When she entered her tent for the evening, or as the Rabbis like to call it, her "tabernacle," she carried in a lot of uncertainty.
It was the festival of tabernacles, and like others in her Jewish community, she had chosen to give up her comfy apartment for a few days to eat and sleep within her tent and seek guidance from the Lord.
That is the way it was with her ancestors thousands of years ago. As the Israelite people wandered in the wilderness, they lived in tents and trusted that the Lord would guide them to the promised land, and give them food in the form of quail or manna from heaven.
So, she too joined with her ancestors during a time of uncertainty in life and chose to live in a tent. Exposed to the elements, she trusted in the Lord to guide her and feed her some spiritual food.
In the tent, she looked around at her belongings. There was a table with a few chairs for her friends. They joined her later that evening to eat and pray. There was a simple cot and pillow for sleeping. In the corner there was a stack of books and the Torah for inspiration.
Then, dumped in the middle of the floor, there were all of those uncertainties in life. Laying there was the stress of being forced to change careers. That was a scary prospect.
Her aging mother struggled with health. The young Jewish woman did not know what to do about that. It was not like she was all that well established in life herself.
Then there was John. She had no idea where that relationship was going to go, or if it should go anywhere.
Added on top of that pile were more general, but still very real, political and global warming concerns.
She had plenty of concerns, but no direction in life. Her old way of life had to change, but she had no idea what her new life would look like.
But, that is the purpose of the tent, the "tabernacle." You enter into the tent during your wilderness wandering, and wait for God to guide you in the right ways. You hand over your concerns and listen for some answers from God.
Tabernacles are for times of uncertainty and transition. They are for times when you are at the crossroads of either living the familiar life, or taking life in a new direction. For her, the Festival of Tabernacles seemed to come at just the right time.
With this festival connection to the past ingrained within the hearts of the Israelite people, it is no wonder that Peter offers to set up tabernacles on that mysterious day of transfiguration up on the mountain.
In a similar way to the young Jewish woman, things are on the cusp of change in Peter’s life. Jesus’ ministry is starting to get them all in trouble with the authorities. He has been told that he has little faith and needs to change. He has been told that his ways are Satanic and that he must take his life in a completely new direction…he must follow Jesus. In other words, he has to let go of his old, well known comfortable ways of life, and venture into a life that is new and unknown.
For Peter, it is a time for tabernacles. It is a time to set up tents for everyone, enter into them for awhile, and wait to see where God is leading.
Little did Peter know, his tabernacle was already constructed that day on the mountain. The Lord provided the clouds as fabric and Moses and Elijah as friends to join the conversation at the table.
Peter did not have to wait for days for God to give him direction through some mysterious way such as inspiration in reading a book, or a brief vision of the future during prayer. Instead, he clearly saw the truth of Jesus’ divine connection as God transfigured Jesus in a dazzling display of white and light. And, he was given instruction directly from God the Father above and from Jesus who touched him and helped him up from the ground.
The instructions provided to Peter are ones that could guide the woman in her own tabernacle experience as she searches for a way toward an uncertain future. The instructions could guide any of us as we stand at the crossroads, wondering if we should stay the course in life, traveling an old and familiar path, or take a drastic right turn and venture down a new and uncertain path.
I am pretty certain that I am not the only one who feels as I am standing at a crossroads. Actually, I know that I am not.
Life has dumped so many of us in situations where the ways of the past are insufficient, but we have no idea what else to do.
Some of us are trying to live life without someone who was important to our daily lives.
Others of us are staring at another one of those major life transitions: graduations; new homes; new careers; a life without a career; being caretakers for parents; learning to be a parent or grandparent in general.
I think it would be fair to say that all of this leaves us saying, “I have no idea where any of this is going!”
Even the Christian Church in general is in this spot as we try to figure out how to minister in a new way in a new day with new people. We know that we need to let go of the past, but it is a scary thing to do when we are uncertain of the way ahead.
So, here are three phrases echoing from that transfiguration mountain to guide us.
“Listen to him.”
“Be raised up.”
“Do not be afraid.”
The first is, “Listen to him.” We do not know what the future holds, but we do know who the author of the future is. Jesus is the author of life, and our new life is no exception. Listen to Jesus.
Take your uncertainties to the gospels, and read what Jesus does and hear what Jesus says. Read about love of neighbor and love of enemy. How does that set forth a pathway for your new life? Read about Jesus’ care for the poor and forgiveness of the sinner. How does that answer some of your questions?
God’s voice booms from the heavens and instructs, “Listen to him.” I think that is a hint to us as we sit in our tabernacles of uncertainty.
“Be raised up.” Know that you are not alone in all of this uncertainty. It can seem lonely, I know. Uncertainty can seem overwhelming. I know that too. It can seem as if you are on the ground and you have no way to get up.
But, we are not a people of death. We are not a people who continue to lay down in pits of death. No, we are a people who have been raised to new life in Jesus Christ. And, Jesus reaches out to us saying, “Be raised up.”
You, my friends, have been raised from the ground. You may not know where you are walking, but at least you know with whom you are walking. Jesus raises us up and walks with us to ways of new life.
Last, but definitely not least of all the instructions: “Do not be afraid.”
The future is always clouded, and it would be easier to stick with what we know. It is easy to stick with what seems certain. It is easy because there is no fear in what is known. However, if the old ways are not life-giving, then it is a new way that must be undertaken.
Therefore, “Do not be afraid.” Remember, Jesus is walking with you. Though you do not know where Jesus is leading, never forget that it is, in fact, Jesus who is doing the leading. Jesus only leads to places of eternal life and love. “Do not be afraid.”
“Listen to him.”
“Be raised up.”
“Do not be afraid.”
I know, these are not words that give you the future in a clear sort of vision. But, they are words that promise Jesus to you.
“Listen to him.”
“Be raised up.”
“Do not be afraid.”
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