As Jesus revealed himself to and taught his disciples, sacred Scripture tells us that on several occasions Jesus shared with his disciples the true nature of his mission as Messiah. Jesus made it very clear that his activity as Messiah would not be built on the political, kingly expectations of the people but would be founded on love and service; on his willingness to suffer and die to set us free from the power of sin.
Struggling to fully comprehend who and what Jesus was and laboring under their exuberant expectations of the kind of Messiah that Jesus would be, the disciples time and time again failed to understand all that Jesus referenced when he spoke of his suffering and death as Messiah. It was almost beyond the comprehension of the disciples that the one in whom they placed all their hope could endure such an agonizing and seemingly disgraceful death.
Jesus knew the expectations of his disciples, and he knew that his approaching passion and death would be a great challenge to their faith. Seeing him suffer and die on the cross would not be what the disciples expected, and Jesus knew that, because of this, he needed to attempt to strengthen the faith of the disciples.
So, Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain. There before them, he was transfigured, and they saw his glory shine through as the Son of God. Having seen his glory, Jesus hoped that when his passion began and his death arrived, these three disciples would in turn remember this experience and strengthen the faith of the others at a time when the faith of all the disciples would be severely tested.
During his transfiguration, the voice of the Father encourages the disciples present to listen to what Jesus is saying about his mission as Messiah, hoping that they would not fall victim to their own expectations of a Messiah. For the evangelist St. Mark, whose account of the Transfiguration we reflect on during this year’s season of Lent, the cross event is central to understanding who Jesus is and the nature of his mission as Messiah. The disciples must struggle with the reality of the cross to come to the comprehension of Jesus as the Son of God and Messiah. If the disciples listen to Jesus’ predictions of his passion and seek to truly understand the great love that will be expressed in his passion and death, they will discover who Jesus is as Messiah and come to understand their role in furthering the Kingdom of God.
We are very much like Jesus’ disciples. Many times, we are operating on our own expectations of who and what God is for us, and we do not fully understand the true nature of God’s desire for us. When things do not turn out as we expect, our faith is shaken, as was the faith of the disciples at the time of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. However, the disciples were willing to struggle with the reality of the cross, and because of their fidelity to the struggle, they finally understood the nature of their relationship to Jesus and how he saved them from eternal death.
The same holds true for us. If we are willing to remain faithful to the struggle of trying to comprehend the nature of the cross event as it continues in our own lives, then we come to understand who and what Jesus is for us today in our lives of faith. Jesus makes us witnesses to so many “transfigurations” in our lives and world. When life gets difficult, we must remember all that God has done for us and trust that he will not abandon us. May we one day attain the strength of faith of the disciples, who were faithful to the struggle. Let us pray together that this season of Lent will strengthen us in our willingness and ability to carry our own cross all the way to our promised resurrection!
Comfort My People — The cross and Jesus’ mission as Messiah
As Jesus revealed himself to and taught his disciples, sacred Scripture tells us that on several occasions Jesus shared with his disciples the true nature of his mission as Messiah. Jesus made it very clear that his activity as Messiah would not be built on the political, kingly expectations of the people but would be founded on love and service; on his willingness to suffer and die to set us free from the power of sin.
Struggling to fully comprehend who and what Jesus was and laboring under their exuberant expectations of the kind of Messiah that Jesus would be, the disciples time and time again failed to understand all that Jesus referenced when he spoke of his suffering and death as Messiah. It was almost beyond the comprehension of the disciples that the one in whom they placed all their hope could endure such an agonizing and seemingly disgraceful death.
Jesus knew the expectations of his disciples, and he knew that his approaching passion and death would be a great challenge to their faith. Seeing him suffer and die on the cross would not be what the disciples expected, and Jesus knew that, because of this, he needed to attempt to strengthen the faith of the disciples.
So, Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain. There before them, he was transfigured, and they saw his glory shine through as the Son of God. Having seen his glory, Jesus hoped that when his passion began and his death arrived, these three disciples would in turn remember this experience and strengthen the faith of the others at a time when the faith of all the disciples would be severely tested.
During his transfiguration, the voice of the Father encourages the disciples present to listen to what Jesus is saying about his mission as Messiah, hoping that they would not fall victim to their own expectations of a Messiah. For the evangelist St. Mark, whose account of the Transfiguration we reflect on during this year’s season of Lent, the cross event is central to understanding who Jesus is and the nature of his mission as Messiah. The disciples must struggle with the reality of the cross to come to the comprehension of Jesus as the Son of God and Messiah. If the disciples listen to Jesus’ predictions of his passion and seek to truly understand the great love that will be expressed in his passion and death, they will discover who Jesus is as Messiah and come to understand their role in furthering the Kingdom of God.
We are very much like Jesus’ disciples. Many times, we are operating on our own expectations of who and what God is for us, and we do not fully understand the true nature of God’s desire for us. When things do not turn out as we expect, our faith is shaken, as was the faith of the disciples at the time of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. However, the disciples were willing to struggle with the reality of the cross, and because of their fidelity to the struggle, they finally understood the nature of their relationship to Jesus and how he saved them from eternal death.
The same holds true for us. If we are willing to remain faithful to the struggle of trying to comprehend the nature of the cross event as it continues in our own lives, then we come to understand who and what Jesus is for us today in our lives of faith. Jesus makes us witnesses to so many “transfigurations” in our lives and world. When life gets difficult, we must remember all that God has done for us and trust that he will not abandon us. May we one day attain the strength of faith of the disciples, who were faithful to the struggle. Let us pray together that this season of Lent will strengthen us in our willingness and ability to carry our own cross all the way to our promised resurrection!
Consuela a Mi Gente — Profundizando nuestra oración durante la Cuaresma