A Christian, because he or she lives in this world, is subject to the vicissitudes of life. Rain and thunderclaps one day; sunshine and roses the next. But there is a fundamental difference in the life of a follower of Jesus when it comes to moments that lift us out of the ordinary. On the one hand, a person can seek transcendence as an escape from the day-to-day. In fact, one can attempt to manufacture such moments in order to “recreate” the bliss. The dominant attitude is acquisitiveness (or consumerism), which can lead to a poverty of spirit that believes there is nothing else. On the other hand, the Christian – by faith – knows there is something else: God “saved us and called us to a holy life… [according to] the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus… who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim 1:9-10). .JPG) The Transfiguration offers significant lessons to us not simply in obedience but in self-denial -- all of which are part and parcel of Lent, the season in which we are called to "transfigure," or transform, ourselves into new creations of God. (CNS photo/Greg Tarczynski) |
The grace of Christ and faith in him do not make Christians indifferent to the vicissitudes of life, nor do grace and faith erase their humanity. Followers of Jesus have good days and bad days. But for the believer, “life” is not simply equivalent to this world, or this time and place. “Life” includes this world, but the fullness of life is in Christ. What the believer “grabs hold of” is not a passing experience of joy (as good as this truly is), but the word of God. This does not come naturally. Peter, James, and John – when they were privileged to witness the Transfiguration, a transcendent moment like no other – wanted to remain in the moment. But the Transfiguration was not the end for which Jesus came; it was an anticipation and a reminder of the fullness of life to come. The fullness of life comes with the completion of God’s will, with the cross and the resurrection. Jesus understood this, which is why his love for the world was not an attachment to its experiences but a calling forth of its deepest reality and potential by coming to know and to yield to God. Thus, God tells the disciples, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The moment of the Transfiguration has passed, but the word of Christ remains and the Word who is Christ remains. If we are graced with happy moments, let us praise the Lord. But if we desire life in its fullness, we must listen to and follow Jesus through death. |
