ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.
Listen "SERMON | Mark 9:2-9 | TRANSFIGURATION - "Listen to Him!" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin, Indiana"
Episode Synopsis
SERMON | Mark 9:2-9 | TRANSFIGURATION - "Listen to Him!" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin, Indiana
Jesus’ message is simple: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news.”
What is the good news?
That the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near.
To believe this good news, you’ll have to re-think everything…
You’ll have to re-orient what you think is possible and what this whole reality is all about…
In other words, you’ll have to repent—and alter how you think, live, act, and define your entire self, world, and God.
And what is the Kingdom of God?
God’s will and way becomes your way of life.
This changes how you deal with other people.
This changes how you understand yourself.
These changes impact your very experience and quality of life, love, relationships, challenges, seasons, etc.
Your here and now life becomes a “life with God” or “eternal life.”
This Gospel account has walked through Jesus’ teaching of the kingdom prior to this scene of transfiguration:
We see it defined in a number of ways, but Jesus’ death is going to define it very clearly as an assertive, liberating, non-violent love of God and all people.
This kind of kingdom-living also unapologetically and humbly rejects the way of the world—fear, hatred, greed, falsehood, violence, and despair that pervades every person and system.
When you live into the way of God’s great mercy, compassion, and covenantally love… it will ALWAYS provoke the powers-that-be…because it disarms them and exposes them for what they are—inhumane.
Jesus knew he was provoking the powers of his day…
He tried to warn the disciples…
He told them what it took to truly follow in his footsteps and what it might require…
And he then walked that path to its end.
But this is a tall task to live into and calls others to live into as well…
Because living this way will ALWAYS bring about opposition.
Living an agape (self-giving) love in our world and living counter to the culture that idolizes individual liberty and materialism at the cost of our planet and other humans will provoke the powers-that-be.
When you refuse to play the game of drawing lines in the sand and thinking that any other human being is less-than-worthy of your self-giving love…people will get uncomfortable with you and your way of living and being.
When you challenge cultural taboos that distort the humanity of people and their relationship to others…devotees of the status-quo will be provoked.
This life of following Jesus is not for the squeamish.
But if we are to live into the Rule and Reign of God, we must LISTEN TO HIM as we follow in his footsteps with fill knowledge of where it is taking us…
every step of the path we are called to walk is going to align with the one whose steps we follow.
We stand on the precipice of Lent—a time when examine ourselves and remember our absolute dependence upon God for the existence and purpose of our lives.
As Jesus stood on that mountain with the path to the cross clearly in sight…
He made a conscious effort to be honest with his followers and prepare them to be ready to face all that would come.
Through the accounts of Jesus’ disciples we witness the Transfiguration for what it is…
A peak behind the curtain to see both Jesus’ divinity and humanity…
A beautiful and powerful illustration of the kingdom’s presence which transcends what we call “Reality” in the here and now…and what it would cost to live into it.
We hear the command to “Listen to him” rather than get caught up in any sort of mountaintop experience…
Because a life following Jesus is going to show us something extraordinarily awesome…
But it will also lead us into confrontation with our world.
Jesus’ message is simple: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news.”
What is the good news?
That the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near.
To believe this good news, you’ll have to re-think everything…
You’ll have to re-orient what you think is possible and what this whole reality is all about…
In other words, you’ll have to repent—and alter how you think, live, act, and define your entire self, world, and God.
And what is the Kingdom of God?
God’s will and way becomes your way of life.
This changes how you deal with other people.
This changes how you understand yourself.
These changes impact your very experience and quality of life, love, relationships, challenges, seasons, etc.
Your here and now life becomes a “life with God” or “eternal life.”
This Gospel account has walked through Jesus’ teaching of the kingdom prior to this scene of transfiguration:
We see it defined in a number of ways, but Jesus’ death is going to define it very clearly as an assertive, liberating, non-violent love of God and all people.
This kind of kingdom-living also unapologetically and humbly rejects the way of the world—fear, hatred, greed, falsehood, violence, and despair that pervades every person and system.
When you live into the way of God’s great mercy, compassion, and covenantally love… it will ALWAYS provoke the powers-that-be…because it disarms them and exposes them for what they are—inhumane.
Jesus knew he was provoking the powers of his day…
He tried to warn the disciples…
He told them what it took to truly follow in his footsteps and what it might require…
And he then walked that path to its end.
But this is a tall task to live into and calls others to live into as well…
Because living this way will ALWAYS bring about opposition.
Living an agape (self-giving) love in our world and living counter to the culture that idolizes individual liberty and materialism at the cost of our planet and other humans will provoke the powers-that-be.
When you refuse to play the game of drawing lines in the sand and thinking that any other human being is less-than-worthy of your self-giving love…people will get uncomfortable with you and your way of living and being.
When you challenge cultural taboos that distort the humanity of people and their relationship to others…devotees of the status-quo will be provoked.
This life of following Jesus is not for the squeamish.
But if we are to live into the Rule and Reign of God, we must LISTEN TO HIM as we follow in his footsteps with fill knowledge of where it is taking us…
every step of the path we are called to walk is going to align with the one whose steps we follow.
We stand on the precipice of Lent—a time when examine ourselves and remember our absolute dependence upon God for the existence and purpose of our lives.
As Jesus stood on that mountain with the path to the cross clearly in sight…
He made a conscious effort to be honest with his followers and prepare them to be ready to face all that would come.
Through the accounts of Jesus’ disciples we witness the Transfiguration for what it is…
A peak behind the curtain to see both Jesus’ divinity and humanity…
A beautiful and powerful illustration of the kingdom’s presence which transcends what we call “Reality” in the here and now…and what it would cost to live into it.
We hear the command to “Listen to him” rather than get caught up in any sort of mountaintop experience…
Because a life following Jesus is going to show us something extraordinarily awesome…
But it will also lead us into confrontation with our world.
In God we trust