Accepted suffering ends in glory

Jesus had His first following from the ranks of por fishermen who were simple and unschooled. They followed Him without question. They felt in Him perhaps a leadership that would be more redeeming than that of the priests and elders, even much different than the ‘Herods’ and Roman tetrachs at the time. These wielded real power, and they owned material riches. They could afford to be proud and arrogant since they had learning and influence.

The followers of Jesus felt His human attraction so disarming. "Follow Me." They did without question, without demanding any explanation. When someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go", He answered: "Foxes have dens and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest His head" (Lk 9:57-58). Then Jesus gave them a condition of discipleship after predicting that He must "suffer greatly and be rejected … and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then He said to all, "If anyone will come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever will save his life, will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it" (Lk 9:22-24).

The disciples were puzzled at such prediction of the Master. Once they had discussed among themselves who would be in the place of honor in the kingdom Jesus spoke of. James and John were even contesting among themselves who would sit at His right and who at His left. They were thinking of an earthly kingdom which would endow them with power. The scene of Jesus’ transfiguration in the Gospel of today provides the heavenly confirmation to Jesus’ declaration that His sufferings and ours united to His will end in glory. The story of the transfiguration of Jesus in the Gospel today expresses in a remarkable way the transition that must have taken place from the disciples’ acquaintance with the human Jesus, to their faith in the same Jesus as the Christ – a transition that has rightly earned the name of transfiguration.

We are inclined always to find fulfillment in whatever is human. Our natures seem to lean well on human consolations. Hence we don’t readily accept human suffering. If we could avoid it, we would be lucky. But we are called to a transfiguration in Christ. Like Him we have all the weakness of humanity but we are all destined for resurrection like the Resurrection of Christ who even now shines with a light like that of the sun whereby we experience the divine presence. But before that was the Passion of Christ, the most tragic humanity has ever witnessed. Like the three disciples, Peter, James and John, we should always pray to be given a vision of that mystical brilliance as encouragement whereby we bravely carry our cross and laying this in offering at the altar of sacrifice in union with that of Christ. By this alone do we pass on from suffering to glory.

In transfiguration, Jesus is identified to us by a heavenly voice. "This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him" (Lk 9:35). This highlights our understanding of Jesus: His teachings, healings, exorcisms, works of love, mercy and compassion, and the gift of Himself to redeem us are His signs of the unbreaking of God. Jesus is unquestionably human, and yet One in whom God becomes present and manifest. It is an inescapable truth that He, Jesus Christ, is the perfect revelation of the Father in the Spirit.

The Transfiguration, Second Sunday of Lent, Luke 9:28-36