Mt 17:1-9
Dear Friends, Today’s Gospel passage skips the opening phrase, “Six days later…” (Mt 17:1) These words are an important connection to the critical section of chapter sixteen where Jesus asks, who do you say that I am. Peter proudly says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Mt 16:16) Then, all of a sudden, everything explodes into a tumultuous conflict. Jesus tells them he will be rejected, suffer and die. Peter says it is not necessary. Jesus says, “Get behind me Satan. You are an obstacle to me. Our are thinking in not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Mt 16:23)The drama of Jesus’ invitation to the road to Jerusalem now becomes the challenging vision for the rest of the Gospel. Peter and the other disciples were now confronted with the task of bringing together the concepts of a suffering God and a Messiah fails their expectations. This shattered their dreams and ambitions of privilege and power, prestige and prosperity. Nevertheless, Jesus was insistent, “Take up your cross and follow me.” (Mt 16:24)
All of this conflict and confusion was about the identity of Christ, the identity of the failing Messiah, the suffering Servant, the Crucified Christ.
This is where the phrase “Six days later…” Mt 17:1) comes in. The Transfiguration is all about the identity of Christ. It connects the journey to Jerusalem and the consequent suffering and death to the glory hidden in the humanity of Christ. “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” (Mt 17:5”)
Now the Gospel of Matthew is once again inviting Peter and us to take Jesus in all of his truth, not just a diluted version to fit our limited standards.
In rebuking Peter, Jesus challenged all of us to lose our life prone to indulgence, to take up the cross and to follow him. (Mt 16:24-25) The event of the Transfiguration is our invitation into the mystery of the Suffering Messiah. Like Peter, we are called to try to balance the seemingly contrary truths of Jesus as Messiah and Jesus the Crucified Savior.
The Father’s words tell us it is as God’s Beloved Son that he will suffer and die. Our task is to embrace Jesus on his terms and “Listen to him.” (Mt 17:5”)
Peter had a long journey ahead of him. Only slowly did he learn to “Listen to him.” (Mt 17:5) Eventually, he did indeed learn to let both the life and teaching of Jesus and especially the Pascal Mystery of Christ be his model. Jesus became a map and a guide. No doubt, his recalling the experience of the Transfiguration helped Peter to face the darkness of life. That is what today’s celebration of the Transfiguration is summoning us to do. As we face the seemingly endless challenges of good and evil: whether the war in Ukraine or the unending gun violence, the turbulence of our pollical scene or the explosive consequences of climate change, the even greater problem than immigration which is the massive poverty and injustice that causes people to seek a better life, or the simple but relentless demands of family life. All these, and so much more, make it so urgent for us to “Listen to him.” (Mt17:5) He is the Beloved Son.
As often as we encounter the Gospel story, it still holds the seeds of light and wisdom, of hope and tenderness. It reminds us how close God is to us and how thin the curtain between the divine and human truly is. We are always on the edge of our human frailty and mortality. Equally, we are on the threshold of eternal life and happiness. Whether it is the brokenness of our relationships, the consequences of sin, or the corruption of our world, we need to search the depths of our hearts and “Listen to Him!” (Mt 17:5) He will reveal anew that the last word is not sickness, injustice, prejudice, and the foibles of nature’s awesome power or even death. The last word revealed in the Crucified and Risen Christ is victory of life over death and the final triumph of love. Our personal journey to Jerusalem encompasses all of our life. It is an invitation to enter into the mystery of Christ. This mystery unites us with the suffering and glorious Messiah. It leads to the jubilation of Easter.
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