Bible Reading: Luke 9:28-36
The story of the Transfiguration in today’s Gospel reading is one of the most mysterious and awe-inspiring moments in the New Testament. Jesus, standing on the mountain, is transfigured – his face shining, his clothes dazzling white, while Moses and Elijah appear alongside him. It’s a moment of divine revelation, a glimpse of Jesus’s true nature, and yet, like so many moments of God's grace, it is fleeting. The disciples are overwhelmed, Peter stumbles over his words, and in an instant, everything returns to normal. But they are changed. This passage speaks deeply to our journey of discipleship. It reminds us that encounters with God’s grace – whether through beauty, insight, love, or justice – may be brief, but they have the power to transform us if we let them.
Peter’s reaction to this overwhelming experience is deeply human. He wants to stay in the moment, to build shelters, to capture and contain the experience. How often do we try to do the same? We long to hold onto moments of clarity, peace, or joy, afraid they might fade away. But the grace of God is not something we can control or confine. It is freely given, often unexpected, and calls us not to stay on the mountaintop but to go back down into the world, changed. Reflect on your own life...when have you had moments of spiritual clarity or deep connection with God? Were they brief? Did you try to hold onto them? How did they change you?
At the height of this extraordinary vision, a voice from the cloud declares, this is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him! This command to listen is crucial. The disciples, and we as followers of Christ, are called not just to witness God’s glory but to pay attention, to listen to the teachings of Jesus, to allow his words to shape our lives. Listening is an act of grace. It requires humility, openness, and the willingness to be changed. In a noisy world, where distractions are constant and certainty is often prized over curiosity, how can you cultivate a heart that listens? Are there voices – especially those on the margins of society – through which Christ might be speaking to you?
After this divine moment, Jesus leads his disciples back down the mountain, back into the everyday world where suffering, injustice, and need await. The Transfiguration wasn’t meant to be a private, mystical experience – it was a preparation for the work of love and justice that Jesus was about to face, leading to the cross. This is the challenge of discipleship. We don’t seek God’s grace just for ourselves, to bask in its glow; we receive it so that we might be empowered to go back into the world and reflect it to others.
Where is God calling you to bring the grace you have received? Who in your life or community needs to see the light of Christ through your words and actions? The Transfiguration reminds us that God’s grace is transformative. It invites us to be open to moments of divine encounter, to listen deeply, and to take what we have received into the world. As you reflect on this passage, may you be inspired to seek God’s presence in both the extraordinary and the ordinary, knowing that each moment of grace is an invitation to deeper discipleship.
love and prayers Revd Sara
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