw men who had just witnessed a miracle a mystery and a calling. He gave them the gift of Comfort. This is the gift of faith, hope and love that remain past any spiritual gift. It is also the same gift that we are called to offer the world. It isn't parting the Red Sea, making fire fall from the sky or raising the dead but it is miraculous. We live in a world devoid of faith, hopeless and loveless. We live in a world of violence. We live in a world with orphans, widows and prisoners. We live in a world too often short of opportunity, resources and friendship. A world like this doesn't need anyone else to walk on water... it needs a kind hand to give it a cup of water at a hospital bed and strong arms to dig a well in a barren land. You don't have to pray to God to give you miraculous powers to move mountains. The ministry that he has called you to he has prepared you for. He has prepared you by making you a normal person with a few non-miraculous talents...but with a miraculously saved soul, a transformed mind and an open heart. This is the vocation that Christ calls you to...and the only one that exists. It is a ministry with great need and few workers. It is intimidating but you should not be intimidated because Christ goes with you. So “Arise, and do not be afraid”... or in other words, get up and go to work!

The dual level nave, Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor, Israel

Conclusion & Context

...Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”
 
The Franciscans built the nave of the Church of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor with two levels. One level is in the depths of the building in an area where many older churches have catacombs and/or relics of saints. This feature is usually a testament to the "foundation" of the church being built upon the saints and forefathers of the faith. The other level is the main floor where we see the mosaic of Christ floating in mid air in the Transfiguration. The Christian message in itself is based on the dual structure of a "depth" and grounded part that looks up to the heavens. When Christ consoled his disciples after the Transfiguration he admonished them to keep the event a secret until after his crucifixion and resurrection. It was after Jesus' resurrection and appearance to the apostles that they started making sense of everything he said and did. Everything in Scripture and Christian practice must be viewed through this very same lens. The point of it all (what we believe, what we do, how we live) is all because of what Christ did for us. He embraced the death of the cross so that we might be free from the punishment of sin...but then he conquered death so that we might embrace eternal life. This was the greatest of his signs and wonders, Not only did it show that God authorized his message but it showed that He was Almighty God Himself. It shows us that we have nothing to fear... not even death itself. Christ was once in the depths (dead) but he rose and confirmed the truth of eternal life to his disciples before ascending into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God. Therefore, each believer should heed his commission to "Arise, and do not be afraid.” We arise to shine the message of faith, hope and love that Christ has written on our hearts. Faith and hope which continually abide and love which will never cease.

 

Sea Life

The Great Wave off Kanagawa, by Katsushika Hokusai

Matthew 4:12-23

 

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee... 

 

Besides Britain there are two considerably small nations that exert much attention from the world irrespective of their size. They are Israel and Japan. The interest that they receive seems to be categorized in different areas. You don't usually equate Jerusalem with Tokyo, Kosher with Sushi, Shintoism with Judaism or the ancient Ninjas with the ancient Zealots... but there are similarities in some things. As different as they may seem there are many comparisons to be made between 1st century Palestine and 18th/19th century Japan. They main point of comparison is hinged upon their proximity to great bodies of water. Israel's bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Japan being enclosed by three seas and the Pacific Ocean shaped it's livelihood, culture and history. Both were either coastal or island people resisting the influences of the Western Imperial forces of their time: Judea had Rome and Japan had Europe and later the U.S.. The waves brought in the blessings of food and trade but the curses of storms and invaders. This relationship with water shaped both people's imagination and view of life: having periods of calm but too often filled with turbulence. It inspired the woodblock images of Katsushika Hokusai in his series of prints 36 Views of Mount Fuji and it shaped Jesus' recruitment of his 12 Disciples. God uses those who have struggled with waves in their lifetime.

Whalling off the Goto Islands (Goto kujira tsuki). by Katsushika Hokusai

...And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”...

The Seacoast

Living on the seacoast may provide for beautiful beach views but it also provides for the dangers of what the sea may bring in. Katsushika Hokusai was born in Edo, Japan (the old name for Tokyo) during the years of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was during this period that Japan, concerned by the Western powers colonization in Asia, closed its borders to outsiders. yet there was still some local trade with outsiders through Edo. Through one of these small trade connection with the Dutch Japanese prints were spread to the world and prints of the European Master painters were spread amongst Japanese artists. Hokusai introduced some of the concepts and methods of European art to Japanese printmaking. His famous "Great Wave" gained its popularity by advertising its use of the newly available "Prussian Blue" color. Galilee in the time of Jesus seems to have been similar. It was not the center of national government or culture like Edo: that was Jerusalem. But Galilee was looked upon as the place where outsider influences (Gentiles) were felt the most. As far back as the Old Testament book of Isaiah it was commonly referred to as "Galilee of the Gentiles." This wasn't a good thing. Even though the Jews were under Roman rule, association with Non-Jews was still kept to a minimum. Just like the Japanese viewed the Europeans as Barbarians, the Jews viewed any Gentile as impure. Now all of Palestine (the Roman name of the region that included the Roman province of Judea and the remnants of ancient Israel) is on the Seacoast of the Mediterranean, but Galilee is on the coast of a different kind of sea... and when I say "different kind of sea" I mean "a lake." Yes, the Sea of Galilee is actually a lake. A really, really big lake. A lake that everyone from the area calls a sea, but none the less a landlocked body of fresh water... so yeah, a lake. I am not sure why the locals have always called it a sea but the locals there were kind of different. To the elite city folks in Jerusalem they would have been religiously "suspect" due to their association with Gentiles, but they also would have just viewed them as country bumpkins. They had discernible accents and most carried rural, manual labor jobs like shepherds and fisherman. They were not especially learned men.. which may be why they called a lake a sea. So this is not only the region that God chose to birth His Son into, but also the region that His Son chose several of his notable disciples from. After Jesus learned of John the Baptist's arrest he didn't go to preach and chose disciples amongst the great rabbis of the holy city Jerusalem but rather amongst the outsiders of Capernaum. Characteristic of the rest of his ministry Jesus chose the outsiders, the non-accepted and the humble to lead his kingdom. Just as James 4:6 rephrases Proverbs 3:34 “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” It is only these desperate souls who may be courageous enough to go out and fight the waves to live.

Self-Portrait as a Fisherman, by Katsushika Hokusai

...And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him...

The Sea Men

In the above posted print we see Katsushika Hokusai depiction of an old fisherman. Clever art historians have discovered that this image is actually Hokusai himself in costume. Hokusai, like many other artists, would insert himself into some of his scenes and characters. Maybe he knew several fisherman and related to them. Maybe he saw a correlation between the life of the printmaking artist and the fisherman: both providing staples of the Japanese palate. Dealing with the consumer's "taste" they also could feel the wrath of the finicky market: ever desiring something new. Hokusai was older by the time that he produced the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji and had been driven from retirement by the gambling losses of his grandson. Their were two pairs of disciples who left the fishing trade to follow Jesus. James and John are stated as having been involved in a family business when they left their father to take the gamble of the Good News. I do not take the Good News lightly (in that I just made a joking association of it with a gamble) but their was a definite risk involved. All of the disciples except for John would one day die as martyrs. But in defense of my joke, Jesus actually introduced the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter and Andrew with a joke. His "fisher's of men" was a play on words, yes a pun, on "fishermen." There is no detail given in the Gospel as to whether Jesus' pun was followed by a rim shot or a sad trombone, but it seems to have been successful enough to convince his audience to be his followers. If being a Galilean fisherman was anything like the crew on The Deadliest Catch, then having a sense of humor was necessary. It was hard labor where you risked you life. Maybe this is where Jesus and Hokusai connected: Jesus related to fisherman as well. His job of preaching was dangerous and his task of bringing salvation to mankind would cost him his very life. But Jesus would not shrink from hard work. Jesus didn't just relate to the fishermen but he also related to me and you for scripture says "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." Jesus understands struggling with the waves of life. Working with his fishermen/disciples also displayed his concern for the fish.

Carp fan, by Katsushika Hokusai

...And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people...

The Sea Life

One of the great things about this printed fan by Hokusai (just like those Martin Luther King fans in your local Black Baptist church) is the realistic depiction of fish. One can imagine that his exposure world art gave him an insightful advantage over other Japanese print makers. Likewise Jesus' familiarity with all of mankind gave him a realistic depiction of his "fish." He went about all of Galilee healing all types of physical and spiritual sickness. That is where nuance comes into the picture. Most physical illnesses are obvious to the patient, however, spiritual sickness may be more subtle. Jesus had success with the publicans and prostitutes that he ministered to. They were aware of their sinful nature. Society screamed it at them. But Jesus wasn't as successful at converting the Pharisees: men who studied and judged others based on the Scripture, yet they had missed the greater themes of love, justice and mercy in God's Word. This is where pride come into the picture. It may not have been that Jesus was "unsuccessful" as much as Jesus was never asked to offer his services. Jesus once said to the judgmental Pharisees “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” God resists the proud because only the humble see and admit the sickness of their soul. These are the fish that Christ searches for: the humble, the meek, the sinner, those that tired of being battered by the waves of life. 

Kajikazawa in Kai Province (Koshu Kajikazawa), by Katsushika Hokusai

Casting Your Net & Calming Your Sea

This wasn't the only time that Jesus used fishing terminology to explain the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 13:47-50 Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a fisherman's net... not a fishing pole. What's the big difference? Well a net catches a swath of everything in its path, not just one individual fish. The term for casting your net in this way is termed "broadcasting"... a word that we also think of when we speak of television and radio ministry. Both involve spreading the message of Christ to all kinds of people and the most people. From the Apostles to St. Francis of Assisi to Billy Graham to Francis Chan many Christians have answered the call to spread the Gospel to total strangers. Yeah, I know that it seems foreign and distasteful too many. And I am not saying that everyone does it right. Remember that guy I know whose relative evangelizes while dressing up like Batman? There are many ways to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the greatest of these are through acts of kindness, service, forgiveness and love...especially those last two. Some of the greater interpersonal witnesses come from a personal testimony. When others see your life changed and saved they will see God's salvation in action. Remember the story of Jesus' calming the storm or Jesus' walking on water? Yes they both involve miracles but more specifically they involve unstable waters and facing storms. They both involve mastering the waves that rock us in our lives. They both end with the onlookers growing in faith. They both show that God uses those who have struggled with waves in their lifetime.



Ocean Waves, by Katsushika Hokusai