Last Sunday after Epiphany Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church Mark 9: 2-9 Jesus wanted his disciples to hear something. It was something that was very hard to hear. He had tried to tell them on occasion but when he talked about being killed, about suffering, about what was to happen. . . It just didn’t register. This time he asked them who they thought he was. A long long pause . . . silence. Finally, Peter broke the silence and blurted out, “You are the anointed one, the Messiah!” You’d think Jesus would say, “right on. You got it.” Instead he said, “Keep quiet about this. Mums the word, OK?” Jesus decided this might be a teachable moment to let them know that life was going to change dramatically. Jesus continued, “Look, hard times are coming. Suffering is ahead and the Son of Humankind will be killed and rise again on the third day.” Most of the disciples hung their heads and whispered to the person standing next to them – “What is he talking about?” Peter pulled on Jesus’ robe to get his attention and started to lecture him, urging not to talk like this. While looking out of the corner of his eye at the other disciples, Jesus said to Peter loud enough for them to hear, “Get behind me Satan. You are not thinking in God’s term but in human terms.” About a week later, Jesus decided that he would try to tell them again . . .only this time in a smaller group. This inner circle was Peter, James and John, and sometimes Andrew. They were two sets of brothers, most likely from or living in a small village, Capernaum, situated at the mouth of the Jordan River on the NW side of the Sea of Galilee. They were fishing partners – then Jesus called them to follow him and they all did. James and John were the sons of a fisherman named Zebedee. He owned his own boat and hired others to fish with him. It seems that his wife, Salome, also followed Jesus. Since they were not peasants, they were apparently able to help support Jesus and his followers materially. As Salome followed Jesus, she may have been keeping track of her boys – looking out for them. At one point she asked Jesus if her two sons could sit on his right and one on his left in the Kingdom to come!! Jesus called James and John, “the sons of thunder.” We are left to imagine what that may mean but I’m sure they must have had a loud bark. The other set of brothers in Jesus’ inner circle were Peter and Andrew. Andrew lived with Peter and Peter’s wife in Capernaum. Andrew was one of the first disciples to follow Jesus. He was the one to introduce Peter to Jesus. Peter was a man of action, at times impulsive. Jesus gave Peter a nickname, Rock. Maybe it was because Peter could be thick headed or maybe it was because he was hard to budge. Peter was a semi-observant Jew according to the Pharisees. . . The four earned their living as fishermen. Wind burned faces, eyes that could read the waves and weather. Strong hands, rough from mending nets and hauling in heavy nets filled with fish. Their lives had been out on the water in fair and stormy weather, often trading tall tales. Now following Jesus meant that they spent most of their time on land. It was an adjustment. They were following Jesus and learning . . “how to fish for people,” learning about God, themselves and learning about community. Some things Jesus told them made sense, some were puzzling and other things he said made no sense. They were following Jesus and learning how to hear him. . .learning how to listen to him. It was this group of weather worn fishermen that Jesus wanted to go up the mountain with him. Off they went. Step by step. . the dusty path inched upward. The higher they went the less dusty it was. The air was cleaner; they are able to see far into the distance. They talked less the higher they went. Finally they got to the top. The disciples sat down to rest and take in the view. Then - it happened. There was an intense brightness. . .they shielded their eyes with their forearms. When they peeked out, there was Jesus in stunning white garments like they had never seen. . .and oh my, it looked like the Lawgiver Moses and Elijah, the greatest Prophet of Israel talking with Jesus. They were terrified. They were scared. They didn’t know what was happening. Peter was having trouble taking it all in. He didn’t know what to say so he just had to do something - - He interrupted Jesus and said, let’s make three booths or huts, one for each of you. Just then a cloud came and overshadowed them. It covered them. They couldn’t see. The cloud was thick, wet. Then a voice – the voice of God said, this is my beloved son, hear him.” Hear him. Hear him? My beloved - hear him. Listen to what he is telling you. Peter was in shock, not sure what he heard. What did that voice say? My Beloved - - listen to him. . . Beloved, listen to him. Peter stopped in his tracks. The cloud lifted. On the way down the mountain, they walked in stunned silence. This image of what they had just experience was burned into their retinas . . . imprinted into their souls. They were speechless. Then Jesus told them not to tell anyone of this experience till the son of Humankind would rise from the dead. During the early days of the first century after Jesus was no longer physically with them this story was told over and over again. . .in homes, in catacombs, around the fire, in prisons, in the court yards. Wherever they gathered, this story was told – so they could remember to listen to God’s Beloved. They told this story when they were fearful because their world was changing . . . Remember the Beloved and Listen to him. They told this story when they were panicked because their economic system was failing . . . Beloved, listen to Him. When they were scared for family members . . . Beloved, listen to Him. When they were perplexed . . . Beloved, listen to Him. They told this story when they just plain didn’t know what to do or how to fix things . . . Beloved, listen to Him. And so like our brothers and sisters from 2000 years ago, we also tell this story. We tell this story to remember when our best laid plans just got washed out . . . Beloved, listen to him. We tell this story to remember when the way forward is still cloudy . . . My Beloved, listen to him. When the impulse is to panic and just do something, remember God’s Beloved and listen to Him. Lord, give us ears to hear that our minds, our lives and love may be transfigured. The Rev Mary Wetzel