[Pearls Ep 161: Bringing Sunday into the week.]
As we carry Sunday’s gospel message into the week, we consider how Christ, with His transfiguration, reminds us that we must maintain a supernatural perspective on our life and the world around us.
First, life is often hard. There are those times of great tragedy that shake us to our core and threaten to completely extinguish our faith in a good and loving God. This is akin to the disciples seeing Jesus, who they thought to be the Messiah, tortured and executed before their eyes.
But there are also the ordinary difficulties of daily life with its trials and tedium – what scripture refers to as the “heaviness of time.” This is the slow steady grind that, left unchecked, gnaws away at our faith and wears us down.
At the other end of the spectrum, we contend with the comforts and allurements of the world. Especially in our present day, comfort and entertainment are as much if not more of a threat to our faith than are the trials of life. It’s not for nothing that satan’s first temptation of Christ in the desert was to turn the stones into loaves of bread – comfort and indulgence are his favorite tools.
Christ response to the challenges and allurements of life is … Himself.
He can bring triumph from even the greatest tragedy. And the world’s most dazzling allurements turn shabby compared to His glory.
But – and this is the catch – He is also hidden.
That’s not to say Christ is hiding from us – he desires communion with us. It is simply that while on earth His glory was concealed by His humanity. Now that He has risen, His glory is concealed in our humanity.
At His transfiguration, Christ is speaking with Moses and Elijah. Both of them experienced the shekinah – the exterior Glory of God. The shekinah was the pillar of fire that guided Moses through the desert. The shekinah was the still, small voice that spoke to Elijah. The Transfiguration, according to the Chruch Fathers, shows us that Jesus is the shekinah.
But the shekinah, which is Christ, is no longer something we find outside of us, but within us. Scripture tells us as much over and over again, “Where two or more are gathered in My name, I am in their midst.” And, “the Kingdom of God is in your midst.” And, “you have died and your life is hidden with Christ, in God.”
So we seek Christ within, in the circumstances of our life. In tragedy, we are told, “I am near to the broken hearted.” In trials, He says, “pick up your cross and follow me.” In celebration, He says “long have I waited to share this with you.”
The Transfiguration reminds us that we should view all things with a supernatural perspective, asking “Jesus, where are You in this?” Christ is always in our midst, waiting to answer that question.
Lenten blessings –
Steve and Karen Smith
Interior Life
Postscript: Matthew 17:1-9
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”