Just a glimpse
Sermon by Pr. Craig Mueller on the Transfiguration of Our Lord + Sunday, February 15, 2026
Sometimes a glimpse is all you get.
And then we make judgements. Based on what someone looks like. Their station in life. Their temperament.
We place all kinds of labels on people without truly seeing them for who they are.
We have guests with us from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lakeview. We may make assumptions about Episcopalians—or any other group—that may or may not be accurate.
Yet what we desire more than anything is to be seen. To be loved. To be cherished for who we are. Without the mask. Without the defense mechanism. Without pretense.
The disciples have been accompanying Jesus on his mission of teaching and healing. Jesus gives the poor and lowly of the earth a glimpse of a God of mercy. And then something mysterious happens to Jesus’ inner circle. It’s on a mountain, a sacred place where God’s glory was made known to Moses and others. These three disciples glimpse something they will never forget. They see Jesus, beautiful savior, shining like the sun.
When we get a transcendent glimpse like that, we want to take a photo, record a video, post it online so everyone can see it. Clumsy Peter wants to pitch three tents right there for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Make the moment last.
Then a voice from heaven confirms Jesus as God’s beloved Son. The disciples quake with fear, yet Jesus tells them to not fear. And to keep a secret. Tell no one what they just glimpsed until after the resurrection. And then Jesus is gone. It was only a moment. It was only a glimpse. But it would carry the disciples through the path of suffering ahead of them.
Jesus seems to always be a mystery—then and now. And perhaps we could say the same of us. Are we ever fully known? There are so many sides to each of us. In each of our relationships—whether with spouse, family, friends, colleagues, church members—we are a bit different.
How often are you not seen for who you are? How often do you mask your feelings, your fears, your vulnerability? Of course, there is a time to have fun with masks. And Mardi Gras is the season for that.
From masks to masquerade. And to Bridgerton, a streaming show taking the world by storm, it seems. How many of you are watching the series? It follows the noble Bridgerton family in early nineteenth century England. The show centers around the competitive social season in which young adults are introduced into society to find a suitable marriage partner.
Benedict Bridgerton is a non-conformist with no intent of settling down. He is considered a “rake,” a bad boy. His mother convinces him to attend a masquerade ball in the hopes of finding a potential bride. To his surprise, he encounters a mysterious woman in silver, wearing a glittery mask. What we learn later is that Sophie is actually a maid. Like Cinderella, she sneaks into the ball to enjoy, for one night, how the other half lives.
Benedict and Sophie are both out of place at the ball. Yet they encounter one another. Masked. Merely a glimpse and a short conversation. Yet there are seen for who they are. And they are changed.
Sometimes we experience epiphanies and transfigurations that change us. One of spirituality’s most famous mystical visions occurred at the corner of 4th and Walnut. Trappist author and monk Thomas Merton was running errands in downtown Louisville. He writes, in words often quoted, “I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people . . . that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. . As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.”
The Greek word for transfiguration means metamorphosis. For a brief moment Jesus is “changed.” Is it a vision? Do the gospels include this story as a resurrection appearance? Some suggest that this glimpse of the glorified Jesus is a gift for the disciples, something that they can cling to on their journey to the cross. Yet maybe they are given this vision so they can practice letting go. Jesus will always be beyond their grasp and control.
It is like clouds that come and go. And clouds feature prominently in the story of Moses on the mountain, the transfiguration of Jesus, and other theophanies—manifestations of the divine. One writer wonders whether living with the coming and going of clouds is a lesson for our daily lives. As Julian of Norwich writes, “And thus I saw him and I sought him. And I had him and I lacked him.” Julian goes on to say that this isn’t something to mourn, but is the “common working of this life.”
In other words, we glimpse God and then God is gone. And we learn to love rather than cling.
Part of the letting go is the enigmatic words of Jesus to the disciples. Keep the secret. The Messiah is not revealed in earthly power, but in the form of a suffering servant. Don’t tell anyone until after the resurrection. The greatest epiphany is yet to be.
The feast of transfiguration is a window into worship. The gospel gives you courage to take off your mask. In baptism you are God’s beloved. You shine with the sun! Fully loved for who you are, in all your complexity, in all your beauty. At this table you are transfigured. You are changed to be the body of Christ for the world. With a morsel of bread and a sip of wine, you are given a foretaste of the feast to come. A glimpse of God’s promised future.
Let this vision—this glimpse— be your strength when you go down into the valley of fear and suffering. Remember it when ashes are placed on your forehead. Remember it you walk the way of the cross.
And as we stand at the precipice—the season of Lent before us—take a deep breath. For together we learn again how to love rather than cling. For who knows? Even a glimpse may be all we need.
SOURCES
Amy Frykholm, “The Clouds Speak,” Journey with Jesus, 8 February 2026.
“Transfiguration: Salt’s Commentary for Transfiguration Sunday.” 9 February 2026.
