When God showed Abraham (known as Abram) the limitless stars and promised him such a multitude of descendants, he responded with an act of faith in God. Then, we are told, God “credited it to him as an act of righteousness.” What does that mean, “an act of righteousness?”
We call Abraham the father of our faith — not just Christians and Jews, but Muslims as well. Our spiritual roots can be traced to Abraham and his “act of righteousness.” From the context of the story we can see that his “act of righteousness” was his trust in the promise God made to him. He did not see the promise fulfilled yet, in fact, given the advanced age of Abraham and Sarah, the promise seemed impossible. God added to the initial promise and told these nomads that one day they would have a land of their own to settle in. That must have seemed even more impossible. There was nothing concrete to put their confidence in, except a promise God made — and confirmed with a ritual sacrifice.
God formalized the promise to Abraham by a traditional ritual. Such rituals included animals being slaughtered and divided. The covenant partners would stand between the halved animals and express a promise: that if they did not keep the covenant, what happened to the animals should happen to them. Isn’t it stunning that in Abraham’s vision God, symbolized by smoke and torch, passed between the slaughtered animals and that Abram didn’t do likewise? God initiated the covenant and commits God’s self to us. Like Abraham and Sarah, we haven’t yet seen how our lives are going to work out, but we have been promised that God will also accompany us the rest of our lives in covenant. Even when we wander and break the covenant, God stays faithful to us.
What better proof do we need of God’s fidelity than the new covenant God has established with us in Jesus? Again, God has taken the initiative and entered into a covenant with us. We may not have been faithful, but still, God has reached out to us in Jesus, and made a permanent, unconditional commitment to us humans. Despite doubts about our worthiness we are urged, like Abraham, to make an “act of righteousness,” to put our trust in God’s love and care for us and trust God will never abandon us.
Real estate agents will tell you that there are three important features that will sell a house, “Location, location, location.” People looking to buy a new home will list location as a very important, even primary, draw for them. How close is the house to public transportation; easy access to work and shopping; good schools for their children; nice neighborhood, etc.? Location, location, location.
Location is also important in Scripture stories. Where an event takes place will reinforce or enhance the message of a passage. Previous to today’s account Jesus had been traveling from place to place teaching and healing, followed by his disciples. The location of these events was fluid. After the revelation on the mountain Jesus will predict his passion and Luke will then tell us that Jesus, “resolutely determined to travel to Jerusalem” (9:51). The road towards Jerusalem will be a “location” where Jesus will teach and heal. That “location” will color all the stories along the way, because they will take place on the road to Jerusalem and hence, remind us of what’s up ahead, Jesus’ suffering and death.
The Transfiguration account takes place on a mountain. It’s an important location because ancients believed the gods dwelt on mountain tops. In Jewish literature the mountains were places of special relationship with God. Remember that on Mount Sinai God made a covenant with the Israelites and gave them the Commandments. On the Mount of Transfiguration Moses appears along with Elijah — some say, the two represent the Law and the prophets. In Peter’s eyes it looks like Jesus was the long-anticipated Messiah. The prophet Zechariah had predicted that the Messiah would appear at Sukkoth, the annual feast of Booths, which commemorated God’s care for the people when they traveled across the desert and dwelt in tents (“booths”).
“All who are left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall come up year after year, to worship the King, the Lord of hosts and to celebrate the feast of Booths.”
This may be why Peter wanted to construct tents on the mountain. He may have seen in the transfigured Jesus Zechariah’s promise being fulfilled.
Peter thought that the location where he, James and John had their insight into Jesus’ glory was a good place to settle and celebrate the arrival of the Messiah. It was a very good, exciting and comfortable place to stop traveling and stay. “Location, location, location.” But this wasn’t the right location for Jesus — Jerusalem was. Recalling the voice from the cloud should have unsettled Peter’s plans. The voice pointed to Jesus as God’s chosen Son, surpassing and replacing the Law of Moses and fulfilling the hopes of the prophets. From then on the disciples would have to accept Jesus’ way, which included suffering and death. They would have to follow Jesus to Jerusalem and, guided by the voice they heard on the mountain, listen to him. Where would Jesus lead his disciples? He would lead them to another location, down from the mountain and on the road with him, for he was “resolutely determined to travel to Jerusalem.”
Where are our security and stability? Not in any one place. Peter wanted piety and surety, believing that the spiritual was about buildings and special prayers. Instead, the guiding voice directs Peter to put his trust in Jesus and listen to his voice. Peter and the disciples have to give up their notions of God being in a privileged place and trust Jesus in, of all things (!), suffering and sacrifice.
Jesus’ Transfiguration is not the end of the story and in Luke’s second volume, the Acts, the resurrected Jesus promises the disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” (1:8). We, the baptized, have also received the Holy Spirit, the power Jesus promised his disciples. That Spirit will rouse us from our place of comfort and urge us out to a new location. Where is the Christian to be found? In the world, preaching and witnessing to the gospel. “Location, location, location.”