Staying focussed on Jesus

‘… they saw no one except Jesus himself alone …..’ (Matt 17:8)

Matthew 17:1-9 (Year A: The Transfiguration of the Lord 6 August 2023)

The drama on the mountain recounted by Matthew involves heavenly visions, voices, visitations, excitement, joy, fear, awe, reassurance and prophecy.  

The story of the Transfiguration is saturated with Old Testament talk and image. Matthew and the community he came from and wrote for were steeped in this world. The reckless and brash Peter is very much of this world outlook. His immediate and impulsive reaction is to offer to make three ‘tents’ or dwellings – one for Moses (communicator of the Law), one for the prophet Elijah (a great Prophet) and one for the new Moses, Law-giver and Prophet of Prophets, Jesus the Christ, who will teach and lead his people to the Promised Land.  In his simplicity and naivete he wanted to capture the moment and perpetuate the experience by confining the divine to one place and moment in time. He had some hard lessons to learn yet.

Instead of a slavish adherence to the Law and the Prophets Jesus has opened up a new way that fulfils the Law and the Prophets. Instead of Mount Sinai we are on another mountain to the North. Instead of the Cloud of God’s presence we are with Jesus in the Cloud of human unknowing. Instead of light shining from Moses (Exodus 4:29), the everlasting light shines on us through Jesus who was transfigured before his disciples.

God knows we need relief at times on life’s journey not least when we know major challenges lie ahead – be it pending surgery and other matters or just the business of growing old year by year and drawing closer to advanced ageing, sickness and death – three things we can be certain about in life.

But if we are certain about these three things we can be encouraged and empowered by three other things: trust, hope and love. These make all the difference to us as disciples on the mountain with others, in a cloud, anxious at times but surprised by joy in the presence of someone greater than our worries, uncertainties and horizons.  The disciples may not have seen too far that day with the cloud on the mountain. It might have been like climbing Croagh Patrick to find mist and rain at the top and not a sight of Clew Bay.  

On life’s journey we need points of rest. Deep rest. There, we sense a peace and blessing that is healing. I hesitate to say that we sense a presence because for much of the time our senses indicate absence more than presence. But, in absence we cling in trust to the idea of presence. That’s faith.