This Lenten season, the theme for our midweek services is The Crucial Hours, and that theme comes from the name of a book. The Crucial Hours is a commentary that was written by a Lutheran pastor several decades ago, focusing in on the events of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. As a title, The Crucial Hours is actually a pun.
Once again, today, we make our annual pilgrimage to the mountain of transfiguration. And what we observe on this mountain is truly astounding. Jesus’ face, which looked so normal before, is now shining like the sun. Jesus’ clothes, which were so common before, are now dazzling white, more brilliant and more radiant than a fresh blanket of snow.
When I was at the Seminary, we were cautioned against boring people with stories about what happened to us in the “pastor’s office.” Well, I am going to begin by telling you what happened in my office this week. It was Monday morning and I had begun my work on this text. All of a sudden, there is an interruption. A man came in.
In the text today, the LORD would have us consider two very different plants. One is a shriveled and emaciated shrub. It endures a wretched existence, and it does no good for anyone. It lives in the middle of the desert with no irrigation. You can’t grow a garden out there.
You’ve got this friend. Let’s just say his name is “George.” You like George. Pleasant fella. Always nice to talk to. But one thing bothers you about George. Over time, it has become obvious to you from comments he has made that George does not believe in Jesus.
Jesus comes to town today. Jesus comes to the town of Capernaum. And when Jesus comes to the town of Capernaum, some very big changes take place. If we set ourselves there in that Galilean fishing village, and if we follow after Jesus, listening to what he says and watching what he does, then we will see the remarkable changes that occur when Jesus comes to town.
It was “shabbat”…sabbath day…in Nazareth in Galilee. Saturday for you and me. In the afternoon, all the men who were ceremonially clean began to make their way to synagogue, being careful, of course, not to walk too many steps. That would be considered “work” on the sabbath.
As we watch this weekly migration to synagogue, we can’t help but notice one who also makes his way to synagogue this day. The people of Nazareth would have known him as Yeshua ben Yoseph. “Jesus, son of Joseph.”
“What a glorious wedding!” I suspect those words have been spoken many times in history. And those words have been spoken for many reasons. Maybe it was a spectacular wedding venue, or church where the wedding took place. Maybe the bride had an amazing dress. Some of you here remember watching the wedding of Lady Diana to Prince Charles and the camera view from behind Diana as she walked down the aisle and the almost unbelievable train she had on her dress. Maybe it was said about the food served at the reception or the dazzling, multi-tiered cake.
All the people were being baptized. And well they should! They had heard the preaching of the Baptist. They had heard his call to repent. They had heard him preach about the Coming One, the Lord. They felt the sense of sin and shame. They wanted forgiveness.
Two times in our Bible, we have the record of people who travel to see Jesus when he was just a child. You all know the first time it happened! It happened on the night Jesus was born. Some shepherds came. They were the “night shift.” They had been out in the fields watching their sheep. After the angels gave them the good news about Jesus’ birth, they hurried into Bethlehem to see the baby. And this visit seems perfectly fitting.
