Dear Friends
The Transfiguration is described in three of the Gospels (Matthew 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–13, Luke 9:28–36) and forms a central point for their narratives. The event is preceded by Peter’s confession “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” (Matthew 16:16; compare Mark 8:29 and Luke 9:20) and Christ first telling them of the coming Passion. After the Transfiguration all is directing Christ and the crowd with him to Jerusalem and our salvation.
And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Luke 9:30–31
The word which is variously translated “departure,” “decease” and “death” is “Exodus.” And what was achieved at the Exodus out of Egypt, judgment against the gods of Egypt, is now to be done against all the gods: the type of the Red Sea is fulfilled, filled full to overflowing, by Christ’s Exodus.
But what actually happed at this central event of the Gospels?
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
Christ was and is the incarnate (literally “enfleshed”) Word of the Father and we have beheld his glory, so it was not he who changed. It was, rather, the eyes of the Three Disciples—Peter, James and John—which changed. On that mountain they beheld the glory of God in the person of Christ: they saw beyond this world which is full of corruption and decay and could see the express Image of the Father.
And you and I, dear brothers and sisters, are called upon to continue to see the world through transfigured eyes: to look at the Lord’s creation and see God shining out. In particular to see in our neighbour—who may well be scarred with sin—the image of God who loves him and offered himself as a sacrifice for him.
And when we look and we see and we contemplate the image of God in all whom we meet—whether our world would consider them righteous or evil is immaterial—we place ourselves as servants of the living God.
Come and celebrate the Transfiguration this weekend, come and celebrate life, come and take up your own citizenship in the Kingdom.
We now serve a meal following the Liturgy on Sundays. All are welcome.
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Advance notice: We will not have services on 13th–14th nor 27th–28th August. All other weekends we will, God-willing, have our usual pattern.
Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
You see, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that the Lord in today’s reading heals in two ways: for the first two, the blind men, when they have cried out to him whereas the demoniac by others bringing him to Christ. The former cried out to the Lord, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” They were blind and desperate and the Lord leads them away to a quiet place in a house. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” says the Lord to them and he says the same to us: “Do you believe I am able to grant to you health and life?”
They had come seeking a man. A special man, of course, one who had been wandering the lands of Galilee and healing: but their encounter with this healer was unexpected—they had hoped to receive their sight but in this encounter they saw the face of God. “‘According to your faith be it done to you.’ And their eyes were opened.” And face to face with their Maker, “as a man speaks to his friend,” (Exodus 33:11) the Lord meets them at their level, “See that no one knows it.” “Tell no one,” says the Lord Almighty, “that the Son of David has healed you.” Because the Son of David—the man—is the one whom they asked; yet the authority of this man is not based on his humanity but that he is the incarnate Son of God. And these two could recognise what the Pharisees outside with the demons could not, they could not only behold the face of God but could recognise him as such. And they kept to the word of the Lord—they spread not the healing through a mere man but that the Lord himself has visited his people.
And the Lord speaks to you and he speaks to me a second time, “Do you believe I am able to grant to you health and life?” Because the healing comes with greater responsibilities. He will respond to each of us, “According to your faith be it done to you.” In as much as I have faith in, as I am faithful to, Christ to that same extent Christ will heal my soul and raise up my body. It is a scary thought, a sobering thought, because it means leaving behind comfort and taking up my own cross, it means joining the battle against Sin and Death, it means rejecting that which is sinful in me. And I would rather remain blind to this than stand alongside my Lord. But if I want life, if I want to become whole and complete, it is a change I must endure and be prepared myself to “spread his fame through all that district.”
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Read last Sunday’s Sermon, Do you believe I am able to grant you health and life?
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 5th August
Discussion on the Apocalypse of John (Revelation), 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 6th August
Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 7th August
Divine Liturgy, 9.30 am
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Online session is via Google Meet: please get in contact for the details.
Please join us: all are welcome, come and see.
Attending Church
We will be meeting at St Francis’ Hall, Nightingale Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 9JA. Come and See.
Can I help you?
I am here for you, you need only ask. Is there a way I can support your life of faith? Get in touch.
Can you help the mission?
Yes, absolutely. Offer yourselves to the Lord: pray! Make available to him all your talents and ask him how he would like you to use them — listen for his reply.
Your prayers!
With love in Christ
Fr Alexander
[email protected]