Second Sunday of Lent (C) [Lk 9:28-36]
16.03.2025
The Transfiguration of Jesus
1. Theme in brief
Our ‘exodus’ experience
2. Focus Statement
Like Jesus, we too have to go through an ‘exodus’ or ‘departure’ from sin
and selfishness to experience new life, and from suffering and death to attain
the glory of his resurrection.
3. Explanation of
the text
Today’s gospel text from Luke, narrates a unique experience in the life of
Jesus and his chosen three apostles (Peter, John and James) on a mountain traditionally
called Mount Tabor. It serves three purposes: (1) a confirmation of Jesus’ decision
to take up the way of suffering and cross; (2) a clarification of Jesus’ messianic identity; and (3)
a lesson for the disciples to correct their mistaken idea of
his messiahship. They had expected a glorious Messiah; the idea of
a Crucified and Suffering Servant caused a deep crisis in them. This remarkable
event is traditionally called the ‘Transfiguration of the Lord’
because of Matthew and Mark’s usage of this term – though Luke does not use it
in today’s text (cf. below).
Strikingly, in all the Synoptic gospels the Transfiguration is placed
immediately after Peter's confession about
who Jesus is, and Jesus’ subsequent teaching to his disciples about his
future suffering and crucifixion, as well as the need to deny themselves and take up their daily cross in order to follow him (Lk 9:23). This shows that all the three
gospels closely associate this event with Jesus’ impending death
on the cross. Luke makes this connection all the more
clear by stating in the beginning that this event took place “about eight days
after these sayings” (9:28) –
sayings or teaching about his suffering, death and the need to take up one’s cross.
Further, Luke’s account has the following special features not found in other gospels: (1) Where Matthew and Mark say six days
after Jesus’ instructions, Luke says eight days (9:28) after it.
Here we get a hint that he probably wants to link it with the day of resurrection which
was referred to as ‘eighth day’ – a day (Sunday) after the seventh day, that
is, Jewish Sabbath. (2) Luke alone directly mentions that Jesus went up the
mountain with Peter, John and James “to pray” (9:28) – though others
also imply it. This fits very well into the biblical symbolism of mountain as a
place where one encounters God or has a close communion with him. For Luke
Jesus’ transfiguration is a profound religious experience during
prayer and intimate communion with God. (3) Instead of using the word
‘transfiguration’ Luke says modestly that while Jesus was praying “the appearance of
his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white" (9:29). He seems
to indicate only a temporary change in his facial and external appearance and not a permanent
transformation. The disciples could get a preview or glimpse of his
future glory, to be attained at resurrection, that was promised
to all those who passed through the way of the cross. This hope equipped them
to face the ‘scandal of the cross’ about which Jesus had instructed them.
(4) Luke alone tells us about the content of the conversation between Jesus, Moses, and
Elijah who appear to the disciples in their glory (9:30-31). They discuss with Jesus about
his ‘departure’ (literally, ‘exodus’) which he is about to accomplish in
Peter’s suggestion about making three dwellings or tents (9:33)
was an indication that he wanted to prolong the experience of that
glory and settle down on the safety of the mountain permanently away from suffering and
death below the mountain. A voice from the cloud – obviously the voice of the Father
– answered the question Jesus had asked his disciples earlier, "Who do you
say that I am" (Lk 9:20)? In the heavenly voice, the Father himself
confirms his identity as the Son of God, his Chosen Servant
(9:35; cf. Is 42:1). He is truly the Messiah of God as Peter had
confessed earlier (Lk 9:20), but quite contrary to his imagination about a
glorious Messiah, he would the one who would "be killed, and on the third day
be raised up" (Lk 9:22). This served as an approval also from the
Father to the decision taken by Jesus to walk the way of the cross. There is
also an additional command from the Father to “to listen to
him” (9:35). Since Moses and Elijah disappeared and Jesus was found alone (9:36),
the disciples were told that now they should not hold on to the authority of
Moses and Elijah and begin to listen to Jesus and be obedient to
his authority. The rest of the gospel makes it clear that the disciples did not
listen to Jesus also or were unfaithful to him.
4. Application to life
We already
came to know from the above-mentioned explanation of the text that the
Transfiguration of our Lord is closely linked with his passion and resurrection
– called paschal mystery in
theology. Luke alludes to this mystery by calling it the ‘exodus’ or ‘departure’ of Jesus. Lent is the time to
go through this exodus – a departure from the slavery of
sin to the glory of new
life or renewed Christian life at Easter. It is a spiritual
journey from lifeless situation
to abundance of life and grace by following the way of repentance, sacrifice, renunciation, and
penance. The whole of Lent is a period of ‘exodus’ for us – a time to leave ‘Egypt’,
the land of slavery to sin/ selfishness/ worldly standards/ addictive habits
and to march towards the land of freedom that
belongs to the children of God. It is time to undertake the path of humility to admit our sinfulness, and
of humiliation to ask
pardon from God and those whom we have offended. Are we trying our best to
‘depart’ from the present ‘land’ of slavery to sin to the land of freedom, or
are we stuck to our present way of life?
Today’s
gospel wants to tell us that the way to the mountain of glory (of resurrection) a spiritual
journey, passes through the valley of suffering. Jesus, who is
declared by the Father as his “Chosen Son” of the Father (9:35), is identified
with the Chosen Servant of God as
narrated by Prophet Isaiah (42:1). This is because of his obedience to the will of the Father unto
death on the cross. We, as his followers, are invited to listen to him or obey him and imitate his model to remain faithful to
God. Our commitment to the cause of the gospel of
Christ sometimes involves a painful journey.
To live the gospel-values and to resist values of the world and establish them
in our families/ communities/ human society, can take us to the way of the cross – the way of criticism,
opposition, ridicule, non-cooperation, rejection, false accusation and
intimidation. From the time of our baptism, God has chosen us for this mission. We need to
ask ourselves whether we are faithful to
this election and mission, or have drifted away
from a life of selfless and self-sacrificing love
to a life of self-seeking pleasures.
In this Lent,
the Lord invites us to listen attentively to the voice of the Father coming from the cloud.
It says that we can attain freedom from sin and reach the glory of a holy life
only if we listen to (imitate/
follow/ obey) Jesus, and not to worldly voices. The
question is who Jesus is for us. Only when we listen to him we come to know
who he is. We need to listen to him as he speaks to us through his
Word and in prayer. It is in these moments he motivates us to obey his teaching
rather than only worldly wisdom. He gives us the strength to follow him up to
the full way of the cross and not to abandon him after
walking some distance. On the contrary, today
we listen to so many other voices instead of listening to Jesus, such as
misleading companions, fake gurus, fake WhatsApp messages, corrupt political
leaders, partial media, enticing TV shows, and the voice of celebrities, film
and sports stars. They promise the moon but let us down before reaching even
half the way. We tend to listen more to these voices than the trustworthy voice
of our Lord and Master. Just imagine how may problems we could have avoided if
we had listened to him, instead of listening to other misleading voices or the
voice coming from our own base nature!
By his
desire to prolong the peak-experience of an inner joy on Mount
Tabor (as this mountain is called traditionally),
Peter wanted to avoid pain,
suffering and sacrifice of the valley below. He wanted to remain fixed in that
heart-warming and joyful experience and did not want to face suffering and
death. It looks he wanted to celebrate Jesus’
glory and triumph without passing through the way of sacrifice and
cross. He wanted to erect dwellings and monuments on the mountain to perpetuate
his memory without paying the price.
He wanted to forget duties, forget about other nine disciples and wanted Jesus
to remain there for good. He had his own hidden plan to prevent Jesus from
going to
According to Luke, at both the crucial times, namely during the glory
of Mount Tabor and the agony of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Lk
22:45-46), the disciples were found asleep. What a contrast in both instances – while Jesus prayed, they fell asleep.
It depicts the height of human frailty found in the disciples to sleep over such crucial moments instead
of watching and
praying (Lk 22:46). Luke emphasises the role of prayer in Jesus’ life
throughout his gospel. For him even ‘transfiguration’ of Christ was a prayer experience (cf.9:28). He took recourse to it at every
crucial event and decision. Today we need to reflect on the role of prayer and reflection in our own
life. Without the help of prayer we cannot expect a ‘transfiguration’ – a
change in our attitude and behaviour.
Our human weakness sometimes prompts us to consider prayer boring/
burdensome/ long/ a waste of time. Instead, we could eagerly wait for those
moments when we could march to ‘
5. Response to God's Word
Are we faithful to our call and to the purpose for which
God has called us? Who and which situation is our present cross? Do we try to
avoid crosses of pain and suffering and settle down to an easy-going and
trouble-free life? Are we willing to undergo personal renunciation, sacrifice,
discomfort and penance to follow the path of repentance and conversion in this
Lent? Are we following a ‘sweet’ Jesus, selectively following only those of his
teachings that suit us, or a Suffering Messiah? Are we willing to suffer for a
right cause and face opposition and criticism for it? How often did we listen
to worldly voices or voice of the mass media and bad companions, instead of
voice of the Lord?
6. A Prayer
Lord Jesus, be with us as we undertake a spiritual
journey, an exodus from slavery of sin to the glory of new life at Easter. In
our determination to cross over from sinful to new life, give us the grace and
strength to follow the way of renunciation and penance. Grant that we listen to
your voice, and not to worldly voices. Give us the courage to embrace your
cross, by accepting the persons who are difficult to live with, the illness
which does not get healed, the problem which has no solution and the tragedies
which engulf us suddenly. Grant that through your passion and death, we may
reach the glory of resurrection. Amen.
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