Cross and Transfiguration

I have ofter wondered what Peter, James, and John, expected to find when they climbed the high mountain with Jesus. Did they think this was going to be just another one of Jesus' private prayer times or something more? Had they any idea that they were about to stand in the middle of God's Holy Fire? The very Fire of transfiguration and transformation.

I think there was growing tension between the twelve disciples at this time in Jesus ministry. Again and again, he is telling and showing them that the pathway to glory travels directly through the heart of the Cross. As our Lord tells them six days before he makes this journey up the mountain, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matt 16:24-25) But, what are the disciples doing half the time, they are quarreling and fighting about who is the greatest of them. Who is the first. Who is the most important of them. James and John even ask Jesus, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." (Mark 10:37) Sounds kind of like many in the Church today. Just who is number one? Who does the most work? Who gets the most credit? In Matthew's Gospel we quickly see this issue rear its ugly head. Right after Peter, James, John, come down from the mountain, a man asks them to cure his son. But, they can not do it. Is it because of some of this in fighting that is going on? The text does not say so for sure, but I think Jesus' reply to them gives us the clue to understand what is going on here, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” (Matt 17:17) Clearly not the words the trio wanted to hear from Jesus and at the same time, not the words we desire to hear from Jesus either.

What does this point us to? What is the Gospel of Matthew trying to get us to understand about discipleship? That the Cross is the very center of our transformation. If we want to stand in the light of our Lord's glory, like Peter, James, and John did, then we must ascend the Cross with Jesus. The Cross and the mountain of faith are the same climb. Through this journey we become like the mustard seed, that Jesus talked about, "For Amen, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt 17:20) Hard words for us? Yes, they are! But as Jesus says, "nothing is impossible". The key to this saying is that the seed must die first, to have life. The seed enterers the ground and when it breaks in half and opens up, roots go down and branches flow upward. This is what happens when we encounter in the holy fire of the Transfiguration, Jesus' divine love opens our hearts and minds fully, so that we have room for our transformation. Just like the seed, we must die to self, in order to live for God. To be true disciples of Jesus, we can not complain and argue about being the greatest, no, we look for the back of the line and take our spot. As we empty our pride and envy, we allow the Spirit of the Lord to fill us with his powerful love and mercy.

It is only by taking up our Cross daily that we too, as the sons and daughters of God will hear those words of the Father, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." (Matt 17:5) These word are today meant for us, as well as for Jesus. Sometimes people will ask, "what does a Cross shaped life look like? How do I put it into action?" St Paul give us a little road map in 1 Corinthians 4:11-13, he says, "To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat." Through these simple, but very powerful actions, the world around us become a very different place. Hate and evil are transformed and become love and mercy.

To truly celebrate this day of our Lord's Transfiguration, let us all put into operation, the transforming actions of Cross and sacrifice, over those of self filling desire. Arise! Climb the mountain of God, just do not forget to cary your cross along the way.