Gospel
Luke 9:28-36
Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray.
As he prayed, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning. Suddenly, there were two men there talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing, which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they kept awake and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He did not know what he was saying.
As he spoke, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud, the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud, saying: “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.” And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.
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“Friends will take you but they do not bring you back!” Is a saying that I often heard when I was young. It was used when parents or teachers felt that we were allowing peer pressure to dictate our behaviour and not for the better but for worse. Coming back meant the giving up of a lot of negative values which we had absorbed from the friends.
As I meditated on the gospel passage for this Sunday that saying came to mind. We are told that Jesus took with him Peter John and James and went up the mountain to pray and while there up the mountain and away from the crowd he was transfigured in the presence of his three friends. What did this transfiguration mean?
We are told that Jesus was transformed; “the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning.” Moreover we are told that “Moses and Elijah appearing in glory spoke with him of his passing, which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem.” It appears to me that Peter James and John were taken up the mountain to be taught a very important lesson. They were given a fore-glimpse of the resurrected Jesus but a fore-glimpse which also told them that the way to this transformation was through the cross.
Peter, John and James however have never understood the cross. They want no part of it, and so Peter as is usual speaks out; “Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He did not know what he was saying. Peter wants to stay on the mountain in the presence of the glory which he sees enveloping Jesus and Moses and Elijah. If they stayed on the mountain then Jesus would not have to suffer the pain of rejection and crucifixion.
He still would not accept that the way to that glory to which they were present was the cross. St. Luke simply says of Peter; “He did not know what he was saying”.
The cloud then overshadowed them. For any Jew who knew the scriptures the cloud was the presence of God. They would have remembered that Yahweh said to Moses, “Look I shall come to you in a dense cloud so that the people will hear when I speak to you and believe you ever after.” (Exodus 19, 9) Peter John and James were filled with fear in the presence of God and a voice said to them, “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.” This listening to Jesus must be understood in the broad sense of the experience they were having of Jesus, not simply his words and so the apostles were being taught a lesson. In God’s eyes the way to glory is in the imitation of Jesus especially his willing acceptance of the cross in fidelity to the Father’s will. It is living the beatitude of St. Luke: “Blessed are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that happens and dance for joy, look! – your reward will be great in heaven.” (Luke 6-22)
If that lesson was one the apostles needed to learn, it is also one which we, as disciples of Jesus all need to learn and internalize. Blessedness in the eyes of God only comes about through fidelity to God’s will even if it means the cross. It means often leaving behind the crowd, oft times friends and their negative values. It means accepting the pain of loneliness and vilification because of what we believe.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-living God, the cross is never easy. How good it would be if we could reach heaven without the cross. You remind us today however that the way to heaven is the way of the cross because of fidelity to your will. Father, give us the courage we need because without your grace and courage we will always turn away from the suffering which fidelity to your will often entails. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, our Mother and your Son Jesus. Amen
