“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
All this is beyond human comprehension, and the disciples' reaction was entirely appropriate, "...they fell prostrate and were very much afraid."
But, the Lord’s mysterious transfiguration deserves more than astonishment. We cannot just say, “Isn’t that amazing! That ‘his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.’ How about that?” and then walk away as if we’ve been watching the Superbowl. Unlike a football or baseball game, this incident on a hill in Galilee means something. We should remain fascinated and delighted about God’s joy, pleasure, and satisfaction in his Son. We should ask, “How does this sign of God's whole hearted endorsement of Jesus change everything for me?”
The impression of God's delight remained on the Lord’s disciples. They might have but would not forget it. That heavenly voice which sounded of such enormous authority and even greater affection, echoed continually in their memories as they followed Jesus to Jerusalem, shared his Last Supper, fled from the Garden of Gethsemane, and then heard of his death on the cross.
They understood neither his transfiguration nor what happened on that Good Friday. I’m sure they were shaking their heads and stroking their beards as they retired to the Upper Room. What was that all about? Their astonishment knew no bounds. The spectacle of his crucifixion and the sight of his lacerated body drained of every drop of blood horrified them every time they thought of him.
If God was so pleased with his beloved son, why was he crucified, and why did everything he did, and tried to do, and wanted to do, and did accomplish end in this utter catastrophe? If he was so pleased with his beloved son, why did he not save him from death?
And they must have asked themselves, “Why are we even staying here in Jerusalem? We might as well go back to Galilee or wherever we came from with our broken hearts and shattered dreams and try to reclaim what’s left of our lives.” But they stayed in Jerusalem, hiding in the Upper Room.
Did anyone hiding in that room even mention their cowardice on Friday evening? Peter had insisted he would never abandon the Lord, even as Jesus told him, “Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.” Peter, the leader of them all, had said in their hearing, ““Even if all these men abandon you, I will never abandon you.” Did anyone dare to remind him of how he had thrown them under the bus in his eagerness to prove his loyalty? Could he look anyone in the face?
And yet he stayed and they stayed with him. Only Judas was not there; they knew what he had done; they might not have known he was dead.
Only after Jesus rose from the dead, after he appeared to them, after he said, “Shalom, Peace be with you.” did they begin to have hope. Only then could they speak to one another. The memory of His Transfiguration and the Voice of God came back to them, ““This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
“Shalom!” he said to them. “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven.”
Yes, yes, Shalom. Peace be with you. Jesus has forgiven us for what we did to him. He has forgiven us for the world we have made, and for what we did to him. We can live again; we can look in the mirror; we can look eye to eye to each other; we can be the people – the Church =- he has called together.
And now He gives us the willingness, generosity, and personal authority to forgive others for what anyone does to us. Even as he gives us the courage, integrity, and self-assurance to apologize and atone for our sins.
I knew a fellow years ago who, after many years deep in anger and abuse, had quit drinking. As he came out of the depths of alcoholic stupidity he found that his wife was still with him. He learned not only to apologize for what he had done, and still did in his human weakness; he also learned to ask her, “How can I make it up to you.” She never said, “Forget about it.” and she often said, “Let’s talk about it.”
Rather than mulling continually over our sins and unworthiness, as if we practically enjoy remorse, we have learned from Saint Paul, who reminded us today, “He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works, but according to his own design.”
Your salvation is really not about you. It’s about God, so don’t get all bent out of shape about your sins and your foolishness and your unworthiness. Get over yourself!
As Ezekiel says,
“Not for your sake am I doing these things! When I cleanse you of all your guilt, I will resettle the cities and the ruins will be rebuilt. Empty cities shall be filled with flocks of people; then the nations (and all the Universe) shall know that I am the LORD, when I do these things!
We have seen in the brief life of Christ our purpose and our destiny. We have learned that our life is not about us and our needs, goals, ambitions, or desires. We have learned that even our desires for pleasure and entertainment; our needs for intimacy and reassurance; our disappointments, suffering, pain, and healing have a purpose which is beyond ourselves. All the mystery, adventure, misery, sadness, and satisfaction in our life is a gift from God. We have learned not to be satisfied with good enough, because God wants to be pleased with us as he is pleased with his Son.
As we confess and atone for our sins; as we forgive others and call others to live in peace with us, we have become the image of the invisible God, the reborn of all creation. And we have heard him say to us “You are my beloved; with you I am well pleased.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.