GOSPEL READING:
Luke 9:28-3628 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, and when they wakened they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said. 34 As he said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son [my Chosen]; listen to him!" 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
SCRIPTURE READING:
Genesis 15:5-12,17-185 And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 And he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess." 8 But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" 9 He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him. 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates
Meditation: What can blind us or keep us from recognizing
God's glory in our lives? Sin and unbelief for sure! Faith enables
us to see what is hidden or unseen to the naked eye. Through the
eyes of faith Abraham recognized God and God's call on his life.
He saw from afar not only what God intended for him, but for his
descendants as well - an everlasting covenant of friendship and
peace with the living God (Genesis 15:18). Abraham is the father
of faith because he put his hope in the promises of God. Faith
makes us taste in advance the light of God's glory when we shall
see him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2).
The Lord Jesus reveals his glory in fulfilling his Father's
will
Are you prepared to see God's glory? God is eager to share his
glory with us! We get a glimpse of this when the disciples see
Jesus transfigured on the mountain. Jesus' face changed in
appearance and his clothing became dazzling white (Mark
9:2,3).
When Moses met with God on Mount Sinai the skin of his face
shone because he had been talking with God (see Exodus
34:29). Paul says that the Israelites could not look at Moses'
face because of its brightness (2 Corinthians 3:7).
In the Gospel account Jesus appeared in glory with Moses, the
great lawgiver of Israel, and with Elijah, the greatest of the
prophets, in the presence of three of his beloved apostles -
Peter, James, and John.
What is the significance of this mysterious appearance? Jesus
went to the mountain knowing full well what awaited him in
Jerusalem - his betrayal, rejection and crucifixion. Jesus very
likely discussed this momentous decision to go to the cross with
Moses and Elijah. God the Father also spoke with Jesus and gave
his approval: This is my beloved Son; listen to him. The
Father glorified his son because he obeyed. The cloud which
overshadowed Jesus and his apostles fulfilled the dream of the
Jews that when the Messiah came the cloud of God's presence would
fill the temple again (see Exodus 16:10, 19:9, 33:9; 1
Kings 8:10; 2 Maccabees 2:8).
The Lord wants to share his glory with each of us
The Lord Jesus not only wants us to see his glory - he wants to
share this glory with us. And Jesus shows us the way to the
Father's glory: follow me - obey my words - take the path I have
chosen for you and you will receive the blessings of my Father's
kingdom - your name will be written in heaven.
Jesus succeeded in his mission because he went to Calvary
so that Paradise would be restored to us once again. He embraced
the cross to obtain the crown of glory that awaits each one of us,
if we will follow in his footsteps.
Origen (185-254 AD), an early church bible scholar and writer,
shows us how the transfiguration can change our lives:
"When he is transfigured, his face also shines as the sun that he may be manifested to the children of light who have put off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, and are no longer the children of darkness or night but have become the sons of day, and walk honestly as in the day. Being manifest, he will shine unto them not simply as the sun, but as demonstrated to be the sun of righteousness."
Stay awake spiritually - Don't miss God's glory and action
Luke's Gospel account tells us that while Jesus was transfigured,
Peter, James, and John were asleep (Luke 9:32)! Upon awakening
they discovered Jesus in glory along with Moses and Elijah. How
much do we miss of God's glory and action because we are asleep
spiritually? There are many things which can keep our minds
asleep to the things of God: Mental lethargy and the "unexamined
life" can keep us from thinking things through and facing our
doubts and questions. The life of ease can also hinder us from
considering the challenging or disturbing demands of Christ.
Prejudice can make us blind to something new the Lord may have for
us. Even sorrow can be a block until we can see past it to the
glory of God.
Are you spiritually awake? Peter, James, and John were privileged
witnesses of the glory of Christ. We, too, as disciples of Christ
are called to be witnesses of his glory. We all, with unveiled
face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into
his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes
from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). The
Lord wants to reveal his glory to us, his beloved disciples. Do
you seek his presence with faith and reverence?
Lord Jesus, keep me always alert to you, to your presence in my life, and to your life-giving word that nourishes me daily. Let me see your glory.
Psalm 27:1, 7-9, 13-14
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek."
9 Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Cast me not off, forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The
transfiguration of Jesus, by Origen (185-254
AD)
"Do you wish to see the transfiguration of Jesus? Behold with me the Jesus of the Gospels. Let him be simply apprehended. There he is beheld both 'according to the flesh' and at the same time in his true divinity. He is beheld in the form of God according to our capacity for knowledge. This is how he was beheld by those who went up upon the lofty mountain to be apart with him. Meanwhile those who do not go up the mountain can still behold his works and hear his words, which are uplifting. It is before those who go up that Jesus is transfigured, and not to those below. When he is transfigured, his face shines as the sun, that he may be manifested to the children of light, who have put off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12). They are no longer the children of darkness or night but have become the children of day. They walk honestly as in the day. Being manifested, he will shine to them not simply as the sun but as he is demonstrated to be, the sun of righteousness." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 12.37)
