Bible Study, Prayer, and Homily Resources
by Fr. Tommy Lane
Peter, James, and John got a preview of the glory of Jesus risen from the dead and his glory in heaven when they saw Jesus transfigured. It was also a preview of the glory we all hope to share in heaven. It was a very special grace for Peter, James, and John.
It was not the only special grace Jesus shared with Peter, James, and John. Earlier in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, we read that Jesus allowed Peter, James, and John with him into the house of the synagogue official whose daughter he raised up again (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51). Later, when Jesus was teaching in the temple, Peter, James, and John asked Jesus a question privately and he gave them more teaching (Mark 13:3). In Gethsemane, Jesus took Peter, James, and John aside from the others to be near him during his agony (Mark 14:33). So Peter, James, and John received many special graces from Jesus.
Just before seeing Jesus transfigured, Jesus told his disciples that he must suffer greatly, be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes, be killed and rise after three days (Matt 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22). How did they react? Peter (in Matt and Mark) rebuked Jesus for saying this (Matt 16:22; Mark 8:32) and Jesus responded, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Matt 16:23; Mark 8:33) The disciples had to learn that Jesus was not the type of Messiah they were expecting. Instead of being a Messiah to liberate Palestine from Roman domination, Jesus told them he would be a suffering Messiah and would be executed. What a shock! That was too much for them to understand then. Immediately following this, we read that Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transfigured (Matt 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36). They needed this grace now. They had left everything to follow Jesus, and he had just told them he would be killed. They needed reassurance, and Jesus did not let them down. They received a huge grace now on the mountain as they saw Jesus transfigured.
(Moses and Elijah also appeared and spoke with Jesus. Moses received lots of teaching from God on Mount Sinai, often called the Law. Elijah is a representative of the prophets during Jesus’ transfiguration. So, we have the Law and the Prophets, as the Old Testament was often called, with Jesus on the mountain. The Old Testament was pointing forward to Jesus as we heard in that beautiful prophecy of Jesus in our first reading from Daniel 7. Now two great figures of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah, appeared on the mountain with Jesus transfigured, to confirm that Jesus was indeed the Messiah expected by the Old Testament. In the opening prayer today, we heard:
O God, who in the
glorious Transfiguration
of your Only Begotten Son
confirmed
the mysteries of faith by the witness of the Fathers.
The “witness of the Fathers” in that prayer was Moses and Elijah witnessing Jesus’ transfiguration. Also, Jesus’ Father witnessed from heaven, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” So the Old Testament and the Father in heaven confirmed that Jesus was indeed the expected Messiah. Although Jesus had just shocked the apostles by telling them he must suffer and die, this was the plan of God for Jesus.)
The Father said, “Listen to him.” In other words, “Do not be scandalized at the teaching of my son Jesus about his forthcoming Passion, death, and resurrection.” Will they listen to Jesus and stand by Jesus as he goes to his Passion and death? We know the story. Peter denied Jesus in the courtyard of the high priest, and James, like the rest of the disciples, abandoned Jesus. Only John listened to Jesus and was not scandalized by Jesus’ Passion and death. John went into the courtyard of the high priest while Jesus was being tried (John 18:16) and went all the way to the cross with the women (John 19:25-27). When the crunch came between Holy Thursday night and the first appearance of Jesus on Easter Sunday, Peter and James did not listen; they abandoned Jesus. Their abandonment of Jesus was only temporary, while John remained faithful during Jesus’ Passion. Later, all three of them, Peter, James, and John, became great witnesses to Jesus. Peter became the first Pope and bishop of Rome. James was executed in Jerusalem by King Herod for witnessing to Jesus (Acts 12:2) and John authored the Fourth Gospel, the Gospel of John. So, the three disciples did listen to Jesus although two of them were temporarily unfaithful during Jesus’ Passion.
We are disappointed that Peter and James did not listen to Jesus—did not remain faithful to Jesus—during the time he most needed them. They had seen Jesus transfigured and heard the command of the Father to listen to Jesus. They had been with Jesus for other intimate moments like the raising of the girl to life, but they were scandalized by Jesus’ Passion. Yet, why should we be disappointed with them because we also have experienced and met Jesus in many ways and sometimes we too let him down?
We meet Jesus in a most intimate way every time we receive Jesus in the Eucharist. It is the time when we are closest to Jesus.
We meet Jesus in the Scriptures as they touch our hearts. Jesus speaks to us now when we read the Scriptures.
We meet Jesus in a very special way in all the sacraments.
We have seen Jesus in great people like Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa.
But just as Peter and James needed to know after Jesus’ resurrection that he did not hold their abandonment of him against them, we need to be reconciled to Jesus often. We need to meet Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation often because there are times when we do not listen to Jesus—times when we deny Jesus, maybe sometimes in our families, or where we work, or in our communities. But we do not have to be conquered or governed by our weaknesses or sinfulness. Just as Peter and James received the special grace of seeing Jesus transfigured, but unfortunately failed him later, we too have received many graces from Jesus and can be renewed by Jesus again and again in the Sacrament of Reconciliation to help us become the great people he has called us to be and to witness to him wherever life demands.
The appearance of Moses and Elijah during the transfiguration, and the Father saying, “This is my beloved Son,” confirmed that Jesus is indeed the expected Messiah. The Father commanded: “Listen to him.” John is a model disciple; he was faithful to Jesus to the end. Peter and James for a short while did not listen to Jesus, but just as Peter, James, John became great witnesses to Jesus, we too can be great witnesses to Jesus.
Copyright © Fr. Tommy Lane 2006
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
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