A glimpse into heaven

Funeral homily

Scripture Reading - Mark 9: 2-9
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.


The reading that we have just heard might have appealed to ??????, because it all took place on top of a mountain. It even includes that experience, all too familiar to mountaineers, of being enveloped in cloud at the top of a mountain. And yet there were other things in the story which are not familiar at all; a very special and unusual experience entrusted to Peter, James and John. It seems that they were shown a rare glimpse into heaven.
And we can learn quite a lot from what they saw.
First of all it is reassuring to know that Moses and Elijah, both of whom died several centuries before Christ, are both alive and well and living in heaven. We can be assured of life after death.
Also there seems to be something very normal about the life of heaven. It seems very natural for Moses and Elijah to talk to Jesus. They are recognizable to the disciples, presumably through what the disciples know of them in the scriptures. We can be assured that our relationships, or certainly our positive relationships, continue into the next life in way that is recognizable to the way that they are now.
But then other aspects of the life of heaven seem extraordinary. Jesus’ clothes became dazzling white. Jesus was revealed in his glory and splendour. And this, although it was wonderful, was also very confusing and frightening for the disciples. Peter didn’t really know what to say or how to behave at all, but he did recognise that it was good for them to be there. This, it seems to me, is what it is like near the presence of God. Surely God was very present; they even heard the voice of the Father saying, “This is my son, the Beloved, listen to him.”
So with these thoughts of heaven, let’s have confidence in our Christian hope for ??????. Let’s have confidence that ?????? still lives in heaven, and we will see him again when we die. Let’s have confidence that heaven is a good and natural place to be. Let’s pray for ?????? as he grows accustomed to dwelling in the presence of God. And let’s follow the command of the father to listen to Jesus, so that when our time comes we too may be ready to dwell in the presence of God. Amen.