2nd Sunday Lent A - Homily 6

Homily 6 - 2020

“Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.” Matthew was carefully setting the scene for something; something that would be connected, apparently, with what had happened six days earlier. Six days earlier Jesus and the disciples had been up north, over the border in Gentile territory, in Caesarea Philippi. It was there he had asked them his momentous question, “Who do you say I am?”; and Peter had jumped in and answered, according to Matthew’s account, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God!” It was not so much a theological statement about Jesus, as his way of saying something like, “You are the greatest! You are the answer to my dreams and hopes!”

 Matthew had then added, “From that time, Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes [that is, the leadership in charge down in the capital], to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day.” For Peter, the more he heard, the less he heard. For Peter, that sort of disastrous outcome was unthinkable. He said to Jesus, “Lord, this must not happen to you.” And Matthew then added Jesus’ sharp reply, “Get behind me Satan!… The way you think is not God’s way, but man’s.” Jesus said that to Peter, the Church’s first budding Pope.

 But there was more. Jesus continued, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, you must renounce yourself and take up your cross and follow me”. That was heavy stuff. Matthew made no mention of the mood within the band of disciples.

 Now, six days later, Jesus was on an unnamed mountain with three of his disciples, Peter, James and John when something happened to Jesus. Matthew said he was transfigured — and went on to describe what he meant, “His face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light”. Matthew then said Moses and Elijah appeared to them, and began to talk to Jesus. Then, a bright cloud enveloped them; and from the cloud came a voice saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour.” Wonderful! Or was it? What was going on?

 There was more — the command, “Listen to him”. “Listen” to what? to what Jesus had said “six days earlier” — that he would suffer grievously, and be put to death, and be raised. “Listen” also to what else Jesus had said to them, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, you must renounce yourself and take up your cross and follow me”.

 Over the centuries, the Church has preferred to profess, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God”. We have hardly taken to heart, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, you must renounce yourself and take up your cross and follow me”.. Over recent years, and still continuing, we feel surprised and indignant, even bewildered, when we are bitterly criticised and shamed for crimes committed by our Church.

The story of Jesus’ transfiguration challenges us to hold together somehow the reality of the divine mystery of Jesus, the equally real fact of his humiliating, dehumanising and tortured death, and the wonder of his quiet, compassionate but irrepressible resurrection to fullness of life on the third day.

The next five weeks of Lent give us the opportunity to reflect, to ask ourselves how truly we really yearn to enjoy with him the fullness of life. How ready are we to take up our inevitable cross, whatever be its shape, as the way to life and to joy, and to plan how in practice we shall follow him faithfully, thoughtfully, along the path of discipleship?