The Plan, The Hope, The Vision

The compelling story of the Transfiguration of Christ is found in all three of the first Gospels (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36).  It is an almost unbelievable story, dramatic, an extraordinary piece of biblical theater. Jesus takes his three key disciples (Peter, James and John) high on a beautiful mountain over Galilee.  And there, the writer tells us that  “As he [Jesus] was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became very bright, a brilliant white” (Luke 9:29).  For added weight, there is a connection to the powerful Hebrew story, and Moses and Elijah appear in glory with Jesus.  And for maximum impact the voice of God himself comes from the clouds and commands the confused and terrified disciples to listen to Jesus: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" (Mark 9:7).

The story tells us that after the stunning developments on the mountain two of the disciples fall down, locked in anxious fear. But Peter, in his own sort of confusion, decides that this is all pretty wonderful and that they should stay on the mountain. He proposes building dwellings for Jesus and his ancient friends Moses and Elijah. He seems to equate Jesus with the prophets and to think that life on the mountain with God’s men would be just the right thing.

But it takes a resounding voice of God to shake Peter out of his personal plan, a plan that showed how captive he was of his own narrow thinking and preconceptions.  God makes him realize that he is present at a great moment of liberating revelation of God’s hopes.  Revelation that is not to stay high on any mountain but is to be brought down to the valley where God’s people live and struggle. Jesus calms the disciples’ fears, breaks them out of their own locked-in syndromes, and leads them down the mountain.  "And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead" (Mark 9:9).

It is a reminder that even when we are about to enter into a dark time, a hard place, a desert even, the power of God’s transfiguring love goes with us.  Even when we are locked-in by our own preconceptions or narrow understanding, by mental anguish or a broken heart we too, with the blink of an eye and an acceptance of God’s love can know what it means to be transformed. 

Listen to Jesus and you will know God’s hopes for you.  Listen to him, be like him, speak like him, pray like him, act like him, love like him.  We don’t just witness the transfiguration, we are being transfigured, and the Lord is showing us the way. 

God’s transfiguring love is a love that touches us wherever we are as individuals, as a community and a people.  It is a love that does just that…transfigures, transforms, shapes and reshapes, picks us up and sends us on Christ’s way.