LISTEN TO HIM! (LK 9:35)

In this second Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to reflect on the transfiguration of our Lord in the Gospel of Luke. Last Sunday we were told to be aware and watch over the evil one (the devil) that comes around us always to allure and tempt us. This week we are invited to listen to Jesus. It is quite interesting to note that the transfiguration incident happens after peter’s affirmation of Jesus identity as Son of God at Caesarea Philippi. Jesus would have very well revealed His divine identity as Son of God much before but He chose to reveal his identity only after the disciples themselves had understood who He really is. The disciples with their human nature experienced Jesus as God. St. Thomas Aquinas says that ‘grace perfects nature’. Yes, the disciples with their human nature and human limitation were able to sense Jesus as Son of God. Today with the transfiguration scene grace is poured onto their natural experience to see Jesus beyond His human form as God. Earlier, they affirmed His identity through Peter; today He gives them a grace to see that identity in reality. Of course, in this transfiguration scene only three close disciples were present, but they represent every one of them just as peter’s affirmation represented them all.

In this transfiguration scene, Moses and Elijah appear and discuss with Jesus about His passing from this world (Lk 9:31). We need to mark the word ‘passing’. Our Christian life on this earth is oriented toward passing over to next life. With death we die to this world and to our corporeal body but our soul continue to life. Jesus’ death on Good Friday is His passing from this earthly life to eternal divine life. In this transfiguration scene, Jesus, Moses and Elijah appear gloriously. Later, in the post resurrection event, all the people would witness Jesus with His glorious body, a body that is free from spatio-temporal reality, that is devoid of any corruption and death. This gives us assurance that just as Moses, Elijah and Jesus behold glorious body after their earthly passing we too would get glorious body in the post earthly life to live forever. When three disciples wake from sleep and witness the glorious transfiguration scene, Moses and Elijah fade away from the scene. This shows that all the laws of Israel (represented by Moses) and the prophetic teachings (represented by Elijah) come to an end with Jesus. The Laws of Moses and Prophetic guidelines were preparation for Jesus’ coming. Now that He has come, they all lose their credibility and authority, we need only to listen to Jesus and follow His teachings. A voice from the cloud confirms peter’s earlier acclamation of Jesus as Son of God and tells the disciples to listen to Jesus (Lk 9:35). We need to link this commandment to listen to Jesus and the fading away of Moses and Elijah from the glorious transfiguration scene. Mosaic law and prophetic teachings prepared Israel till now to receive Jesus as Son of God. Now that He has come, all people are invited to listen to Him. In Deut 18:15 Moses told Israel, “A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kindred; that is the one to whom you shall listen”. It is very clear from this instruction of Moses that Israel has to receive great prophet just like him and they are to listen to Him just as they had listened to him [Moses]. Earlier, God gave His laws through Moses, now Jesus, the New Moses is set establish New laws and ratify the covenant.

In the Luken Gospel Jesus begins His final journey towards Jerusalem after this transfiguration incident. On His way to Jerusalem He teaches many things to his disciples. Those teachings are grouped and called as ‘teachings on the way’ (Lk 9:51-19:27). In transfiguration scene the disciples are told to listen to Him (His teachings on the way). No wonder why the first Christians were called as followers of the way. The whole of Christian life is to follow Jesus’ teachings on the way (Lk 9:51-19:27). By listening to Jesus we get to know how to fight against the tempter about whom we were warned last week. Season of Lent is a season to listen to Jesus. Fasting, Praying and Almsgiving lose their significance if we don’t dare to listen to His words in the bible. Let us use the bible as much as possible in this season of Lent to get to know His teachings. Jesus combated devil through His deep knowledge about Word of God. If we don’t know the Word of God we stumble and fall. Are we ready to listen to Jesus in the Lent?