What scares you?
As a kid I liked to climb things . . . especially trees and rocks. Climbing is easy . . . you just keep looking up as you climb. I never had any trouble climbing. My problem was coming down. It was not until I quit climbing that I looked down. Looking down what I discovered was that I was a long way from the ground . . . a long, long way! That is when the realization would hit me that if I were to fall it would hurt. It would hurt a whole bunch. The result was a fear that held me in its grip and made it impossible to get down. I was too scared.
This used to drive my father bonkers. I don’t know how many times my father pleaded with me to “come down” . . . and I couldn’t. I was too scared. No amount of pleading or threatening me could get me down any faster. I would ask him how I was supposed to get down. He would reply, “The same way you got up!” Then he would tell me to jump, saying, “If the jump doesn’t kill you, I will.” That wasn’t a whole lot of incentive to swallow my fear and come on down.
Well, apparently I eventually got down . . . after all I am here this morning and not up in some tree top. You would have thought that I would learn my lesson, but I never did. Kids have short memories. I still don’t have any fear climbing up things, but coming down makes me real nervous.
I ask again, what scares you?
We all have fears. We all get scared. Whether we like it or not there are scary things and people in life.
In our scripture reading this morning Jesus invites three of his disciples—Peter, James, and John—to join him up on a mountain. They were probably thinking that Jesus just wanted some company while he was praying. Up the mountain they trudge with Jesus leading the way. Then something strange happened . . . Jesus began to glow. The writer of Matthew’s gospel tells us: “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.”
That probably stopped them in their tracks.
Then . . . out of thin air . . . there appeared two guys who stand there and talk to Jesus. But, as the disciples recognize, these weren’t two ordinary run-of-the-mill sort of guys . . . NO! These two guys were Moses and Elijah! Just two of the most important figures in Jewish history and faith. And there they were talking to a super amped Jesus on some mountain.
Things were getting strange and out of the reality of the disciples’ understanding. It was a little concerning for Peter, James, and John. That is when they were hit for the third time as a voice spoke from a cloud, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Apparently, this was more than they could handle. They fell to the ground. Buried their faces in hiding. They were scared . . . no, they were terrified.
I don’t know about you, but I think I would have been on the ground with the disciples if I had witnessed all of this taking place. Jesus changing in appearance. Two heavy weight religious figures showing up to chat. And then hearing the voice of God coming out of a cloud. Yeah, I would have been on the ground. That would have scared me.
I think that Jesus tends to scare us from time to time. I know that he has on my journey of faith. There have been times on my journey of faith when I have been confronted by Jesus with the unexpected and unknown . . . and then asked to jump in with both feet. I know that there have been moments my journey where the words of Jesus came clearly through confronting me with a decision to follow him or to turn my back to walk away . . . to walk away from the hungry, the poor, the unwanted, those on the outside, the imprisoned. Why? Because I was scared.
Scared for numerous reasons: scared by what others might think of me if I chose to follow Jesus and swim against the tide of everyone else. Scared that if I did follow Jesus, I wouldn’t be strong enough . . . or good enough . . . to complete the journey. Scared that I would fail. Scared I might get hurt . . . I might lose something or someone. Scared because I just did not know.
We have been told and we know, Jesus never promised that it would be easy to follow him. In fact, didn’t he tell us not to be surprised if everything that happened to him would happen to us? Yes, he did. Which brings up another fear I sometimes get scared following Jesus . . . I don’t know if I am ready to be nailed to a cross.
The truth is, if we are going to be honest with ourselves, is that there are moments in our journey of faith where we get scared. The issue is how we respond to that fear.
It is obvious that the three disciples with Jesus on that mountain were scared. The writer of Matthew’s gospel tells us they were. They were terrified. They couldn’t move. It is Jesus who calms them of their fear . . . Jesus who calls them out of their fear. Jesus tells them, “Get up. Don’t be afraid.” From the ground they looked up and all they saw was Jesus. Then they returned to the others.
This is what I make of this story. The journey of faith . . . the journey into and with the Holy . . . is an unknown journey that we do not know where Jesus will lead us in attaining God’s kingdom. Because of this there will be situations, expectations, individuals who cross our paths, challenges, and things that we just don’t quite grasp that will frighten us. Scare us. And like Peter, James, and John we are going to protect ourselves . . . we are going to cover up and lay on the ground. This is the “flight or fight” part that is in each and every one of us. We all know the old adage, “It is better to run today and fight another day.”
The key, as I said earlier, is how we respond to the fear in our faith . . . in our lives. This story gives us an idea straight out of the mouth of God. God tells the disciples to listen . . . to listen to Jesus. Jesus will show the way.
And what does Jesus say?
“Get up. Don’t be afraid.”
Jesus is with us . . . always with us. The key is whether or not we are with Jesus.
The season of Lent is not popular. Many consider it to be a burden. Others consider it scary. The season of Lent calls us to step out of our comfort zones and into the mythical woods to explore ourselves as people of faith . . . to consider those parts of ourselves that separate ourselves from God and others . . . to discern whether or not we are truly following Jesus. And yes . . . that is scary. Scary for a lot of reasons.
But that is the invitation we have been given.
As scary as it might be we have been told . . . told to listen. To listen to Jesus. He tells us not to be afraid. He will show us the way. During this season of Lent we make the journey together . . . you and I and Jesus. There is nothing to be afraid about. After all, would God tell us a lie . . . “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Sounds like good advice. Amen.
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