Year
BParaphrases of the Scripture Lections
for Transfiguration Sunday - Year B - 19 February 2012
Lections from The Revised Common Lectionary.
Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts (CCT)
P. O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville, TN 37203-0003, USA. Used with Permission.
* 2 Kings 2: 1-12
........Shortly before the LORD sent a whirlwind to take Elijah into heaven, Elijah and Elisha headed off on a journey from Gilgal. Elijah had tried to talk Elisha out of coming, saying, “The LORD wants me to go to Bethel, but there is no need for you to come. You can stay here.”
........But Elisha said, “I’m sticking with you, come hell or high water!”
........So they travelled together down to Bethel. There was a community of prophets in Bethel, and they came out and asked Elisha, “Do you realise that today the LORD is going to take your boss away from you?”
........“I know,” Elisha replied, “but shut up! I don’t want to talk about it.”
........Elijah said, “Elisha, you stay put. The LORD wants me to go on to Jericho, but there is no need for you to come.”
........But Elisha said, “I’m sticking with you, come hell or high water!”
........So they were still together when they arrived in Jericho. There was a community of prophets in Jericho, and they came out and asked Elisha, “Do you realise that today the LORD is going to take your boss away from you?”
........“I know,” Elisha replied, “but shut up! I don’t want to talk about it.”
........Elijah said, “Elisha, you stay put. The LORD wants me to go across the Jordan River, but there is no need for you to come.”
........But Elisha said, “I’m sticking with you, come hell or high water!”
........So the two of them continued on together. A group of fifty prophets followed them, keeping their distance but not letting them out of their sight. When they arrived at the Jordan River, Elijah took off his coat, rolled it up, and slapped the water with it. The water immediately parted to form a dry path through the middle of the river and the two of them crossed over. When they reached the other side, Elijah said, “Elisha, our time together is almost up. What would you most like me to do for you before I’m taken away?”
........Elisha replied, “Please make me your successor by leaving to me the largest share of the spirit that empowers you.”
........Elijah responded, “That’s a tough ask! But if you actually see me being taken away from you, then you’ll get your wish. If you don’t, you’ll miss out.”
........The two of them continued to walk along, deep in conversation, when suddenly a chariot of fire drawn by two blazing horses charged between them and Elijah was sucked up in a whirlwind and taken into heaven. Elisha saw the whole thing and kept crying out, “Father! Father! You are gone with the defenders of Israel, God’s mounted warriors!”
........When Elijah disappeared from sight, Elisha was torn apart with grief.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton www.laughingbird.net
* Psalm 50: 1-6
You, LORD, are the mighty God.
........Wherever the sun shines, from horizon to horizon,
................you call the earth to attention.
From the spectacular beauty of your holy mountain,
........you approach us in a blaze of glory.
You come with the full fanfare;
........flashes of fire in front of you;
................thunder storming all around you.
You call the earth and sky to sit as a jury,
........and set out the charges against your people.
You call the accused:
........those who swore their faithfulness to you,
................and signed themselves to a binding alliance.
The whole universe honours you as the judge,
........and affirms the honesty of your court.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton www.laughingbird.net
* 2 Corinthians 4: 3-6
Are people saying that the message we preach is hidden behind some kind of mask? Well, I can assure you that the only people who can’t see it clearly are those who will never escape the grip of death. Unable to believe and trust, they were easy prey for the ruling spirit of this present age who messed with their heads and left them blind to the truth. As a result they can’t see the glorious light of the message of Christ, and it is when we see Christ in all his glory, that we see the spitting image of God. We are not preaching about ourselves. The message we preach is that Jesus the Christ is Lord of all. We ourselves are slaves at your service, for Jesus’ sake. The very God who kicked off creation by calling for light to shine from darkness has now filled our hearts with the light that comes from seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus the Christ and knowing it for what it is.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton www.laughingbird.net
* Mark 9: 2-9
........Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain away from everyone else. Before their very eyes, the way Jesus looked was suddenly changed from the inside out. His clothing became so white it was dazzling — an affect no soap powder could ever achieve. Suddenly they saw Moses and Elijah there too, in deep conversation with Jesus.
........Peter said, “Boss, this is fantastic! What a moment! How about we knock up three huts, so that you, Moses and Elijah can all stay here longer.” He was just shooting his mouth off without thinking because they were quaking in their boots.
........An awesome cloud engulfed them, and from deep within the cloud, a voice boomed forth: “This is my Son who I love greatly. Listen to him!”
........Peter, James and John looked around and suddenly everything looked normal again and they saw no one there but Jesus.
........As they were coming back down the mountain, Jesus gave them strict instructions not to breathe a word to anyone about about what they had seen, until after the New Human had risen from the dead.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton www.laughingbird.net