Sunday February 15th, 2026 Worship

I am the type of person that wants all of the information all the time! The more that I know, the better, at least when it comes to topics that I am really passionate about. I simply feel more comfortable when I have more information. Just ask my mom! I can’t even count how many times I made her go on the behind-the-scenes tour of our local Aquarium growing up because I always wanted to see what else I could learn about the animals and how they cared for them; it didn’t matter that the tour was essentially the same every time. This desire to always know more is part of what drew me to volunteer at the Aquarium here too. So, if you ever want any random marine biology facts, you know who to ask!
Now, I know that today’s Scripture readings have nothing to do with marine life, and you’re probably starting to think that your pastor has lost it, but I can’t help but see how these stories feel like they are giving us a behind-the-scenes look into the relationship that God has with humanity in a way that we don’t always get in the other Scripture stories. Not only is God speaking to Moses from behind what appears to be a literal smoke screen (Exodus 24: 15-17) and clouds (Exodus 24: 15-17, Matthew 17: 5), but, through these encounters, we are being given a glimpse into what God is enacting in the world. It becomes a case of dramatic irony, where we are invited with Moses, Peter, James, and John to see what God is up to while the rest of the crowds are left in the dark. These four are given a glimpse into what is about to come about, as the people who will help tend and minister to the people through all of these changes moving forward, whether that be receiving the Commandments or processing the death and resurrection of Jesus.
This glimpse behind the scenes not only gives important information to those who are participating in these events, but they are also instructive for us as well. While Peter’s first inclination is to build a tent when he witnesses the Transfiguration, a sign of humility and respect that Elijah and Moses would dare to dwell to with them, the response from God interrupts his proclamation to claim again Jesus’ Belovedness and to offer the command to ‘listen to him’ (Matthew 17: 5). The Transfiguration wasn’t just some trippy event that Jesus invited these disciples to in order to freak them out, but it reveals to them the very nature of Jesus. That in his presence, he carries with him the embodiment of the law and the prophets, as represented by Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17: 3). Just as we heard last week, Jesus didn’t come to negate the entire religious history of these people, but to invite them into a new way forward, one that will sometimes be filled with fear and reluctance to take the next step forward. It may feel easier to just build the tent, to dwell in the place that is more comfortable, yet God is empowering them to be sent out instead of staying where they are. There will be no tabernacles today, but instead a trip back down the mountain and more instruction from Jesus.
Jesus knows that what they have witnessed will be challenging to understand, and these won’t necessarily know what to do with this information that they have received. Yet, whether they know it or not until he tells them, they have been tasked with stewarding Jesus’ message and what they have learned of his identity after his death and resurrection (Matthew 17: 9). It’s easy for us to see that now, but for these disciples, they certainly didn’t understand what all of this meant. So, this Transfiguration and the conversations that follow are a demonstration of God’s trustworthiness and faithfulness that these men are invited to hold onto during all the chaos and fear that is yet unknown to them. God may not be able to show God’s face to them, but even though God is hidden from their sight, they are still invited into relationship and trust. It is a new way of God dwelling with them; one that doesn’t require the pitching of a physical tent.
This is what they will be called back to in the days that follow Christ’s death and resurrection, when they are trying to make sense of the violence and the fear that surrounds them. When it feels like all hope is lost and that God doesn’t care about them because their Messiah was just nailed to a cross before their very eyes. This is the one that they were supposed to listen to, the one in whom God is well pleased? (Matthew 17: 5). They are sent out from this mountain, not to do anything in the immediate future, but to minister to their fellow disciples and their aching community when it feels like God has hidden from them again. They are empowered to step into that role, when eventually all that they have seen and heard will make sense.
The story of the Transfiguration and of Moses receiving the Commandments from God on Mount Sinai are both examples of how God draws near to humanity, desiring to be in even closer relationship. Instead of getting frustrated and turning away from the Israelites, God instead provides some structure for how they can best be in relationship with God and one another. Instead of leaving the disciples to scramble, alone in their fear, God prepares Peter, James, and John to steward the message of hope and care even when those things feel impossible. When we receive these stories today, the curtain has been pulled aside for us, but I can only imagine what it would have been like to be any of these people, hearing this disembodied voice of God offering decrees that they didn’t know how to make sense of in the moment. And, I also can’t help but think about what those stories would be like in our time. Where are the places that we need to hear God’s voice, to help us wake up to the reality that God still cares? And how are we, as Christians, being called to help steward that promise of God’s love and care, instead of just dwelling in our comfort?
In our world, it can feel difficult to listen for God’s voice when so many people claim to be speaking on behalf of God. Yet, I can’t help but remember these stories, of how God enters into the midst of people in need of guidance and a reminder of their belovedness. That God enters, not in a great flashy show of power (unless you ask the Israelites), but enshrouded in a cloud; concealed, but not distant. In these stories today, we hear several different directives that we are still to follow today: listen to Jesus and follow the commandments. The voices that claim to be God which call us from these things need to be clearly named as not-God, as anti-thetical to what God has been shown to do throughout history.
There are many things about our world today that will continue to scare us and confound us, but we are also invited to hear how Jesus ministers to the disciples after their encounter with God; “But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid’” (Matthew 17: 7). Jesus comes to them in tenderness, inviting them to trust in the promises that continue to be true, even amidst everything else. This is what we are invited into today too. It’s not that we cannot be afraid, because fear is a very real emotion, but that in our fear, Jesus meets us tenderly, reaching out for us and offering a steadying hand as we move forward. May we remember, through this peek behind the curtain, that God’s love continues to flow to and around us. That even in the perceived hiddenness of God, God has not abandoned us, as we listen for the tender voice offering us care and courage for the challenges ahead. And we try to make sense of the ways that we are being sent back out into the world to offer extend that care and compassion in return.