Aug 6 2014 (Transfiguration of our Lord)
Luke 9:28-36
What do we make of this event, recorded in Luke's Gospel, and which was also mentioned by Matthew & Mark in their Gospels? There on that mountain top with Jesus, we find Peter, James & John having an "Aha" moment. Up to this point in their lives, they had just been following Jesus, attracted by him, trying to understand what he was teaching, but now up on that mountain, they suddenly grasp that Jessus is not only a messenger of God, but is also The Message. In their visions of Jesus confering with Moses and Elijah, they suddenly grasp that in Jesus, here was the fulfilment of the promises made in the Law and the Prophets. Upon hearing the voice from the Cloud: "This is my Son, the Chosen, listen to him" they realized the significance of Jesus. These words were a repeat of the words heard by some at Jesus' baptism in the Jordan. It is recorded that the three kept this revelation, for the moment, to themselves.
This event also marks a point in Jesus public ministry: upon descending the mount, his footsteps turn towards Jerusalem, a journey which is completed in the events of Holy Week.
One question that we might ponder for ourselves is to what extent do we grasp and see what and who Jesus is? Do we sense that in his humanity there is also an aspect that clothes him with what we might say is divine, a dimension that becomes clearer in the unfolding of his life, his ministry, and death, forshadowing the Easter event of the Resurrection? Might I suggest that the Transfiguration can be an invitation for us to get to know Jesus much better, and in the process find that like the three disciples, our own lives and understanding take on an element of illumination.
Archdeacon Ken Cardwell
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