DAY 26

ROLLERCOASTER

Exodus 14 & 15 and Matthew 17

Can I tell you that I am a bit of a chicken when it comes to a rollercoaster? I have been on them, but I don’t choose to go for a ride. I can muster the strength, and yes there are moments of exhilaration, but it never seems to outweigh the downside for me.

Our readings today (and for the past few) seemed filled with the “big stories” of the Bible. Today we have the parting of the Red Sea and the Transfiguration. With each of them there seems to be both highs and lows; there seems to be fear.

Exodus 14-15 tells the story, that when I read, I see Charlton Heston. He played Moses in the Cecil B. DeMille movie The Ten Commandments. Heston plays a powerful roll by portraying Moses, and the movie is fairly true to our text. What strikes me though isn’t this high point of the parting of the Red Sea. Maybe after all the plagues I have gotten use to God prevailing. What strikes me is the Israelites complaining: They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?” (14:11 before they crossed but after the firstborn of Egypt were killed) and “And the people grumbled against Moses, saying…” grumbled for 3 days (15:24 after they crossed over but now have no water).

They have had these huge mountain top experiences, but quickly turn sour as their immediate needs press upon them. Can you sense the fear? Moses has just had a huge mountain top experience and now he is back scratching his head over these people. Can you sense the frustration?

Matthew 17 describes another mountain top experience: the Transfiguration. It is a wonderful moment. You may recall in the last chapter the Jesus said, “some of you will not taste death until you see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom” (Mth 16:28). This is that moment.

As they get to the bottom of the mountain they run into a situation where the other disciples have been trying to help a very troubled you boy. They can’t. When they ask Jesus he tells them it is a matter of faith (in Mark he adds prayer). That must have been a little discouraging and frustrating.

Both stories reveal something I think we already know: life, even life with God, has its ups and downs. I am so affected by my American living that I keep thinking the Bible, God, Jesus, etc. is about getting it right, and then when I get it right that all will be easy; there will be no “lows”. The stories so far (and the ones to come) reveal a different truth. The truth is life has “ups and downs”. It is a little like a rollercoaster. The only real question is who do you want to be riding it with? Without Him I think we have seen the result is disastrous; with Him (so long as we have a right understanding and faith in our heads/hearts) we can live without fear and frustration.