2 Kings 1: 1-12 Elijah is taken up to heaven Mark 9: 2-9 The Transfiguration
What an amazing story of the prophet Elijah being taken up to heaven. I wonder if that is how you would like to go? No disabling illness, no hospital bed, being told this is the day you would leave this earth. I expect I would be phoning family, but then the conversations would be quite tricky - “Yes God has told me he is taking me today,” - listening to their response, coping with their emotions, their sadness, or maybe their joy that God is taking me into his presence today!
Elijah seems pretty chilled as the Spirit of God takes him from Bethel to Jericho then the Jordan river - a distance of many miles. He seems very confident in God’s guidance, God’s action.
I wonder what Elisha thought as he saw his mentor being taken up into heaven by a chariot of fire and horses of fire? An awesome sight. Elisha does receive what he asked for, the gift of the Holy Spirit and goes on to perform healings and miracles just as Elijah had done. And throughout the rest of his life I expect he would have often thought back to that day when his mentor and teacher, Elijah was whisked away from him - a momentous encounter with heavenly fire in the form of a chariot drawn by horses, going up into heaven in a whirlwind. Such movement, such action, such separation - one torn from the other. An amazing experience of heavenly action.
In our gospel reading, Peter, James and John meet Elijah and Moses. Two prominent members of Jewish faith and history long dead, or long gone for Elijah, appear and Jesus is transfigured in front of them - his clothes become whiter than white, no amount of Persil or daz can make them that white, and the Father affirms Jesus declaring, “This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him.”
And the disciples are terrified. Fear is often people’s reaction when they encounter heavenly action. Think back to Moses and his mountain top experiences with God - first of all when he was looking after his father-in-law’s sheep when he encounters a burning bush that does not follow the norms of nature. There are flames - but the bush does not shrivel up - maybe the same flames surrounding the chariot and horses that took Elijah up to heaven. And the voice of God speaks from the bush, “Take off your shoes, you are standing on holy ground.” When I read this passage I imagine Moses throwing his shoes off as quickly as he can. What follows is the calling of Moses to lead the Israelites out of captivity.
Later after he has led them out of Egypt and they have escaped over the Red Sea, Moses talks with God on the top of Mount Sinai, for 40 days receiving further instructions from God on the Ten Commandments, the building of the Ark of the covenant and the tent of the tabernacle where God will come and be present. And throughout these 40 days the people keep well away. The verses in Exodus speak of lightening and thunder and the sound of a trumpet and the people are terrified. God is too awesome for them. In the transfiguration Jesus is meeting with Moses - again on a mountain top, echoing Moses own encounters with God, affirming that Jesus himself is God. A wonderful revelation of the divinity of Jesus.
Elijah himself has his own mountain top experience of God when God tells him to hide in the cleft of mount Horeb and he will reveal himself. An earthquake comes and goes, but no sign of God, a great wind breaks the rocks in two - that is an awesome wind - but God is not in the wind. Then comes a fire but God is still not there. Finally Elijah hears a gentle whisper and he knows in his spirit that God is present and he ventures out and meets with God, and God affirms him and gives him his next set of tasks which include anointing Elisha as prophet to succeed him.
I wonder amazing experiences of God you have had? And in what form they were? Earthquake, wind, fire or … a still small voice? Whatever your experience, whatever form you hope for a future experience of God, one thing is certain - it is life changing. Think of Saul meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus - it changed him from a fighter against Jesus to an ardent follower.
These encounters with God are a gift and sometimes a challenge, a calling to new tasks, new roles, an affirmation of our status as children of God. There is no doubt that encounters with God change us. And it is more likely that they happen when we give time to God, are intentional about following him, seeking him. This intentionality can be within a simple local daily walk or in a deliberate seeking after God, a time away from daily routine and chores to a thin place where God is known to be present or easier to meet with.
Emma and I find this to be particularly true when on holiday with a Christian group in the mountains. We have just spent a wonderful week in the French alps - Emma walking and me skiing. The views we get from the top of the mountains are extraordinary. They are so large and majestic, so awesome. I find myself imagining God enjoying creating each valley, each peak, each little twist and turn, each slope perfectly made for us to enjoy. There is both a sense of God’s joy in shaping it all and his pleasure in us enjoying it now. Yet the magnitude also reminds me of our smallness and insignificance and like the psalmist I wonder how amazing that God takes an interest in us.
For four days last week we had glorious sunshine and Emma and I met for lunch on the top of the mountains and soaked it all in. However on the last day, the cloud appeared, shutting out the sun, reducing the visibility and the wind came - not enough to break rocks, but enough to move me across the slope - exciting but also cautioning care! The changeable weather conditions remind me of our vulnerability and mortality, and the need to respect these high places.
We have come away renewed, with a deeper sense of God’s presence and love, of his provision for us in creating this beautiful world. And a sense of achievement and a joy that comes with that - getting to the top of the mountain does require effort and the increased altitude means less air, the body having to work harder producing more red blood cells, more serotonin is released which helps to take away stress. There are many times of achievement in life - passing an exam, giving birth to a baby, drawing a team together to complete a task, getting to the top of that hill. All require an aim, something to achieve and the pleasure that follows is life enriching. What achievement will you aim for this week? Set a goal and go for it. Let it be your mountain top experience.
And if at present you are in a dark valley, then look up and start to climb, for coming out of the valley into the sunshine gives us a glimmer of hope, a respite from the dark valley, however brief that may be.
We have heard a number of mountain top experiences that biblical characters have had. I wonder what amazing experiences of heaven, of God, you have had or have heard that others have had? Bring them to your mind for a moment, remember them, dwell on them, let them feed you in the here and now. Let them encourage you to again seek a new mountain top experience, a fresh holy moment with God, to wash away any negative thoughts and encourage and enrich your faith, affirm your status as a beloved child of God. To hear afresh God’s call on your life and his love and purposes for you. Amen.
The Revd Graham Phillips