Reading: Matthew 17:1-9
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with him I am well pleased; listen to him! When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up they saw no one except Jesus alone.
Reflection
In this scripture passage, we see that Jesus wished to spend some special time alone with his closest friends, Peter, James and John. He takes them to a high mountain where they will be able to spend time in prayer, enjoy each other’s company and speak of the important things in their lives. Traditionally, mountains were holy places where people were consecrated to God and received new revelations of the will of God; When Moses ‘came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand he did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.’ (Exodus 34:29-35) This new covenant revealed to all people that they were called to greater union with God and given guidance on how to live out their relationship with the divine.
Peter acknowledged that this time alone with Jesus is a time of great intimacy for all, ‘Lord it is good for us to be here;’ He wished to savour the presence of such holiness by building tents for Moses, Elijah and Jesus but his words reveal that he does not yet recognise who Jesus as Messiah. God the Father had other plans for the encounter that was to take place that day. He reveals himself as God and shares the delight that he has in his Son in the words, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’
Peter, James and John are overwhelmed by this manifestation of who Jesus is and fall on the ground before the Lord. They must have wondered what they had done to share in such a sacred moment and are frozen to the spot before the Lord. What does this all mean, what is God asking of them now. They may have felt that they have been listening to him all the time they have been with him, but this is different and calls for a new response.
Jesus recognises their distress and reaches out and touches them saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ When they arise from the ground, they see only Jesus. They do not yet know that the Mount of Olives will be the place where the redemption of the world will take place, however, the events on the Mount of Olives are not the end of the story.During this time of Lent, Jesus invites us to step aside from the busyness of our lives to spend time in prayer and deeper intimacy with him. He wishes to reveal more and more of himself to us and to reassure us of how special we are to him. He asks us to listen deeply to him in the scriptures and the events of our lives and not to be afraid. We are not to be distracted by things that draw us away from God but to focus our minds and hearts on him and his word. Like the disciples, we are asked to ‘look to Jesus.’ (Hebrews 12:2) for in him ‘there is fullness of joy ’(Psalm 16:11)
During this Lenten time have you ta’ (n protected time each day for prayer where you can hear the still small voice of the Lord speaking to you in the depth of your heart.
What blocks you from listening to him and responding to what he may be asking of you in your relationship with him or others.
Are you able to celebrate the moments of deep grace and intimacy that he offers you each day where you can say, ‘it is good for me to be here.’
Write your own prayer of gratitude to God for these special moments of intimacy.
Prayer
You invite me to go up to the mountains to be with you; to enter a deeper level of intimacy in the cave of my heart; may I see your face engraved on the soil of my soul; may my eyes be opened that I may ‘see only Jesus´ Amen.
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