“The Two Aspects of Christ’s Glory” Transfiguration 2025

09. February 2025

Transfiguration

Matthew 17:1-9

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light […] While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Mt 17:1–2, 5).

This is the Word of the Lord that came to me, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in His + Name. AMEN.

In the Bible, there are two aspects of God's glory: a light side and a dark side. These are the two aspects of God’s glory. There is a lightness to God, a tender touch, and a weighty, dense side to God, which is a heavier hand. These two aspects of course come from looking at how glory — the kabod of God — appears in the Old Testament, especially how it is sometimes presented as light, while it is other times (and maybe even most of the time) presented as a dark cloud, a heaviness, a shadow that covers.

The most obvious example is when Solomon dedicated the Temple. It is said that: “… it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord. Then Solomon said, ”The Lord said that He would dwell in the thick darkness”” (1 Kings 8:10-12).

This is also true even in the New Testament. Notice, for example, how when the Archangel announces to the Mother of God, He says, “The power of God will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). The power of God will literally cast a shadow on you, or figuratively, to envelop, to cover you.

Sometimes, this notion of glory can be both a light lightness, as in a gentle touch, and a dense darkness, as in having a heavy hand. At the same time, the most interesting example is related to the story of when Moses came down from Mount Sinai and his face was changed. Moses’ face shone with the light of God’s glory, which he could not feel, and yet, Aaron, the leaders of Israel, and the children of Israel begged Moses to cover his face. God’s glory was too heavy for them, too much for them to bear, and too weighty to carry, causing them to dread Moses.   

Which one is it for us? Is the glory of God a light, gentle touch or a dark, heavy hand? Of course, the answer is both and neither. But this is a paradox, meant to point to God's unreachable, untouchable nature and, also, the immediate, graspable quality of all that is divine. God is beyond you, but He is right here in the words, water, bread, and wine.

And so, in the story of the Transfiguration, the two aspects of God’s glory are on full display, one next to each other. In all three gospel accounts, there are two steps in manifesting glory. First, Christ’s face shines with light, and his clothing becomes as white as lightning.  Second, there appears a cloud that overshadows and covers those present. This double manifestation appears especially in the Gospel of Matthew, where the paradox is brought closer together. After it is said, “He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as lightening”, it goes on to say, "While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them.” The word “bright” in immediate contrast to“overshadow” joins the two aspects of glory into one total experience of the incarnate Divinity.

So, pastor, don’t you think this is too heavy for a Sunday morning? Yes, it is, because this isn’t presented to us like the many ways we imagine God, trying to shrink him down so that we can get a handle on him, and with our heavy hand, compel him to offer us his worship and power, so that “My will be done, in heaven, as it is on earth.” In the presentation of the Transfiguration, there’s none of the usual dulled down Midwestern niceties. This is God’s glory, and according to Peter, John, and James, it’s light as a feather and heavy as an anvil. They want to stay there forever, setting up tents for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, and then end up falling down on their faces; they’re so full of dread.

The best way for us to think about this, I think, is to think about the two aspects of the glory of God, which are showing and hiding. In some places, God hides from us because He doesn’t want us getting in his way, mucking about where we don’t belong. Then, there are other places, like in this pulpit, in the baptismal font, and at the communion rail, where He shows Himself to us because that’s where He chooses to get close up and personal with you.

And, of course, you will notice that where God chooses to show himself to you, that also happens to be where Jesus shows up. And where God doesn’t want you getting in His way, Jesus isn’t there for you. Where Jesus is, God’s lightness is there, touching you with a gentleness like the first rays of the morning’s light nuzzling up against your face. And where Jesus isn’t, it’s a dark, dense weight that can often feel like you’re being crushed by a dreadful God who seems to have it out for you.

This is why, in the Church and the liturgy, we make such a big deal about Epiphany, the dawning of the Light. Jesus says, “I am the Light of the world, the Light no darkness can overshadow.” When Jesus says He is the Light of the world, He means that where I AM, God is for you; gentle, with a light touch, comforting, assuring you, “It’s going to be alright. I am with you always, even unto the end of the ages.” Where Jesus is the Light, all those things you do in private — the things you think no one can see, and no one will ever know about, because you are overshadowed by the dark — Jesus comes and says, “Lift up your eyes and see My glory, glory that no darkness can overshadow.”

And so, we participate in the Light because our lives can seem so very dark, so very often. The world is so dark and often feels so heavy; it often feels like the dark is winning. But God’s Word assures us this is an illusion. The darkness even tried to kill the Light, but three days later, He got up out of his grave and went out to meet His disciples and to greet them with the comforting words, “Peace be with you.” “Peace be with you,” He says, and “Peace be with you,” He says again to you today. More than that, “My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.”

You have been given the peace of God that surpasses all our pitiful, wanting human understanding. The peace that says to you, “My glory surrounds you, my glory fills you, and my glory bathes you in grace upon grace all the days of your life, even unto the end of the ages, because I am with you always.” Because the Light is with you always, the darkness cannot overshadow you, it cannot claim you, and it cannot hold God back from taking your hand and guiding you upon the well-lighted path that leads to your heavenly home.

This is the Word of the Lord that came to me, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in His + Name. AMEN.

Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church & School - Sherman Center
Random Lake, Wisconsin