The Message, February 15, 2026: "The View from the Summit," Matthew 17:1-9

Author: Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
February 18, 2026

 

“The View from the Summit”
A Message by Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
Mathew 17:1-9

            … So, then I said, “No, what you are doing is important. It means something. It makes a difference in the world. You have to go. We will miss you … but you have to go.”

[Pause … ]

            Who is this “I”? Who is “I” talking to? What do they do? Where are they going? What are they doing? How long will they be gone? Is this a story from my life? Or did I just make it up yesterday?

            So many questions … kind of like, “After six days …” Six days after what?

            It is not Matthew’s fault. Matthew did not drop us into the middle of a story. We can blame the framers of the lectionary for that. Matthew did not write his Gospel record divided into chapters and verses. Later editors and redactors did that. Matthew did not write, “Chapter Seventeen … We turn toward Jerusalem.”

            Of course, in defense of the framers of the lectionary, it is impractical to tell the whole story in one bite-sized passage of scripture. They know that most church members would not be excited about a scripture lesson that was forty verses long. Or longer.

            However, having said that, I do think that it is important to understand what happened six days ago …

            After a confrontation with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus and the disciples entered into the region of Caesarea Philippi. Matthew also did not write, “Chapter Sixteen … Who is Jesus?” But Jesus did ask the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And the disciples answered, “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, or Jeremiah, etc.” Then Jesus asked the disciples, “But who do YOU say that I am?” And Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

            “The Christ” is the Greek term meaning “The Anointed One.” It is the equivalent, the exact translation, of the Hebrew word, “Messiah.” After Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

            After that, Jesus began to show the disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem to suffer many things … and be killed. He told them that after three days he would be raised. And here it was that Peter rebuked Jesus and said, “NO! God forbid! That cannot happen!” Of course, we know Jesus’ famous reply to Peter’s rebuke, “Get thee behind me Satan!”

            Then after that, Jesus began to teach about the cost of discipleship. He told them that anyone that desired to follow him must deny themselves and take up their crosses.

            And THAT is what happened six days ago. My apologies for the length of our flashback, but I hope it helps us understand the context for what happened next.

            Admittedly, this is not an easy passage to understand. A lot happened on that mountain that is beyond our human comprehension or experience. Yes, I have climbed to the tops of a few mountains in my life, and certainly my faith assures me that Jesus was with me in my climb. However, in all of my mountaintop experiences, I never encountered Elijah or Moses. I was never enveloped by a luminous cloud. And a Voice from Heaven did not speak to me.

            But that did happen to Peter, James and John, Jesus’ inner circle. Matthew does not tell us why Jesus took them up the mountain by themselves. We could guess that they went up the mountain to pray. That was something that Jesus did regularly. While they were there, talking or praying the fantastically, extraordinary, miraculous event occurred in their presence.

            There they were, clearly still trying to figure out who Jesus was, or what Jesus was; still trying to wrap their heads around what had transpired in Caesarea Philippi … and that event happened! Jesus was transfigured … transformed … shining as bright as the noonday sun. Then Moses and Elijah appeared with him, and they were talking amongst themselves.

            Let us remember that in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the disciples and those gathered there on that hillside, that he did not come to abolish or to destroy the Law and the prophets. He came to fulfill them, to complete them. Perhaps those words came to the minds of Peter, James and John as Jesus talked with Moses … the Great Law-giver, and Elijah … the greatest of all the prophets of Israel. Jesus brought those opening words of his ministry full circle there on that mountainside.

            And as we heard, Peter had to DO something. My guess is that most of us would have simply sat in awe, in stunned silence, but there might be a few among us like Peter. “This is amazing! I do not know what is happening! I do not know what to do, but I have to DO something!” “Jesus! Lord! It is good for us to be here! I will go ahead and set up three tents!” Some translations say, “booths,” but “tents” is likely the proper translation. The word “tent” also was used to refer to the “tabernacle.” The tabernacle was where the Presence of God dwelled when the People of Israel were in the wilderness.

            Then, almost to confirm Peter’s desire to construct the wilderness tabernacle, the luminous cloud descended upon them. And a Voice from the clous spoke to them.

            The luminous cloud was an important part of Israel’s history. Remember that it was a pillar of cloud that led the people through the wilderness in the Exodus (Exodus 13). At the building of the tabernacle, the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34). It was in the cloud that God descended upon Moses to give him the tablets of the Law (Exodus 34:5). At the dedication of Solomon’s Temple, a mysterious, luminous cloud filled the house of the Lord (1 Kings 8:10-11).

            Then a Voice spoke from that luminous cloud. A Voice spoke from that cloud which is so well-known in their history. The Voice spoke to them … not to Moses, or Elijah, or Jesus. The Voice spoke to them, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”

            “Peter … Peter … my beloved child. Stop. Be still. You were correct, he IS my Son. James and John … my beloved children … this is my Son. Listen to him. Obey him.”

            This passage is referred to as the “Transfiguration of Jesus,” but as we contemplate this event, we should look at it as the transfiguration of the disciples. There is no possible way that Peter, James and John could walk away from that experience without being profoundly changed. As if walking in the presence of Jesus for three years was not enough, they had that experience. The Glory of God was revealed in Jesus. Peter did not need to build a tent or a shelter for the Presence of God. Jesus IS the tabernacle. Jesus is the dwelling place of God’s Presence in the world.

            As is always the case, there are scholars and experts that attempt to dissect the words of scripture to try to explain what happened. And of course, there are those critics that attempt to dent the words by explaining them away. “Oh, that could NEVER happen.” Or “It was probably a low cloud and a solar flare.” The events of this event are a mystery. They are beyond scientific explanation. This passage of scripture gives us a glimpse of the extra-normal … the extra-ordinary … world in which Jesus and his disciples lived.

            Matthew described it as a “vision.” We should not understand that to mean that it was a reference to some inner psychological experience. But instead, we should understand the word “vision” to refer to a “seeing” that is beyond our normal human experience. It is something beyond … period. It is something God given. God gave Peter, James and John the opportunity to “see” something that would ordinarily have been invisible and unimaginable! God showed them something that was between the physical and spiritual realms. God showed them a liminal place, a place where heaven and earth come together.

            One of my favorite things to do over the course of my ministry with youth was to climb the steeples of the churches to which they belonged. For the youth it is a fun adventure to climb the steps and then the ladders. It is exciting to go to a place where most people have not been. It is fun to look out the windows in the steeple and look at the city or town from a different elevation. The church in Beverly was called “The Church with the Harbor Light,” because the Coast Guard maintains a navigational beacon in the steeple. When we climbed that steeple the window way at the top, where the steeple was only four or five feet wide, gave the youth an amazing view of the harbor and the city.

            My hope was that there would be something for the youth beyond the fun and the excitement. I always hope that climbing those steeples, or the fire towers, or the mountains, or whatever it was that we climbed, would give them an opportunity to see the world from a different perspective and perhaps enable them to think about the world in a different way.

            And my hope today is that we all sit with this “vision” for a while. As we gather here this morning, we have all had very different experiences. Our “climbs” are all very different. Because of that, this story … this vision … speaks to us in different ways. This was not just some fantastic fairytale that happened to someone else a long, long time ago. We have to open ourselves to the possibility that God will show us something beyond as well.

            Have you ever had an extra-ordinary experience of God? Have there ever been moments in which you felt the Presence of God? Have you ever had a moment that was beyond description?

            What did you experience in that “vision”? In that “seeing”?
            Did you see yourself in that experience? Did you learn anything about yourself?
            Did you experience God in that moment? Did you learn anything about God? About Jesus?
            Were you changed? Were you transfigured? Were you transformed?
            How is God speaking to us today? In this moment?

            May we follow Jesus up that mountainside. May we allow him to show us the world through different eyes. May we get a glimpse of God’s vision for God’s Beloved Community. And may we invite God to dwell within us that we too may shine brightly. Amen.

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