Transfiguration
Preaching
Preaching Luke's Gospel
A Narrative Approach
The assigned Gospel text for this week is one of only two texts (see Proper 8; Luke 9:51-62) in the Lukan year taken from Luke 9. This is unfortunate because Luke 9 contains some very important material in the overall structure of Luke's story. This chapter contains important material, for instance, in Jesus' equipping of his disciples for their mission. The chapter begins with the com-missioning of the twelve (9:1-6). Jesus asks the twelve about his identity (9:18-22). "Peter's confession of Jesus as 'the Christ of God' is as central to Luke's account as Peter's differing words are to Matthew ... The term the Christ of God is ... as crucial to Luke's testimony as can be imagined."1 Jesus is the One anointed to bring in God's reign.
In the light of the revelation of his identity as the Messiah of God Jesus reveals to the disciples that he "... must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised" (9:22). This is a surprise to the disciples. This is new information for them. This verse stands as a kind of central word of prophecy of Jesus regarding the suffering he must undergo. The remainder of Luke's Gospel is a movement towards Jerusalem where the Messiah will suffer.
The necessity of Messianic suffering occurs again and again in Luke: 9:44; 12:50; 13:33; 17:25; 18:31-34; 24:7, 25-26, 44-46. The disciples have great difficulty grasping the divine necessity of Jesus' road to suffering. Still Peter's identification of Jesus as the Messiah is an evidence of growth on the part of the disciples. Jesus will be busy teaching them throughout Luke's story. Chapter 9 both reveals Jesus' identity to the disciples and demonstrates how much they have to learn. This is evident in the Transfiguration text (v. 33) and in the story that follows wherein the disciples cannot drive an unclean spirit out of a child (9:37-43). When Jesus reveals to them a second time that he must suffer, the disciples do not understand, "... its meaning was concealed from them so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying" (9:45). In the next story, after having heard that Jesus must suffer and that those who follow him will have to take up the cross (9:23-27), the disciples want to know who among them is the greatest! (9:46-48). The picture of the disciples in Luke 9 prepares us for the Travel Narrative (9:51„19:27) in which Jesus gives much instruction to the disciples „ disciples of every age.
In Chapter 16 we talked a bit about the function of meals in Luke's story. Mealtime is often revelation time when Jesus is at table. So it is in 9:12-22. Jesus has come, after all, to fill the "hungry with good things" (1:53), to bless "those who are hungry now" (6:21).
We come then to the story of Transfiguration. This passage is also bound up with the identity of Jesus. Herod has raised the question of Jesus' identity in Luke 9:9. Jesus asks the disciples about his identity in 9:18, 20. Peter has given an answer to the question of Jesus' identity. Now it is God's turn to answer! God's answer is, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" (9:35). This word from God may be intended to serve as a corrective to the partial understanding of Jesus' identity in Peter's confession.
We have heard this word from God identifying Jesus as God's Son in the story of Jesus' baptism (3:21-22). At that point in time God's word came to Jesus as Jesus was being prepared for his ministry. In Luke 9 God's word comes to Jesus as he prepares to make his exodus to Jerusalem. The Greek word for departure (9:31) is literally the word exodus. This prophet like Moses is being prepared like Moses to make an exodus. Jesus' exodus is to the city that kills prophets! The Travel Narrative is the story of that exodus. Jesus "set his face to go to Jerusalem" (9:51).
One aspect of Luke's story of the Transfiguration that does not occur in Matthew or Mark is the statement that the disciples saw Jesus' glory (9:32). Jesus speaks of his glory only once in Luke's Gospel, and that is in the story of the road to Emmaus. Jesus seeks to explain the meaning of what has taken place to the two disciples on that road. He says to them, "Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter his glory?" (Luke 24:26). Glory would appear to be connected with Jesus' resurrection. The disciples have seen a preview of resurrection glory on the mountain of Transfiguration.
In the Transfiguration story, the climax of the first part of Luke's Gospel, there are a host of biblical references. Most good com-mentaries will highlight these references. The many biblical refer-ences that can be made from these verses underscore for us the crucial importance of this story. These references also suggest pos-sibilities for narrative preaching. We can tell some of these biblical stories as the background out of which the meaning of the story of the Transfiguration will emerge.
Homiletical Directions
A first narrative possibility with the Transfiguration text is to set it in the narrative context of Luke 9. Story One of our sermon would set up Herod's question, "... who is this about whom I hear such things?" (9:9). This question sets off a series of passages which deal with Jesus' identity.
Story Two would focus on the story of the feeding of the 5,000. We have discussed the fact that meals are a time of revelation in Luke. Immediately following the story of the feeding Jesus raises the question about his own identity. "Who do the crowds say that I am?" (9:18). A variety of answers is given to this question. Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the old prophets risen from the grave. (We looked at the theme of Jesus as a prophet in our discussion of Luke 7.) It would be a simple matter in the telling of this part of the story to add the answers that people of today give to this question! Finally, Peter speaks. "You are the Messiah of God" (9:20). Jesus' response to Peter indicates that something is not quite right about this answer. Jesus orders them to tell no one. He proceeds to tell them about the necessity of his own suffering which surely jarred their glorious messianic expectations. Peter says Messiah and the disciples think glory. Jesus orders them to be silent and points them to his cross.
Story Three would be the story of Transfiguration itself. Here is God's revelation of Jesus' identity. "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him" (9:35). Tell this story with its manifold biblical references! Here is the conclusion to the question of identity in Luke 9. God gives the final answer! The fact that Jesus is God's Son, of course, is no surprise to our congregations. The accent may need to fall rather on the word, "Listen to him." This word is a challenge to disciples of every age. (There is further discussion of the "Son of God" theme in Chapter 3.)
A second narrative possibility for this sermon would be to connect the story of Jesus' baptism (Luke 3:21-22) with this story of the Transfiguration. These are the texts for the first and last Sundays in Epiphany! In these alpha and omega texts we hear the voice of God announcing the identity of God's Son. Epiphany is about manifestation, revelation. It is a season surrounded by stories of the reality that Jesus is God's Son. Such is God's Word to us in this Epiphany season. And God's word speaks with authority. What God speaks comes to pass. Jesus is the Son of God.
Our sermon, therefore, would tell both the baptismal and the Transfiguration stories. The focus will be on God's epiphany word: "This is my Son." Epiphany begins with this revelation in the context of baptism. We have been baptized as well. We have been baptized in Jesus' baptism. There Epiphany happened to us. God in Jesus Christ announces in baptism: "You are my son. You are my daughter. You are my child." What God speaks comes to pass. We are the children of God.
Epiphany ends with the admonition: "Listen to him." God speaks through Jesus to Jesus' disciples. We, too, are disciples of Jesus. The original disciples didn't grasp all the aspects of this revelation of God. We are slow to grasp it as well. So we are called to join Jesus in an exodus to Jerusalem. In the Travel Nar-rative that is coming Jesus will continue to speak to the twelve and to us as he instructs us in the life of discipleship.
Two realities are posited on the basis of the baptismal and Transfiguration stories. Reality number one is that God calls us sons and daughters. Make this a clear gospel word of proclamation. Say it in such a way that it is today's Epiphany word to people: "You are my sons. You are my daughters. You are my disciples."
Reality number two is the fact that disciples have a lot yet to learn. "Listen to him." Join him on the exodus to Jerusalem. Take up your cross and follow! Every day can be an epiphany with the Son of God as leader of our exodus through life. There will be suffering along the way, to be sure, but at the last we shall see Christ's glory which shall become our glory as well.
____________
1.aDavid L. Tiede, Luke, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament (Minne-apolis: Augsburg, 1988), p. 184.
In the light of the revelation of his identity as the Messiah of God Jesus reveals to the disciples that he "... must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised" (9:22). This is a surprise to the disciples. This is new information for them. This verse stands as a kind of central word of prophecy of Jesus regarding the suffering he must undergo. The remainder of Luke's Gospel is a movement towards Jerusalem where the Messiah will suffer.
The necessity of Messianic suffering occurs again and again in Luke: 9:44; 12:50; 13:33; 17:25; 18:31-34; 24:7, 25-26, 44-46. The disciples have great difficulty grasping the divine necessity of Jesus' road to suffering. Still Peter's identification of Jesus as the Messiah is an evidence of growth on the part of the disciples. Jesus will be busy teaching them throughout Luke's story. Chapter 9 both reveals Jesus' identity to the disciples and demonstrates how much they have to learn. This is evident in the Transfiguration text (v. 33) and in the story that follows wherein the disciples cannot drive an unclean spirit out of a child (9:37-43). When Jesus reveals to them a second time that he must suffer, the disciples do not understand, "... its meaning was concealed from them so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying" (9:45). In the next story, after having heard that Jesus must suffer and that those who follow him will have to take up the cross (9:23-27), the disciples want to know who among them is the greatest! (9:46-48). The picture of the disciples in Luke 9 prepares us for the Travel Narrative (9:51„19:27) in which Jesus gives much instruction to the disciples „ disciples of every age.
In Chapter 16 we talked a bit about the function of meals in Luke's story. Mealtime is often revelation time when Jesus is at table. So it is in 9:12-22. Jesus has come, after all, to fill the "hungry with good things" (1:53), to bless "those who are hungry now" (6:21).
We come then to the story of Transfiguration. This passage is also bound up with the identity of Jesus. Herod has raised the question of Jesus' identity in Luke 9:9. Jesus asks the disciples about his identity in 9:18, 20. Peter has given an answer to the question of Jesus' identity. Now it is God's turn to answer! God's answer is, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" (9:35). This word from God may be intended to serve as a corrective to the partial understanding of Jesus' identity in Peter's confession.
We have heard this word from God identifying Jesus as God's Son in the story of Jesus' baptism (3:21-22). At that point in time God's word came to Jesus as Jesus was being prepared for his ministry. In Luke 9 God's word comes to Jesus as he prepares to make his exodus to Jerusalem. The Greek word for departure (9:31) is literally the word exodus. This prophet like Moses is being prepared like Moses to make an exodus. Jesus' exodus is to the city that kills prophets! The Travel Narrative is the story of that exodus. Jesus "set his face to go to Jerusalem" (9:51).
One aspect of Luke's story of the Transfiguration that does not occur in Matthew or Mark is the statement that the disciples saw Jesus' glory (9:32). Jesus speaks of his glory only once in Luke's Gospel, and that is in the story of the road to Emmaus. Jesus seeks to explain the meaning of what has taken place to the two disciples on that road. He says to them, "Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter his glory?" (Luke 24:26). Glory would appear to be connected with Jesus' resurrection. The disciples have seen a preview of resurrection glory on the mountain of Transfiguration.
In the Transfiguration story, the climax of the first part of Luke's Gospel, there are a host of biblical references. Most good com-mentaries will highlight these references. The many biblical refer-ences that can be made from these verses underscore for us the crucial importance of this story. These references also suggest pos-sibilities for narrative preaching. We can tell some of these biblical stories as the background out of which the meaning of the story of the Transfiguration will emerge.
Homiletical Directions
A first narrative possibility with the Transfiguration text is to set it in the narrative context of Luke 9. Story One of our sermon would set up Herod's question, "... who is this about whom I hear such things?" (9:9). This question sets off a series of passages which deal with Jesus' identity.
Story Two would focus on the story of the feeding of the 5,000. We have discussed the fact that meals are a time of revelation in Luke. Immediately following the story of the feeding Jesus raises the question about his own identity. "Who do the crowds say that I am?" (9:18). A variety of answers is given to this question. Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the old prophets risen from the grave. (We looked at the theme of Jesus as a prophet in our discussion of Luke 7.) It would be a simple matter in the telling of this part of the story to add the answers that people of today give to this question! Finally, Peter speaks. "You are the Messiah of God" (9:20). Jesus' response to Peter indicates that something is not quite right about this answer. Jesus orders them to tell no one. He proceeds to tell them about the necessity of his own suffering which surely jarred their glorious messianic expectations. Peter says Messiah and the disciples think glory. Jesus orders them to be silent and points them to his cross.
Story Three would be the story of Transfiguration itself. Here is God's revelation of Jesus' identity. "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him" (9:35). Tell this story with its manifold biblical references! Here is the conclusion to the question of identity in Luke 9. God gives the final answer! The fact that Jesus is God's Son, of course, is no surprise to our congregations. The accent may need to fall rather on the word, "Listen to him." This word is a challenge to disciples of every age. (There is further discussion of the "Son of God" theme in Chapter 3.)
A second narrative possibility for this sermon would be to connect the story of Jesus' baptism (Luke 3:21-22) with this story of the Transfiguration. These are the texts for the first and last Sundays in Epiphany! In these alpha and omega texts we hear the voice of God announcing the identity of God's Son. Epiphany is about manifestation, revelation. It is a season surrounded by stories of the reality that Jesus is God's Son. Such is God's Word to us in this Epiphany season. And God's word speaks with authority. What God speaks comes to pass. Jesus is the Son of God.
Our sermon, therefore, would tell both the baptismal and the Transfiguration stories. The focus will be on God's epiphany word: "This is my Son." Epiphany begins with this revelation in the context of baptism. We have been baptized as well. We have been baptized in Jesus' baptism. There Epiphany happened to us. God in Jesus Christ announces in baptism: "You are my son. You are my daughter. You are my child." What God speaks comes to pass. We are the children of God.
Epiphany ends with the admonition: "Listen to him." God speaks through Jesus to Jesus' disciples. We, too, are disciples of Jesus. The original disciples didn't grasp all the aspects of this revelation of God. We are slow to grasp it as well. So we are called to join Jesus in an exodus to Jerusalem. In the Travel Nar-rative that is coming Jesus will continue to speak to the twelve and to us as he instructs us in the life of discipleship.
Two realities are posited on the basis of the baptismal and Transfiguration stories. Reality number one is that God calls us sons and daughters. Make this a clear gospel word of proclamation. Say it in such a way that it is today's Epiphany word to people: "You are my sons. You are my daughters. You are my disciples."
Reality number two is the fact that disciples have a lot yet to learn. "Listen to him." Join him on the exodus to Jerusalem. Take up your cross and follow! Every day can be an epiphany with the Son of God as leader of our exodus through life. There will be suffering along the way, to be sure, but at the last we shall see Christ's glory which shall become our glory as well.
____________
1.aDavid L. Tiede, Luke, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament (Minne-apolis: Augsburg, 1988), p. 184.
