Transfiguration

Notes of meeting on 22 March 2011

Jesus died on the Cross for us, through his death we are saved. He says "Love one another as I have loved you." Are we able to love all men those we dislike as well as those we like - can we love our enemies? Jesus died for all men good and bad,saints and sinners

Isaiah 56 v 1-8 (New International Version, ©2011)

Salvation for Others

1 This is what the LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. 2 Blessed is the one who does this— the person who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps their hands from doing any evil.” 3 Let no foreigner who is bound to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.” And let no eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.” 4 For this is what the LORD says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— 5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever. 6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” 8 The Sovereign LORD declares— he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.”

A miner finds gold in the darkness of the mine - may we find Jesus in the darkness of our lives.

Daily reflection on Second Sunday of Lent (A)Sunday 20 March (From Bible Alive - Alive Publishing Limited)

Matthew 17:1-9 Matthew 17:1-9 (New International Version, ©2011)

The Transfiguration 1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

For Peter, the heart of Jesus’ transfiguration is his receiving glory and honour from his Father: ‘For when he received honour and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by Majestic Glory, “This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain’ (2 Pet. 1:17-18). The Father glorified Jesus in his humanity and the disciples saw the holiness of his inmost reality – the glory he had from the beginning: ‘Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made’ (John 17:5).

Jesus is the perfect human being. He came to create a new humanity by transforming us and filling us with his own holiness and glory. Incorporated in Christ by baptism, we die to our old humanity and rise with him as a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Deep within us the Spirit begins his work of transforming us into the likeness and holiness of Christ. Nonetheless, we must co-operate with the Spirit.

Two things can hinder our co-operation. Firstly we often do not believe we can overcome our failings and weaknesses and be changed in a lasting way. The remedy is to grow in our faith that the Spirit is a power within us: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Cor. 12:9). By proclaiming this truth to ourselves, we shall strengthen our faith in God’s power to change us.

Secondly, we often think we are making no real progress in becoming holy as we seem to be continually struggling with the same issues. The remedy is to hold on to the truth that the Spirit’s work in us is necessarily hidden: ‘So we do not lose heart...our inner nature is being renewed every day’ (2 Cor. 4:16). Only after our death will the hidden work of our transformation be fully revealed. Meanwhile, as we eat the Lord’s body and drink his blood in the Eucharist, we put our faith in the truth that he is transforming us – albeit in a hidden way – and rejoice that we ‘are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another’ (2 Cor. 3:18).

‘Lord Jesus, transform my hidden self into your own likeness, so that I may more perfectly give you glory and honour.’