Above: Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor
Jesus, Who Was and Is Superior to His Persecutors
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
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2 Kings 2:1-12 (New Revised Standard Version):
Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha,
Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.
But Elisha said,
As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.
So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him,
Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?
And he said,
Yes, I know; keep silent.
Elijah said to him,
Elisha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.
But he said,
As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.
So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him,
Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?
And he answered,
Yes, I know; be silent.
Then Elijah said to him,
Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.
But he said,
As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.
So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha,
Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.
Elisha said,
Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.
He responded,
You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.
As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out,
Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!
But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
Psalm 50:1-6 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 The LORD, the God of gods, has spoken;
he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty,
God reveals himself in glory.
3 Our God will come and will not keep silence;
before him there is a consuming flame,
and round about him a raging storm.
4 He calls the heavens and the earth from above
to witness the judgment of his people.
5 ”Gather before me my loyal followers,
those who have made a covenant with me
and sealed it with sacrifice.”
6 Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause;
for God himself is judge.
2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (New Revised Standard Version):
Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said,
Let light shine out of darkness,
who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Mark 9:2-9 (New Revised Standard Version):
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus,
Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice,
This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!
Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
The Collect:
O God, who before the passion of your only begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Some Related Posts:
Last Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/last-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-a/
O Wondrous Type, O Vision Fair:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/05/o-wondrous-type-o-vision-fair/
Feast of the Transfiguration:
https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/feast-of-the-transfiguration-of-jesus-august-6/
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One of the recurring themes in Mark 9 is that Jesus was quite powerful. That theme is evident in Mark’s account of the Transfiguration. Isolating this passage and lifting it out of its textual context hides what occurs around it. Namely, Jesus has just said to take up one’s cross. And, a few verses later, he predicts his own passion again.
Jesus is on the way to his death and resurrection, the latter of which reaffirms a major point of the Transfiguration: Jesus, regardless of any appearances to the contrary, is far more powerful than any persecutor or empire.
I feel succinct today, so leave you, O reader, with that thought, as well as with this one: Jesus remains more powerful than any persecutor. Thanks be to God!
KRT
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Published originally at ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS BY KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR on July 20, 2011
SUNDRY THOUGHTS 
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