Blinded by the Light

Transfiguration of the Lord Sunday


Luke 9:28-30

About eight days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ of God, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him.

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He was just blinded by the light
Cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
Momma always told me not to look into the sights of the sun
Oh, but Momma, that's where the fun is

"Blinded by the Light" by Bruce Springsteen recorded by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J."

This was the first track on the first album by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It introduced us to a cast of characters the world had never seen the likes of before: Madman drummers bummers, Indians in the summer, a teenage diplomat, the all-hot half-shot, the fleshpot mascot, young Scott, and his lover and that's just the first verse!

They were all blinded by the light, cut loose like a deuce; whatever that means.

On Transfiguration Sunday we have a trio who were blinded by the light. In our day and time; Peter, John, and James would look as wild and out of place as some brimstone baritone anti-cyclone rolling stone preacher from the East. On the side of a mountain they looked into the light and they saw the face of their Lord, they saw the face of the Lord change. (That's all "transfiguration" means, change face, no big deal.) As the face of the Lord changed they saw Moses and Elijah appear with him and they began to kibbutz.

Chatting with Jesus. Now that had to be amazing. The three of them, all of the apostles, all of the disciples, people--just plain folks had chatted with Jesus. When Jesus chats with these heroes of the faith, Moses who disappeared into the mountains and Elijah who was taken in the whirlwind, that's different. Peter wants to build shrines. He was so blinded by the light that he couldn't stay in the moment. He had to say something, even if it's silly.

There's a lesson for us, be present in the moment, every moment. You can never be sure when Jesus will take you aside and blind you by the light. When the light gets you, be there, listen, enjoy, praise God! Don't offer to do something. Offer to be there as long as the Lord is there too.

Don't be so blinded by life that we fail to be present when the Lord calls. We have to take to heart what Bruce sings, "Momma always told me not to look into the sights of the sun, Oh, but Mama, that's where the fun is."

Momma, the sights of the Son, that's where the fun is!