Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Reading 1 - Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
Reading 2 - 2 Pt 1:16-19
Gospel - Mt 17:1-9

 

The transfiguration is a historical place in a historical event. If you go to the Holy Land to cross it off your bucket list, they'll take you to Mount Tabor and show you the very spot where today's gospel occurred. But more importantly, it is attested to by Matthew, today's gospel writer, but also Mark and Luke. And in all three of those accounts of the transfiguration, each of them places that on a very important day in Jesus life.

Why? Because of something very critical that he told us Apostles just before this occurred in Matthew Mark in Luke. The Transfiguration follows immediately after the first prediction of the passion. The first prediction of the passion. I remind you, when Jesus called the Apostles, they left their nets and they followed him, but they asked nothing. They didn't ask, How does this pay?

They didn't ask, Where are you taking us? It was on Transfiguration Day that Jesus informed them what was going to happen to him. He told them about his destiny and his destination. The first prediction. The passion, means that Jesus informed those men that he was going to die for them and it wasn't going to be a death of illness or natural causes or old age, and he wasn't going to get run over by a camel.

Jesus informed them that he was going to experience betrayal, trial, scourging, a sentence to death, and he was going to be murdered in the most worst way on a cross, which to them was a curse. The Hebrew scriptures said, cursed is the man that dies on a tree. Cursed is the man that is crucified. Well, this was met with despair, distress and devastation.

Those men had left everything to follow Jesus. And no, they didn't ask any questions. But that doesn't mean that they didn't have some hidden assumptions and they were assuming that if he is God, if he is the Messiah, if he is a king of kings, that he won't lead them to hardship. He's going to lead them to glory, to greatness.

A great things for him then to tell them that he is going to be murdered. Now they're beginning to guess, was this the right decision to get out of that boat and follow this man? And even though the news of Jesus death was the cause of despair, distress and devastation, what followed after that was even worse for them.

He said, Whoever wishes to follow me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. That was Jesus telling them He wasn't the only one that was going to suffer, that if they continued to be his disciples, if they continued to preach and teach and heal in his name and for God's glory, it would come at a great cost and it was going to cost some of their life.

Ten of the 12, to be precise, would one day wear the martyr's crown. Understanding all of that, then all this doom and gloom and talk of death and betrayal that sets the stage for what happens next. The 12th, they disperse. Only Peter, James and John go with Jesus up on top of Mount Tabor. And even though they have just heard some really bad news, they can't stay awake.

They just fall asleep and it's in the dark of night where they're awakened by a blindingly bright light. It's not an early sunrise and it's not an eclipse. It's Jesus. Jesus like they've never seen him before.

The transfiguration of Jesus on top of Mount Tabor. And it wasn't a spotlight coming down on him from heaven. He is the light. That's why we call our school blooming crusty. The light of Christ. Jesus is the light. And it was coming for him forth from him like a lighthouse to show people the way to the father's house lighthouse is to help us to avoid all the dangers on the sea.

Jesus helping us to avoid the dangers of sin. Satan and death. And this was a miraculous sight. They could barely see it because they had to squint and hide their eyes. But his clothing, his hair, his skin so white. But what's even more miraculous, he wasn't standing on top of the mountain. He was floating above it. And he was not alone.

He was surrounded on the one side by Moses, on the other by Elijah Moses, to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of the law of the Hebrew Scriptures, Elijah to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophets who foretold his coming. And Peter thinks this is something special. He said, This is great. People are going to want to come here to see this.

Let's make a shrine, let's have pilgrimages, let's build some tents. But quickly, his joy turns to terror. Not only is Jesus, they're surrounded by ghosts floating on top of a mountain, but then all of a sudden the heavens open and the booming voice of God comes down and said, This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased.

Listen to him. Then Peter's joy. He turns to terror. But God's voice also serves a purpose, just as we have Moses there to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of all Elijah, to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies that foretold His coming. God is speaking at the moment of the transfiguration to remind those apostles who just learned that Jesus would experience betrayal, trial and death, that it was not a conspiracy or some sort of plot.

It was God's plan. That's why God must speak at that moment from that mountain, to let them know that Jesus death was part of God's ultimate answer to our prayers, that He might take on and defeat our greatest enemies, sin Satan and death, breaking their chains forever and for everyone. And that clinches it. Then that explains what the transfiguration is for those who had just learned that Jesus is going to die, now they're seeing a snapshot of the resurrection, or they're seeing a glimpse of the risen Christ before He even goes out to the cross to fulfill the father's plan and to meet his destiny.

And it would be a sign to them that would strengthen their faith. Whether that faith was going to be shaken just like the earth would shake, and darkness covered it when the curtain was torn in the middle and the Son of God died on that cross for our sins. This story reminds us that out of the darkness, a great light shines.

And even though it's darkest just before the dawn, the darkness will always be conquered by the light. And that is why God sent His son to seek and save the last in the first place. A world still darkened by sin and death. We have that light shining bright that can show us the way out of here and the way home to the father's house.

But we then, like Peter, James, John and the others, must still meet and fulfill the definition of discipleship as Jesus defines it. Those who wish to come after me must deny themselves. Take up your crosses and follow me. We have to be willing to suffer. Jesus was willing to suffer to accomplish the Father's plan. Jesus was willing to suffer in order to open Heaven's Gate.

Stories like this remind us that it will be with blood, sweat, tears, fear and trembling, carrying those crosses across the finish line of the race of faith so that we can see the face of God in those crosses are many, and at times those crosses are heavy. In the times.

Waiting for us. And if we can carry this crosses with the Lord and we can carry those crosses for the Lord that we know we can carry this process along during this process forever. We do not carry them, may never carry Jesus or help with that darkness. So my friends keep coming, urged to be fed, to.

Be nourished, to be inspired, and to be strengthened so that we can continue to deny ourselves our say, our selfishness, our pride, and to live for him who died for us.