“Who’s in charge here, anyway?” It’s a statement, with not a little accusation, by someone who needs assistance. Perhaps he/she has walked into a repair shop and no one seems to be paying any attention. The workers are too distracted or preoccupied by their particular tasks to give the person much attention. What can be done, except ask, “Who’s in charge here anyway?” Surely someone will hear that and be of assistance.
As a result of sin in the world the place is a mess and no one knows what to do about it. People are distracted and concerned about their own little world. Even nations seem indifferent to mass sufferings. We can’t help but ask the big question, “Who’s in charge here, anyway?” We ask that question in various ways: “How did this war begin?” “Why are there so many hungry and poor people in the world?” “Who’s messing up the environment?” “Is someone going to report that industry’s unsafe working conditions?” “Why are we spending so much on military weapons?” “Why are so many former churchgoers no longer going?” “What can we do about the problem of drugs and the young lives they ruin?” “Who’s in charge here, anyway?”
The God who speaks to us today through the Scriptures is reaching out and inviting us to respond in obedience and trust. Can we accept that invitation and the rule of our God? If we can, then at least in our lives, when we ask, “Who’s in charge here, anyway?” we can respond by our words and our manner of life — “God is.”
Abram is beginning to learn that God has a plan for humans living in the mess created by sin. God called Abram and made a promise that he and Sarai would have many descendants and become “a great nation” (Gen. 12:1-2). Today’s Genesis story begins to unfold how God’s plans will be fulfilled.
At first Abram and Sarai didn’t believe the promise God made to them; they weren’t great models of faith, not at first. One would presume that if God were going to accomplish a great thing, as promised, God would choose the best candidates to begin the process. But even the best of humans can’t clean up the mess the world is in; this has got to be God’s doing. It begins with God taking the first steps and entering the lives of Abram and Saria.
Abram’ apparition envelops him in a “terrifying darkness.” In the Scriptures, when God appears to humans, fear is usually their first reaction. That’s true in the Gospels as well; as evidenced by today’s story of the Transfiguration. A cloud comes over the three apostles and when they enter it they are afraid. Wouldn’t you be? It’s the fear of mere humans before the Infinite and Holy One.
Paul (Rom 4:3) will reflect on Abram’s (later called Abraham) response to God. As it says in Genesis, “Abraham put his faith in the Lord, who credited him as an act of righteousness.” A person becomes righteous by fulfilling a commitment and entering into a relationship with God. Abraham’s trust makes him righteous before God; he believes what God has promised and is now in a relationship of trust with God. He will follow through, trusting that the promise made to him is already being fulfilled.
The covenant between God and Abraham is just the beginning of similar promises God will make with other humans. What is asked of the human in the covenant, is to trust in the promise and act on it — even though it is not yet fulfilled. Disciples of Jesus will do the same: enter into a relationship of faith with him and change their lives to reflect the commitment they have made.
Peter, James and John accompanied Jesus up the mountain to pray. (In this section of Luke’s gospel Jesus is focusing his attention on a small group of the disciples.) Frequently Jesus is portrayed in Luke’s gospel at prayer; especially before he is to make a big decision. In today’s passage it seems that the disciples are there to pray as well. Moses and Elijah appear and speak with Jesus of his “exodus” — an image that is reminiscent of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery. Exodus can also refer to Jesus’ death in Jerusalem; a deliverance for us from the slavery of sin.
The world is in a mess because of sin. God is in charge and, in Jesus, has stepped in to do something about it. If there is any doubt about how God will accomplish this deed the voice in the cloud announces to the disciples, “This is my chosen Son, listen to him.” The disciples had been “overcome by sleep,” but became “fully awake” when Jesus’ glory shines forth and Moses and Elijah appear with him. The disciples will be asleep again later when Jesus undergoes his agony on another mountain, the Mount of Olives. The Transfiguration foreshadows the glory of the resurrection and shows the promise that discipleship holds for faithful followers of Christ.
The disciples’ failures are shown throughout the gospel. Even in this scene, Peter doesn’t understand the importance of what he has experienced. He wants to put up three Memorial tents for Jesus, Elijah and Moses. He seems to think the three are on the same level. He also wants to pause for a while. But Jesus wants followers; those who will travel with him to Jerusalem. He has work to do and his disciples will have to continue to work after he is resurrected and gifts them with his Spirit. The voice, “This is my chosen Son, listen to him,” must clarify things for the disciples. Jesus is not just a lawgiver like Moses or a prophet like Elijah. Instead, God’s plan to heal humanity of the wounds sin has caused will be done through Christ, who is in a special relationship, the voice announces, with God.
The voice also reveals how God is going to accomplish the promise of descendants, as numerous as the stars, God made to Abraham and Sarah. Those who “listen” to Jesus will be numbered among the descendants. “Listening” or “hearing” in the Bible suggests the next step after a word is spoken — trusting the speaker and acting on what is heard.
We are down from the mountain with Jesus and the three disciples. But if the mountaintop experience means anything to us modern Christians, it reveals Jesus to us and suggests the glory we will share with him at our own resurrection. Meanwhile we “listen/hear” what he previously told his disciples about our call to pick up his cross and follow his way of self-service, offering ourselves, as he did, for others.
Normally the sacrifice priests offered in the Temple and subsequent acts of obedience, made one “righteous.” But with the example of Abraham and what we have heard on the mountain of Transfiguration, it is faith that puts us in right relationship with God and others. The basis of our righteousness is our faith in Jesus Christ and in the words he speaks.
Listening to Jesus’ words can be confusing and perplexing at times. While we hear him speak words of consolation and assurance of God’s love for us, there is the costly side of discipleship which asks our whole life. If we want to share in his glory, we must also share in his sufferings. We don’t take on this suffering as a mere act of self-loathing, a form of masochism. Instead, we offer ourselves as servants to those suffering around us.
Our Lenten practices can remind us that, as the disciples on the mountain, we too have been dozing in our Christian duties, asleep and dreaming about ourselves. If the glory of Christ is to be seen now then we will see it beneath the surface of those suffering. Lent opens our eyes and stirs us to respond to the voice that directs, “listen to him.” What we hear in Christ’s words directs us to serve others.
After the voice has spoken Luke tells us Jesus “was found alone.” In him is fulfilled: the law as represented by Moses and the prophets represented by Elijah. Faith in Jesus fulfills the law and makes us righteous; following his prophetic words turns us, as the prophets did, to listen to the cry of the poor.
So, we look around and ask: “Who’s in charge here, anyway?” In Genesis and Luke, we are again reminded, “God is.” Jesus is our surest sign that God has taken action to forgive, heal and unite. If those signs are to be evident now in our world we, as his followers, must hear what he says to us and put flesh on his words by our actions. As the voice on the mountain said, “Listen to him.”