First Lesson: 2 Kings 2: 1-12 Responsive Reading: Psalm 50: 1-6 Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 4: 3-6 Gospel Lesson: Mark 9: 2-9 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Argentina and Chile have one of the largest shared borders in the world of 3,000 miles running alongside the Andes Mountains[1]. When both countries declared independence from the Spanish in 1810, the border immediately became disputed. The primary source of the tension in this dispute is the Patagonia region along the Southern coast of South America[2]. Patagonia is considered some of the most beautiful land in the world. After nearly a century of border disputes between the two counties, a local bishop decided to erect a statue on the country’s borders called “Christ of the Andes[3].” The statue was to serve as a message of Christ’s call for peace between the two countries. The statue’s completion in 1904 was initially a great cause for celebration. Soldiers from both countries would fire gun salutes together such a thing would have been unheard of a few years prior[4]. Pretty soon trouble arose, the people of Chile noticed something about the statute; the statue was facing Argentina turning its back on Chile[5]. The people of Chile were ready to go to war over the slight produced by this statue. A newspaper editor in Chile saw things much different from his fellow countrymen; he decided he needed to write an editorial about the statue. He proceeded to write to the people of Chile not to worry about any slights regarding the statue because “The people of Argentina need more watching over than the Chileans[6].” The people of Chile saw their anger turn to laughter; the countries continued in the years ahead with relative peace and eighty years after the construction of Christ of the Andes, the two countries formally recognized their friendship with each other[7]. The border statue had two perspectives on one event; thankfully the newspaper editor’s perspective was ultimately the one that saved the day. The second story for this morning told by D.L. Moody tells a similar tale of one event with two very different perspectives. Once upon a time, there was a Christian woman who was bed-ridden because of an illness[8]. Here’s what made the woman remarkable: her attitude was one of perpetual optimism no matter how much pain she felt or how much sicker she ultimately got. The worst things got the woman seemingly got sunnier. The woman had no earthly reason to celebrate. Her apartment was on the fifth floor of the most rundown building any of you have ever seen, yet this didn’t bother her. Not everyone saw things this way, one day a friend came to visit her bringing another guest in one of the wealthiest women around. There was no elevator in the dark and dingy building, so the two women had to climb the steps from the first floor. By the time they reached the second floor, the wealthy woman had commented “What a dark and filthy place[9]!" To which her friend commented, “Don’t worry, it gets better the higher up, you go[10].” When they reach the third floor, the wealthy woman comments “Things look even worse here." To which her friend mouths the same reply “Don’t worry, it gets better higher up.” Finally, the women get to the top floor. The wealthy woman looks at the surroundings; the room was the drabbest and most run-down thing she had seen in her life. The wealthy woman couldn’t for the life of her make sense of her friend’s words “it gets better higher up.” The wealthy woman then proceeds to say to the sickly woman “It must be very difficult for you to be here like this[11]!” A huge smile breaks out over the sickly woman’s face, “I’m happy here because it’s going to be better higher up[12].” The sickly woman and the wealthy woman saw the same room, yet they interpreted the room very differently. The wealthy woman only saw things regarding what you see Today[13]. The sickly woman saw something much different at work; she knew that regardless of her present surroundings, her mountaintop was still to come. Both these stories tell the tale of one event with two different perspectives. In the case of the Christ of the Andes statue, it’s the difference between war and peace. In the case of the wealthy woman and sickly woman, it’s the difference between despair and hope. You see the human eye is one of the most remarkable organisms in the world. Consider its complexity[14]. The human eye accounts for one/four-thousandths of an adult’s weight[15]. The eye processes about 80% of information that we receive in this lifetime. The retina contains 130 million rod-shaped cells to detect light intensity[16], impulses are transmitted to the brain by nearly one million nerve fibers, and the eyes manage to be kept clean by self-producing just the right amount of fluid to clean eyes within one five-thousandth of a second[17]. The amazing thing about the human eye is despite the minor differences in function, the precision of similarities between every human eye out there. Here’s the most important thing about the human eye, people can come to very different answers to the same events which they witness out of them. In our Gospel lesson for Today[18], Jesus and Peter’s eyes despite being very similar come to two very different answers. Our lesson begins as such, Jesus and Peter climb to the top of a mountain. Peter witnesses a jaw-dropping scene, Jesus starts shining as bright as the sun, then appearing alongside Jesus are Moses and Elijah the two previous greatest heroes of Israel’s faith. Pretty soon, something even bigger takes place than appearances of the long-dead heroes of the faith, a voice comes down from heaven proclaiming “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased. Listen to him[19]!” Jesus had been proclaimed by the heavens to be a bigger deal than even Moses or Elijah. Peter and the rest of the Disciples are so amazed at this scene of transfiguration that they fall onto the ground in sheer awe. Peter figures his life after witnessing such a dramatic scene will never be the same ever again. Peter’s first response is “Lord; it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters; one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah[20].” Peter knew a thing or two about marketing having been a fisherman[21]. Peter knew how to sell fish and thought he could do the same here with religion. Peter wanted to get the word out over a religious catch as he had never seen before. Peter knew people would travel from far and wide to see Jesus, Moses, and Elijah together. There would be no more denying among the people of Israel that Jesus was the one to follow. Peter thinks he finally has Jesus figured out, only for Jesus to tell Peter that nothing about this most dramatic of scenes will matter until Jesus rises from the dead. In fact, Peter hears he needed to keep his mouth shut until then. Here’s what Peter is reminded of on this day, in Jesus’ presence, we do not set the religious agenda. Jesus continually finds ways to afflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted[22]. Jesus has a way of bestowing mercy upon the worst of sinners even when it seems not to be possible[23]. We are reminded that as we look at any one event of our lives from the border dispute of two neighboring countries to visiting a sickly old woman, Jesus’ perspective on what his eyes see is continually so much different from our own. Where we might only see crosses laid before us, Jesus sees what’s on the other side of the cross. As we keep this in mind, let me describe one final scene for this morning, the year is 2018, the place is Silver Bay[24]. It’s a cold day in April, the wind is blowing, and rain is drizzling down. A woman is gathered at Sawtooth Cemetery along her family plus a few select friends. She’s staring at her husband’s coffin; her mind is consumed with the last days of his life as his body got more and more ravaged by cancer, till the point that he could not get out of bed. She stares at the coffin, but she does not cry. She sees the casket and believes that things will indeed be better higher up. She sees a day where her husband’s body is strong once again, where he walks out of bed on his very power, where previous hospital visits are now a distant memory[25]. She sees a day when the two of them will eat dinner together again, where they embrace, where they walk, talk, and share laughs together[26]. She does not cry. Some people only see a casket on this day, but she sees something more. She sees not their separation on this day, she rather sees the day when they will be together again, and all things are made new once again[27]. Peter upon the Mount of Transfiguration, saw what he thought was the pinnacle of his faith, whereas Jesus knew the pinnacle of faith was yet to come. Whereas many of us see caskets on days such as this, Jesus’ eyes see the empty tombs which are soon to come. Amen [1] “Argentina–Chile relations.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 23.Jan.2018. Web. Jan.29.2018. [2] “Argentina–Chile relations.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. [3] “Christ the Redeemer of the Andes.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 13. Nov.2017. Web. Jan.29.2018. [4] “Christ the Redeemer of the Andes.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. [5] “Conflict” Bits & Pieces. 25.June. 1992. Web. Jan.29.2018. Taken from Sermonillustrations.com. [6] Conflict” Bits & Pieces. [7] “Argentina–Chile relations.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. [8] Schultz, Don. “The Mountain Before The Valley.” Sermon Central. 27. Feb.2003. Web. Jan.29.2018. [9] Schultz, Don. “The Mountain Before The Valley.” [10] Schultz, Don. “The Mountain Before The Valley.” [11] Schultz, Don. “The Mountain Before The Valley.” [12] Schultz, Don. “The Mountain Before The Valley.” [13] Schultz, Don. “The Mountain Before The Valley.” [14] Richardson, Taylor. “Seeing is Believing: The Design of the Human Eye.” Apologetics Press. 2004. Web. Jan.29.2018. [15] Blanchard, John. Does God Believe in Atheists? 2000. EP Books. Grand Rapids, MI. P.313. taken from Richardson, Taylor “Seeing is Believing: The Design of the Human Eye.” [16] Blanchard, John. Does God Believe in Atheists? [17] Blanchard, John. Does God Believe in Atheists? [18] Mark 9:2-9. [19] Mark 9:7. [20] Mark 9:5. [21] Stier, Pastor Leon. “Not on the Same Page (b.) Email Mediataions. 1. Mar.2017. Web. Jan.29.2018. [22] Stier, Pastor. Leon. “Not on the Same Page (a).” Email Mediataions. 28.Feb.2017. Web. Jan.29.2018. [23] Stier, Pastor. Leon. “Not on the Same Page (a).” [24] Based on “A Different Kind of Dream.” By Rev. Dr. Mike Graves published on Day 1 on Feburary 19, 2012. [25] Graves, Rev.Dr. Mike. “A Different Kind of Dream.” Day 1. 19.Feb.2012. Web. Jan.29.2018. [26] Graves, Rev.Dr. Mike. “A Different Kind of Dream.” [27] Revelation 21:5. Comments are closed.
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