Get Up and Do Not Be Afraid: Coming Down the Mountain

Rev. Madeline Polhill reflects on Jesus’ Transfiguration and Moses’ mountaintop encounter with God as moments of divine mystery and glory. Rather than explaining the spectacle, she focuses on what follows: the disciples’ fear and Jesus’ gentle reassurance, “Get up and do not be afraid,” connecting it to repeated “do not be afraid” moments throughout Matthew’s Gospel. She emphasizes that Jesus leads the disciples back down the mountain to continue the work of love and ministry that will culminate in the cross, and invites listeners, especially as Lent approaches, into a journey of self-examination, repentance, service, and discipleship. Centering the voice from the cloud—“This is my Son, the beloved… listen to him”—she calls the faithful to follow Jesus, take refuge in God’s glory, and return to the world to do the work Jesus calls them to do.

00:00 Opening Prayer & Welcome

00:22 The Transfiguration: Awe, Mystery, and Mountaintop Glory

01:30 Moses on the Mountain: Exodus and Divine Mystery

02:32 What the Transfiguration Confesses: Radiance in Jesus

04:30 From Majestic to Mundane: What Happens After the Vision

05:10 Fear and the Gentle Command: “Get Up, Do Not Be Afraid”

06:08 “Do Not Be Afraid” Across Matthew’s Gospel

07:57 Back Down the Mountain: Returning to Ministry and the Cross

08:52 Lent Invitation: Following Jesus into Repentance and Service

09:27 Listen to Him: The Voice from the Cloud and the Call to Follow

10:20 Closing Charge & Blessing: Held by God, Sent into the World