Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’” vs 35
Luke 9:32-36
In the church calendar the Transfiguration has been situated on the threshold of Lent as a foretaste of what will be coming at Easter. In Luke’s recounting of the mountaintop vision there is a mixture of light, glory, and fear that anticipates the wonder of resurrection. But there is even more than that. Luke chooses words that echo the words heard at Jesus’ baptism, but this time they’re directed at the disciples. His intention is clear. The transfiguration was for the disciples what the baptism experience was for Jesus. They still didn’t understand the mystery but they did know that the words of Jesus would keep them connected to God better than anything else they would ever encounter. And through the centuries we’ve hung on to that promise. Even though we don’t yet know the fullness of joy that will come with resurrection we are bold enough to celebrate that new life in the present. Even in the presence of suffering, darkness, and death we sing our alleluias and keep on listening to Jesus. The cloud on the mountaintop scared the liver out of the disciples, but when it lifted, Jesus was there, and he went with them down into the shadowy valleys–and he hasn’t gone away since. The neat thing is that his words are still with us, and never fail to give a taste of hope and a jolt of new life.
Thought for the Day: What does transfiguration mean for me?
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