By Father Casey
I’m old enough to remember times when a television show my family was watching would suddenly cut off, and a voice would say, “We interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you an important message.” And suddenly there was Walter Cronkite or Peter Jennings breaking some news story, or the President addressing the nation, or some other significant event requiring our sudden attention.
Well, heads up everyone, because we’re about to “interrupt this regularly scheduled program” this weekend. By tradition, we honor our church’s namesake feast, the Transfiguration of Our Lord, on one of the first Sundays in August, and that will require us to “interrupt” the next episode in our summerlong saga of King David. I don’t know about you, but I’m glad to take a little break from the tragic stories of Israel’s most famous ruler and turn back to the gospel. I hope you’re enjoying this series, and I hope the sermons are helping make some holy connections, but it will feel good to once again turn our eyes to Christ, who, as the collect for this Sunday says, is able to lead us from the “disquietude of this world.”
So consider yourself forewarned, pardon the interruption, and come and celebrate the Transfiguration this weekend with us.
Just in case you’re curious, the story from 2 Samuel that we’ll miss this weekend features the tragic consequences of the story we’ve been hearing the past two weeks. When the prophet Nathan rebukes King David for his wickedness – taking a man’s wife, using her for his own desires, and then killing the man to cover it all up – David finally admits to his wrongs and repents of his sin. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for his behavior. Confession and forgiveness have power to cleanse our hearts and restore our relationships, but they cannot always undo what our actions have set into motion.
So years later (consequences are not always immediate), David winds up in a violent struggle with one of his sons, Absalom, for control of the throne. It’s the very thing Nathan had foretold (“the sword shall never leave your house,” 12:10), and the tragedy is deepened by David’s devotion to his rebellious son. He still loves Absalom, even in rebellion, and he grieves bitterly when Absalom is killed. “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son! (2 Sam 18:31-33)” It is a tragic story without an obvious “moral,” for sometimes the stories of the Bible defy simplistic lessons. Yet it is hard not to think of Jesus’ warning that “all those who take the sword will die by the sword (Matt 26:52).”
When we return to “the regularly scheduled program” next week, we’ll jump ahead in time to the ascension of David’s son, Solomon, to the throne. But not until we first pause long enough to head up the mountain with Jesus and witness him pull back the veil on reality so we can glimpse his glory and the heavenly reality that resides behind and within all things.
See you this weekend.