Snow, shelters, and success?

Here's our focus passage for this week; read with me, won't you?

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. (Mark 9:2-8, NIV)

We've talked about snow lately; today we're going to bring in shelters, and also success. I know it sounds a bit daft, but hang in there with me, OK?

What do we think of, in Christian circles, when we say the word "success"? Do we think of increasing membership? Of a rise in baptisms? Do we think of the mega-church that we see in our town or on the television? A church or ministry with a large number of buses and lots of meetings and events?
Many times that is what we think. We see a ministry with a large budget or huge attendance numbers, with a broadcast outlet, with books being published, and then we think, "Wow, what a success!"
But let's stop a minute. If that is how we identify success, then Jesus looks like a failure in comparison.
Let's face it, if He'd wanted to, He could have organized a huge center of learning and religious discourse in Jerusalem. It could have had some important, high-sounding name, and could have drawn students and religious leaders from all over the world. Who wouldn't have wanted to study from Jesus in the shadow of the temple?
But that's not how He did things.
He wandered (in our eyes, since we were not privy to His plans) about the region, and taught wherever He found someone to talk to. Didn't have to be a large gathering - many times He taught one on one. He never really had a "home base" or a place to lay His head. He found twelve ordinary, work-for-a-living guys and taught them what He wanted them to know. He was known as a carpenter's son and as a rabbi from a small town.
Here's another example: Paul. Well, at the time he wrote about, he was Saul. He told the Philippians how things were before his conversion:

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. (Philippians 3:4b-6)

Here's what Paul was saying . . . his family heritage was exemplary; His "Jewishness" was unblemished; his loyalty to the faith of his fathers was unchallenged; and his abilities to work for the Jewish religious community was second-to-none. He went about, ferreting out the believers and persecuting them mightily. Probably if they'd had a dictionary of the faith back then, his picture would have been there when you looked up the word "success."
But Paul learned to define success differently.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. (Philippians 3:7-9)

Paul is reminding us that success is found in following our Savior, Jesus Christ, not in accumulating achievements, worldly honor, or riches.

One day during His walk on this earth, Jesus took Peter, James, and John along with Him and they all climbed a mountain north of the Sea of Galilee. Three of Jesus' most trusted friends. I bet they were so happy to be chosen to go with Him.
Once on the summit, they witnessed His Transfiguration, that is to say, His outward appearance changed. Mark says that Jesus changed right before their eyes - that His clothes became dazzling white, as bright as the snow. And if that wasn't enough of a shock, Jesus was joined by Moses and Elijah!
The disciples were so astonished, and so overwhelmed, that they didn't know what they should say.

We'll pick up our story again next time we meet.....