The country is going through a severe drought. Everyone looks up; the sky seems closed. Simultaneously we all go through a spiritual aridity. Hence we need to look up and listen to the Heaven, during this sacred season of Lent.
Jesus going up a high mountain. On the mountain, He is transfigured. Then appear two figures who are also linke to a mountain, Mount Sinai (God revealed to Moses on Sinai; God revealed to Elijah on Horeb = Sinai). These two, Moses and Elijah, represent the Old Testament Law and the Prophets. They represent the Old Testament. They have got something to talk about.
In the meantime, a cloud comes. In the wilderness, the cloud covered the Meeting Tent. Later, it came to rest upon the Temple of Jerusalem at the time of its dedication. Hence the cloud indicates the Lord's presence in the midst of His people. Once again it casts its shadow. Yes, the Lord is present now.
From the cloud comes a voice. Once the heavenly voice identified Jesus as "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" - that was at His baptism before He took the Galilean ministry. Once again the Heavenly voice identifies Him as "This is my beloved Son". That was after He announced the destination of His ministry, the Paschal Mystery in Jerusalem, the city of destiny, "From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised".
Only Jesus will be left as the Teacher whose Words must be heeded "and when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone." It is only Him that the Heavenly voice will identify as the one to be listened to now, "Listen to Him!".
When Jesus' divinity is revealed in such a privileged way, how do His disciples respond? Of them, Peter opens his mouth but not knowing what he is going to say. Oh, he feels so happy that he likens his joy to the joyful celebration of the harvest festival of Tabernacles: "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." The Israelites dwelt in booths during the journey from Egypt to the promised land" ... when you gathered in the produce of the land, you should celebrate a pilgrim feast of the Lord for a whole week ... for a week you shall make merry before the Lord, your God ... during this week every native Israelite among you shall dwell in booths)" and so Jews of Jesus' day too live in booths during the liturgical feast of the Tabernacles reliving their ancestral experience. The joy of Peter turns to that liturgical custom.
How do we now apply this Transfiguration of Jesus to our own lives? In 'something beautiful for God', Malcolm Muggeridge described the impact that Mother Teresa had upon an audience of people, saying "Every face ... was rapt, hanging on her words, not because of the words ... but because of her. Some quality came across, over and above the words, that held their attention. A luminosity seemed to fill the school hall ... penetrating every mind and heart."
This story of Mother Teresa helps us fathom, at least to some degree, the depth of impact that the Transfigured Jesus had upon His disciples. The whole event of the Transfiguration is a moment of grace for the disciples. It is a moment, when the border between heaven and earth appears to fade for a brief second. It is a moment, when, for a split second of time, they are blessed with a faint glimpse of eternity and God's glory.
Jesus can impact our lives even today - especially when we are faced with the predicaments and vicissitudes of life. Like Jesus' disciples who entered the cloud, we too can enter the majesty of God by listening to Him. Behind the dim unknown, standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.
How do we listen to Jesus today? God instructed the disciples of Jesus on the high mountain to listen to Him. It was a time when they failed to listen to Him and His words on the impending passion, death and Resurrection in Jerusalem. The Paschal Mystery remains a mystery to us as well today. It has been a mystery for all ages. But we need to listen to Him. We need to listen and obey the Word of the Lord, like Abraham, our Patriach, who went as the Lord directed him from the land of his kinsfolk and from his father's house to a land that the Lord would show him.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar