The Light of the World is Always With YOU
The little boy was standing in front of the congregation with his Sunday school class.  They had finished singing their hymn and now they each had to recite the Bible verses they had memorized.  Understandably, placed in such a high-stress situation, the boy forgot his passage:  Jesus' words, "I am the Light of the World".  Thankfully, his mother, who had rehearsed with him, had come early and was sitting up front.  She prompted her son, gesturing and forming the words silently with her lips.  It didn't help.  Finally in a desperate last attempt, she leaned forward and whispered, "I am the light of the world."  The boy's face lit up and with great feeling and a loud and clear voice he said, "My mother is the light of the world."

We know that Jesus describes Himself as the Light of the World.  Now if you have ever stumbled around in the dark, in real pitch dark, and not in your own home, but somewhere where you didn't know where you were, for instance a dark cave, or in the woods,  then you know just how precious the light is.  Jesus has described himself in this way for a reason.  The comfort, and the wisdom, and the real and true guidance that comes from having "the light" with you as you travel around is what Jesus promises to us on our journey in life.

God's people are not left in the dark to wander on their own.  God has always promised us this.  Let's look at the Old Testament.  God's people, the believers, are in slavery, in bondage in Egypt.  If you remember the story, they have someone who is their "Deliverer" and they are led out of bondage.  They are being led on the way Home to the Promised Land.  On their journey, they have ways that God shows them that he is with them.  We read how they have the pillar of fire, and the cloud leading them, and there is the tabernacle representing His dwelling amongst them.  All signs of His presence, and yet we see that the people grumble and get distracted by food and possessions.  And incredibly, actually prefer the bondage of slavery to trusting in the promise of getting to the Promised Land.

I am with you.  Your are on a journey, you're not there yet, but I am with you!

God has promised us that we will be in the Promised Land of the perfection of heaven, and that on our journey He is with us!  He is always with us, always, the Light of the World.

Transfiguration

On one afternoon, on a mountainside, Jesus gave a glimpse of the fullness of just who He is to Peter, John and James.  They got to see that He really is the Son of God, the light of the world.

In our Gospel reading today we have Matthew's account of the incredible and true event of the Transfiguration, that day on a mountainside, when Jesus of Nazareth, true God and true Man, allowed a glimpse of His divinity to three of His close friends and followers.  Just try and picture that beautiful moment if you could.  The writers in Scripture struggle to come up with words to describe what Jesus looked like...he "gleamed" like lightening....brighter than you can ever wash anything...he "shone".  Incredible!

Doubt

We look at our believers that traveled in the desert years before, we look at people in Jesus' time, and we look at today and we know that there has always been skepticism, non-belief, doubts in mankind.  That is nothing new.  From the Celtic tribes that St. Patrick shared with, to about a century ago religion being described as the opiate of the masses, to today in our new age, it is no different.  There is skepticism about God's presence.  The common face that skepticism has taken today is that there is no absolute truth...who are YOU to say what is real and who God is?

George Barna did a survey in 1991 and of people 18-25 years old, 72% believed there was no such thing as an "absolute truth".  Absolute truth is the idea that there is one truth and the other things are actually wrong, not just alternative truths.  We teach what Jesus shared, that YES, there is an absolute truth, one real truth.

Peter communicates to us today in our New Testament reading that what he is sharing isn't some cleverly made-up story.  It isn't a quick spin on the truth in order to "mislead the masses".  What he is sharing is based on real "eyewitness" accounts.

"I was there," he is saying.  "I saw it!"  Peter was on that mountainside.  He saw a glimpse of Jesus in His divinity.  He never forgot that.  Who would?  You wouldn't forget something like that.  It is one of those moments that gets imbedded into us as if in slow motion.

And yet somehow on our journey, we know that God is with us, we know that we are on the way home to the Promised Land...and still we forget.  Just like the Hebrew people on their way to the Promised Land.  Even with signs of God's presence with them, they had these fond inklings toward their time in captivity, thinking that having some food, having some shelter...that is enough (forgetting that they were in bondage and slavery!).  We too can get caught up with the issues of our day, the "busyness" of day to day life and we can forget that God is with us.  We can forget about the truth.  Jesus is real and true!  He really is divine!  And He really has prepared the way for us to be in heaven through His cross and resurrection!

That is REAL!  Our promise of being "in the kingdom" and having a home in heaven through faith in Him is real, and is the one and true absolute truth!

Ask Yourself

How different would your confidence and trust in Jesus and your life itself be if you had actually been there and seen the Transfiguration?  Are there things you would change about your life?  Would Jesus' promise be more meaningful to you?

The beautiful thing is that God's promise is not far away from our day to day living.  He is with us and comes to us right where we are in the midst of our day to day lives.  In the midst of our bills, and long work hours, and our sickness, even with all our faults and sin, He is present with us.  He doesn't wait and come to us when we are "ready".

Take a look.  Peter is having another day fishing, hauling in the fish, working on the nets, maybe arguing with his brother, and Jesus shows up and says "Peter, I'm getting in your boat...push off from shore a little".  Mary is working around the house, maybe she is stirring the pot by the fire, when an angel appears to her with Great News.  Matthew is sitting at his tax collector booth in the middle of work when God the Son shows up and say "Come follow me".

On the day of the Transfiguration, we have no indication that Peter knew anything was "up" when Jesus asked him and the others to walk up the mountainside with him.  Maybe Peter is tired, maybe hungry as he climbs up the side of this mountain.  Maybe he is thinking of the things that they could be getting done, important things... things that really matter... that you NEED to do.  Then he witnesses the transfiguration.  He witnesses Jesus in all His glory!  And everything was put in perspective.  Peter just wants to stay there and set up camp.  This is good!

In the midst of your day to day life, the things that make up your day, doing the things that you need to do, know that God himself is with you.  Know that Jesus is the Messiah.  He is real and true!  He is the Savior.  Let all the doubt disappear.  He is present with you on your journey to the Promised Land.  Present through His church.  You can hear, and come close, through His Word and His sacraments.

No, you might not have been there on that mountaintop that incredible day.  But you can know that He is real!  Jesus truly is God the Son.  He is the light of the world.  He is with you, and He has made "the way", prepared the way home for you.  It is He that has provided forgiveness of sin, so that you can be in the perfectness of heaven!

Carry that comforting and peace-filled truth with you all your days!