Reflections on "A Woman's Place" matthew 17: 1-9

Depending on whether you attended the chapel service or the sanctuary service, this sermon might seem familiar. It was one of those Sundays when the sermon at the chapel service had to be revised before the sanctuary service. One illustration tossed; two added; one point shifted to another place in the sermon; and the ending rewritten. I sort of liked the sermon at 11:00.

I had gone to bed Saturday night thinking I would spend a few minutes on each of the points suggested by my colleagues on how to deal with the absence of women in the story (see previous blog), but when I preached it through at 6:00 am, I found myself compelled to focus on how we believe when we have not seen. This is one of those times I wish I could preach the same text four weeks in a row and take a different approach each week. Maybe I should do that some time.

Here is the revised sermon preached at the 11:00 am sanctuary service:


“A Woman's Place” March 6, 2011; FPC, Troy; Transfiguration Sunday; Women's series
Introduction: Transfiguration Sunday – last Sunday before Lent when we tell this mountaintop story.

Sort of creates a poster image for us; or maybe a FB page for us to visit during the Lent – the reminder that our Lenten journey invites us to know better this Jesus Christ, the one who is transfigured on the mountaintop, the one about whom the voice of God announces,”This is my Son, the Beloved”

Sort of a strange story on which to conclude a preaching series on women in the Bible since women are notably absent from the story.

This week I asked several colleagues, many of whom were women, how to approach this text from a woman's perspective since there was an absence of women in the text.

The answers ranged from: we see ourselves as disciples, so when we read Pater, James and John we feel included to if the women had been on the mountaintop they would have done a better job than the disciples who were there and did not quite get it to (my favorite) what do you mean no women were present – you did say the voice of God spoke didn't you! (see http://whatisrichardpreaching.blogspot.com/ for more details on answers my colleagues offered).

The only living humans – Peter, James, John and Jesus – who are on the mountaintop are men; the only holy, something different than humans on the mountaintop are Moses, Elijah and the transfigured Jesus, who even in their glory we recognize as men.

Woman are not there on the mountaintop.

Finish this series on women reflecting on what no women on the mountaintop means for us.

Move 1: Imagine this conversation taking place just after Peter, James and John have come down off the mountaintop.

a. Remember, Jesus has instructed them to tell no one what happened until after he has been raised from the dead.

b. Some of the women see Peter, James and John and rush up to talk to them.

1.Perhaps they had seen them off earlier.

2.Maybe one or two of them had packed picnic lunches for their journey up the mountaintop.

3.Probably all the women knew that the mountaintop was a special place.

4.They remembered the story of Abraham taking his son Isaac up on the mountain to sacrifice him, only to encounter God there; God who honored Abraham's faithfulness by providing a ram for the sacrifice, thereby saving Isaac's life.

5.They remember that Moses went up on the mountaintop and was surrounded by the cloud of God's glory as Moses spoke with God.

b. they meet Peter, James and John with excited questioning.

1.“What happened on the mountaintop?”

2.“nothing”

3.“no really, we know special things happen on mountaintop. What did Jesus say up there? What did he do?”

4.“nothing. Really. We just walked up, walked down. Nothing happened.”

5.“I don't believe you. You look shaken up. Something must have happened. Come on, tell me.”

6.“Nope, nothing happened” reply Peter, James and John, as the excited somewhat fearful looks in their eyes betray their words.

c.Maybe over the next few days Peter or James or John might whisper, “Something did happen. But I can't tell you about it. Maybe one day.”
d. fast forward to after Jesus has been crucified, buried and then raised from the dead.

1.Peter, James and John go back to their women friends.

2.“remember that day we went up on the mountaintop with Jesus.”

3.“yeah, the day nothing happened up on the mountaintop.”

4.“Well something really did happen. Jesus was transfigured. Moses and Elijah were there. God spoke from the heavens and told us that Jesus was God's son.”

4.“We're supposed to believe that now. Sounds like something you've made up so we'll believe the resurrection story.”

5.“no, it really happened just like that on the mountaintop.”

6.“really, why should I believe you?”

e. The woman who were not on the mountaintop are asked to believe this incredible story without even seeing it for themselves.

f. Suddenly, we discover the importance of those women who are absent on the mountaintop because we join them as people asked to believe incredible stories about Jesus, even though we were not witnesses to them.

Move 2: What would make you believe?

a. It is reputed that Karl Barth once remarked that people came to the sanctuary on Sunday mornings with one question: “Is it true?”

b. What would make you believe?

1.I suspect the women did not believe the story because they found the facts compelling.

2.they believed the story because they saw the look in the eyes of Peter, James and John. They saw how the experience on the mountaintop impacted their lives.

c.What can compel me to believe?

1.People who change their minds – not changing for the sake of changing, but people whose initial reaction gets adjusted as they consider how their faith calls them to respond.

Maybe not as dramatic as Saul's conversion to Paul, but someone who changes their perspective because God has been at work on them.

2.People who engage others in authentic ways – not just being engaging. But, people who work to engage others because they believe that they are connected with them. Jesus engaged people – he healed them, taught them, challenged them, sometimes even did not get along with them, but he engaged them.

“let me tell you what homeless people think about folks that help homeless people: when you homeless, you wonder why certain volunteers do what they do. What do they want? Everybody want somethin....but these folks [Moores] was different. One reason was they didn't come just on holidays. Most people don't want homeless close to em – think they're dirty, or got some kinda disease, or maybe they think that kind of troubled life is gon' rub off on em. They come at Christmas and Easter and Thanksgiving and give you a little turkey and lukewarm gravy. Then they go home and gather round their own table and forget about you till the next time come around where they start feelin a little guilty 'cause they go so much to be thankful for.” Same Kind of Different, Ron Hall and Denver Moore, 93.

3.People who seem flawed and imperfect, but still believe. The first two groups of people seem rather saintly, but I also find myself moved by those who make mistakes, who miss the mark, who can't quite get, but persevere in their faith.

People who are transformed; people who engage in authentic ways; people who have their flaws but persevere in the faith; they compel me to believe.


Conclusion: Let's finish the conversation between Peter, James and John and the women:

Peter: “Seriously, you have to believe us. That's what really happened on the mountaintop.”

Women: “Why should we believe you?”

Peter, James and John: “Because look at our lives. “

Women: “look at your lives?”

PJJ: “Yeah, if we live like people changed, then believe us.”

Like the women, people look to us to see if they should believe.