Pastor’s Corner 16.03.2025
The gospel of this Sunday is the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus on mount Tabor. About a week after Jesus plainly told His disciples that He would suffer, be killed, and be raised to life (Luke 9:22), He took Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray. While praying, His personal appearance was changed into a glorified form, and His clothing became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus about His death that would soon take place. Peter, not knowing what he was saying and being very fearful, offered to put up three shelters for them. This is undoubtedly a reference to the booths that were used to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, when the Israelites dwelt in booths for seven days (Leviticus 23:34–42). Peter was expressing a wish to stay in that place. Then a cloud enveloped them, and a voice spoke from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5).
Undoubtedly, the purpose of the transfiguration of Christ into at least a part of His heavenly glory was so that the “inner circle” of His disciples could gain a greater understanding of who Jesus was. Christ underwent a dramatic change in appearance in order that the disciples could behold Him in His glory. The disciples, who had only known Him in His human body, now had a greater realization of the reality of Christ, though they could not fully comprehend it. That gave them the reassurance they needed after hearing the shocking news of His coming death.
For the disciples it was the ‘wow’ moment of their life. They obviously felt positively overwhelmed with what they saw and experienced. The natural reaction to such a owe filled experience is to stay with it, prolong it, enjoy it. Peter’s suggestion in this direction, to build tents, was not shocking, though not proper.
We do have glorious moments of our lives as well. They make us feel good; they make us want to prolong such joyful experiences. But Jesus calls us to be aware of the reality. Jesus wants us to aim at bigger things to come. He tells us that we are not to be overwhelmed so much by neither the joyful moments such as the transfiguration nor by the sad and devastating moments such as cross and death. But use these moments to reach to the truth of resurrection and eternal life. He wants us to walk down from the mountain of transfiguration and rise above the valley of cross and suffering. He wants us to be aware that the glory of the resurrection is possible only when we walk through the valley of cross, suffering and death. These ‘wow’ moments of our life will only help us to be focused when we walk through the valley of suffering. Glorious moments of our life are but a foretaste of the future glory.