I was a youth director at Holy Trinity Lutheran in Thousand Oaks before I went to seminary. And during my time there with the junior high kids, a pastor came to serve that church, who I greatly admired. He was only there for a short time as an interim. But we know how even short stays with dynamic leaders can have a lasting impact (I’m thinking of Cyndi Jones). This new pastor was so kind to the people of that congregation. He was very intentional in all of his conversations; he was very good at connecting people with one another; he visited the sick; he met with the youth kids; and he started up a small group program while he was there. The church grew during his short time there. I knew this man as a kind and loving pastor, truly a shepherd caring for God’s people, loving them, feeding them with Holy Communion. He was just so nice.
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| Dr. George Johnson leading the Lenten Series, "Exploring Courage to Think Differently. |
But the more I listened to his sermons and read his book, I started to realize that he was something more than just a nice, loving pastor. This man was a prophet for justice and equality for all. When he preached, it was like the prophet Amos or Isaiah standing in front of us, crying out on behalf of God for global peace and the end of all oppression. Like Moses, “Let my people go!” He called us out on our self-centered, white-privileged ways, that fail to extend the same love that we’ve received to the margins: to the immigrant, the stranger, the outcast and the forgotten. He even talked about justice for the earth and all the creatures of God! It was the first time I ever considered that the United States may just be the new Roman Empire, and he reminded us often about Jesus‘ ministry over and against...actually under...the most powerful nation in the world. We squirmed uncomfortably in our pews, but something cracked me open and I saw him in a new way.
God is calling us to be more than just a nice place and nice people that gather for worship once a week. God is calling us to do more than just offer some charity to the poor, some handouts. All these things are good, but God is calling us to be about radical, systemic change, dreaming and risking it all for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even if it means our lives.
This pastor I’m talking about is George Johnson. He was my friend, he was nice, he was a gentle pastor...but at one point I suddenly started to see him in a new way too. He was a fiery prophet calling for justice and change, challenging us to risk our lives and be actual disciples of Jesus, not just safe, comfortable believers in Jesus.
As we look at our text today, and as we look at the Gospel of Mark up to this point, I think it can be easy and even tempting to conclude that Jesus is a just prophet for social justice and change. That’s because he is. Just like Pastor George was a kind, loving man.
Up to this point, Jesus has turned his world on its head with his love and care for the poor and the outcast. Bringing women and children to the center, touching and healing the ritually unclean, the bleeding, the dead, the foreigner. I mean, he’s advocating truly universal health, education and equality for everyone. It’s not a detached, complicated, sanitized spirituality with Jesus in the first 9 chapters of Mark. He’s not hovering, esoterically; he’s rooted and radical and real. It’s ministry on the ground, and in the trenches -- tangible, immediate and welcoming. I’m always amazed how this social justice of Jesus gets suppressed and even denied, many times by Christians themselves, only seeing him as a spiritual savior of individual souls...
rather than an incarnate savior of whole communities, particularly those who are oppressed or overlooked. Mark 1-9 reeks of Jesus‘ social justice agenda.
But, just like good ol‘ Pastor George was more than just a nice, sweet pastor -- which he was -- but there was more...
So Jesus is more than just a prophet for social justice and radical welcome of the stranger and the outcast -- which he is and always will be. But there’s more...
And in our text today, a few of the disciples (and us, by the way) get cracked open, and see Jesus in an even larger way.
This isn’t about getting someone wrong, and suddenly seeing them in a totally new and different way. (That happens too.)
But this is about getting a person right, but suddenly seeing them in an even bigger way. Setting our mind not just on earthly things but on divine things.
This prophet Jesus (he was such a prophet that some were mistaking him for John the Baptist and Elijah) -- this prophet for social justice and change, was even more than that, sisters and brothers in Christ:
This prophet was God’s own Son. “Listen to him, listen to his agenda.” All this stuff he’s been doing, is more than just earthly revolutionary behavior, upturning traditions and challenging assumptions; this is divine presence come down to be among us...to be for us, and for everyone. Jesus is God’s Son. What a way to end this season after Epiphany and move into Lent -- with another Epiphany, a divine revealing: “This is my Son, the Beloved.” And then a command: “Listen to him.”
Transfiguration is the mountain top experience of this time of the church year, before we drop down into Lent this week.
Know that the one you follow, the one who brings children and women to the center, who heals the sick and the demon-possessed, who welcomes the foreigner, even if their religion or their skin is a different color...and who calls and empowers the people of his time and us to imitate him in this radical business of sharing. Know that the one you follow isn’t just a human social prophet for justice. He’s even more: he’s God’s own Son. He’s the salvation of the world. He’s life eternal for you and for all. He’s love everlasting. He’s grace and peace that the world cannot give. He’s freedom and joy. He’s hope for the future and thanksgiving for the past. He’s bread and wine, body and blood poured out for you and for...everyone...even the creatures. He so loves this whole earth, that he gave himself. Know that the one who heals the sick and raises the dead raises us too -- right now! -- from that which holds us down and hold us back from being the people that God has created us to be. Know that this prophet Jesus, is forgiveness of all your sins, all your self-centered behavior, all your ignorance and shame, and greed and envy. GONE. Jesus is God’s Son, not just a social prophet. And you are made new today because of it!
Your slate has been wiped clean! And you are being sent back out there, into this Lenten season, into this coming spring, renewed, hopeful, at peace, and ready to serve, pray, fast, and give (just like Jesus did).
So let’s listen to him, sisters and brothers in Christ. Let’s listen to him. Let’s hold out our hands, and open our ears and our minds and our hearts, as we move off the mountain top, and listen. For God’s own son has got something to say and something to give. Thanks be to God. AMEN.
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