TRANSFIGURATION  –  ON MISSING THINGS IN PLAIN SIGHT

Conversations in which we sense something just happened but we missed

OR your habits of thought and thinking meant you could not see what was plain to others

The standout enthusiastic student who try as they may they just done seem to get it

Good students for the lecturer

Peter Just Such A Student / Disciple Of Jesus

Named first in the list of disciples

He confesses Jesus at Caesarea Philippi

He rebukes Jesus teaching that he is to be killed in Jerusalem

Jesu response: Get behind me satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.

Transfiguration – let’s stay here

TRANSFIGURATION

Moses and Elijah foundation prophets

Talking with Jesus about exodus in Jerusalem (Luke)

Peter let’s stay here – ie he is captured by the great experience of glory

Jesus baptism words are repeated in confirmation of his vocation as the Beloved Son of God

Context of Jesus’ teaching  on his death  17.22 // disciples who is greatest in kingdom of heaven 18.1

The Transfiguration is a confirmation of Jesus vocation of suffering and death. 

This is the point that  Peter had such trouble seeing.

HOW DO WE SEE THINGS IN OUR LIVING TODAY AS CHRISTIANS ?

THIS WEEK TWO IMPORTANT CHANGES ANNOUNCED LAST MONDAY

Closing The Gap

Last October Budget provided $1.2 mil for the Closing the Gap

Now three months later an extra $424,000 to be used mainly for remote locations and basic services

Is this political pragmatics / a waste of money / overdue debt

How should a christian think about this – What is at stake in this area viewed with a christian perspective?

One thing can be said, that this is part of a long and wider history of persecution neglect, disdain and brutality meted out to our Indigenous sisters and brothers.

But why have past spendings not been effective. How does this fit in relation to the wider question of the circumstances of our indigenous Australians.

Change in refugee temporary protection visa terms.

20,000 refugees on Temporary Protection Visas will be granted full residence with the capacity to bring their families to Australia. 

Strong border protection enforced by inhumane detentions and restrictions

The operation of this policy has always been deeply immoral – but our church leaders have been remarkably silent on this matter.  

What do we see here

Unravelling the Strong “border protection” that has been enforced by inhumane detentions and restrictions or strong border protection with humanity. 

What about the moral values that are part of our christian faith?

Often don’t think much about this – as christians it is part of our being to “see” these events in that light.

If we just think in pragmatic terms, or public political terms, we will step by step loose the capacity to think and to “see” as christians. 

The coming Referendum – decline into party political rhetoric and a lot of confusion

A lot of information that is easily accessible. We certainly need to take this matter very seriously

What at root is at stake here

As christian we need to think not just about the constitutional and legal issues, but also how our christian values relate to what is at stake.

ALL THESE VITAL ISSUES ARE LADEN WITH MORAL ISSUES WHICH AS CHRISTIANS WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO “SEE” AND HAVE OUR THINKING SHAPED BY THEM.

SO WHAT

Transfiguration sharply draws our attention to how we see things. 

That the obvious may not be what we should be seeing. 

As christian people we need to move beyond the inconsistency of the young apostle Peter and frame our minds and perceptions according to the character of our God revealed in Jesus Christ – CRUCIFIED.

Paul’s prayer for Philippians

This is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may pure and blameless

Knowledge and full insight is not just knowing a lot of intellectual stuff. It is understanding, having habits, instincts, sentiments and ways of thinking that move us to respond intuitively to live in ways that are christian.

If we think just in pragmatic terms, or public political terms, we will, step by step loose the capacity to think and to “see” as christians what is really at stake

The take away from the Transfiguration is that we need to be shaping our thinking and sentiments so that we can perceive what is truly at stake in our public lives as christian people

These are habits that we need to be cultivating and renewing.

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians  was 

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians  was for a growth in knowledge and full insight – a capacity to “see” what is at stake – so that they able to identify what is a christian way to live. 

It is a prayer we might use for ourselves and our parish to enable us to live truly christian lives in these truly significant times in our nation.