Food for soul! 7

Matthew 17:1-9 

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’ When they heard this the disciples fell on their faces overcome with fear. But Jesus came up and touched them. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘do not be afraid.’ And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but only Jesus. As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, ‘Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.’

Food for soul!

Last Sunday, Jesus showed us his humanity. We heard that He was lead into a wilderness where he was tempted and where, after 40 days, He felt hungry. This was Jesus the man. Today, we have Jesus the divine. If last Sunday Jesus showed us his weakness, today he is showing us his glory. It is the same Jesus, the one we saw last Sunday and the one we are seeing today. 

The Gospel says, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. And He was transfigured before them. In other words, Jesus changed forms on the mountain. The glory that was concealed within Him was revealed on that mountain, before Peter and James and his brother John. You see, this was not the first time Jesus had experienced a transfiguration. When He was born in Bethlehem, Jesus concealed the glory of His deity behind the veil of His human body. On this occasion, the glory on the inside burst forth to the outside.

Jesus had twelve disciples, so why just these three, Peter and James and his brother John? Why did Jesus choose to show his glory to a few and not to the many? Jesus showed his glory not before a crowd, not even before the twelve disciples, but before three; Jesus was at his best before just three of his twelve disciples. As you know, many of us are at our best away from home; we show our true colours at our place of work, at the church, at where there's a gathering, and never at home, never before the spouse and children. Unfortunately, our dear ones never come to see our glory, but the outsiders. Jesus showed his glory to Peter and James and his brother John.

Some people are very good as professionals, they're very good people at work, but at home, they shout at and harass others they live with, and sometimes beat their spouses and children. If you smile all the time at your place of work, but frown all the time at home, please, do change. Your Peter and John and James are your spouse and children; show your glory first to them before you show it to the rest of us.

When and where do you show your glory? When and where are you at your best? When you're with the twelve or when you're with the three? When you're at work, or when you're at home? When and where do poeple say that it is good to be in your company? At home or at work? WHO SEES YOUR GLORY?

We normally say, charity begins at home. I say, not only charity but also love begins at home; forgiveness begins at home; our glory also begins at home. But does not end there. It only begins at home but does not end at home.

Peter and John and James were chosen on this day to experience something special and later to witness; they were especially chosen to go thru an experience and later witness to others. The Gospel says, And as they were coming back down the mountain, He admonished and expressly ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man should rise from among the dead. So, these three men had to tell the rest of us of what they had experienced.

As you know, the Lord continues to choose us for special experiences; He selects us to make and have special experiences. Your kind of experiences, your kind of life, your kind of problems and joys and suffering, all you are going through is what the Lord has chosen you to experience AND witness. So next time you wonder and ask yourself why you're going through that experience, next time you wonder and ask, but why me, why this one on me, remember that Jesus carefully chooses us for special experiences in order to witness, in order to tell of our tale, in order to, when it is all over, tell others of our ordeal.