Experience the Mountain and the Valley

Luke 9:28-36

“It is worth dying for the sake of Christ even if we were immortal, for he himself was immortal and so loved us that he died for us, that we, by his death, might be saved from eternal death.”

This letter was written by the Armenian Church hierarchy and nobility in the mid-fifth century AD and sent to the Persian kingdom. You can read more your bulletin. It is astonishing to read these words of affirmation of the Christian faith. Only 150 years had passed since our nation accepted Christianity-- five generations. It is amazing that the Christian faith had found roots in the heart of our people.

The Vartanantz battle took place in a field called Avarayr. The experience was a painful one, yet victorious in its message.

Today is Transfiguration Sunday. It was an important event in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ and of some of his disciples. Transfiguration is also an experience for us today. The transfiguration is for Christians who need God’s assurance and confirmation of who they are and what they are to do with their lives.

When you read about Vartan and his friends, you can find a group of people who did have such an experience in their life. You can find a nation who has assurance and confirmation from God to be His witnesses. One can find a nation who knows what to do with their lives. “Vasen Hisousi, vasen hayrenyats” (for Christ and for the nation) was the slogan of Vartan and his friends. Their priorities were set even though it was costly to keep them. They lost the battle but they did not lose the war. It was an experience of the VALLEY. We were in the valley of death. Yet death did not separate them from God. Here are some words of those fighters:

“And since he did not spare his immortality, we, who became mortal of our own will, will die for his sake willingly, so that he may make us participants of his immortality. We shall die as mortals that he may accept our death as that of immortals.”

How can one say these words without having the experience of transfiguration?

I believe we all need to have the experience of transfiguration.

Paul had this experience on the way of Damascus. It started there with no sight. Later in Damascus, he gained his sight and started to see everything with a new vision. In his writings to the Corinthians, we read about Paul’s experience about his visit to Paradise. He heard things, which cannot be put into words (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).

Moses was in the presence of Yahweh on Mount Sinai. He came back and his face was shining (Exodus 34:29-35). Moses reflected the glory of God. It was an experience that only Moses knew.

Many of us have had similar experiences. I call them the “Mountain” experiences. Mountain, because it represents going up and high in the presence of the Lord. We all want to be there, on the “mountain”. In the Bible we read so many stories of encounters with God on the mountain. There, on the mountain when we are alone, where God touched us in a different way. Sometimes words are not enough to explain it, but it is a transfiguration experience.

This mountain was most likely Mount Hermon. (Jabal al Shiekh). It is 9000 feet high. I could see this mountain from Lebanon. It is on the border of Syria, Lebanon and Palestine-Israel. This mountain is close to Caesarea Philippi. Why did Jesus go to the mountain? Please notice that just before this event, Peter declared that Jesus is Christ (Luke 9:20). This is an affirmation from the human perspective. After that declaration, Jesus explains his way to Jerusalem and eventually his way to the cross. Then Jesus moves to the mountain. There he has the transfiguration experience. He is in a preparation for entering to the “battlefield”. Transfiguration is the bridge from epiphany to Lent. Jesus knew that his time to go to Jerusalem was arriving. Therefore, this experience would move him from the “mountain” to the “valley”.

Vartan and his friends moved also from the “mountain” to the field (valley) of Avarayr.

Today the Vartanantz challenge should be kept alive in us as Armenians. We should not look at this event only as historical event, but also as a battle of affirmation of faith and identity.

We will continue in English.