One important thing in running a marathon
successfully is to keep an image of you victoriously crossing the finish line.
Visualizing yourself in a triumphant figure sure helps you ensure all the challenges
on the course. When your body is full of
pain and aches after running so many miles, a temptation to quit increases its
magnitude. At the same time, you know you do not want to give up. Then, you
evoke an image of yourself basking in the finisher’s glory, you will find that
all the pains and aches are becoming more manageable, if not necessarily
dissipating, and you can complete the marathon.
In a way, the Transfiguration of the Lord (Matthew
17:1-13//Mark 9:2-13//Luke 9:28-36) has a similar effect on us as we continue
on our journey of faith. Collectively, it is our spiritual Exodus from this
world into our eternal home in the Kingdom of God, reflected in Dante Alighieri’s
“Divina Commedia”, from Inferno into Paradiso via Purgetorio. On this spiritual “Exodus” journey, which is
juxtaposed to a marathon, we are accompanied and guided by Christ the primary Parakeletos (1 John 2:1) and another Parakletos, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,
26), as Virgil did to Dante from Inferno
through Purgatorio and Beatrice did
into Paradiso. Guided and empowered by the Parakletos, who is with God and is God,
as in Trinity, we will complete our spiritual Exodus “marathon” in the glory of
God. The Transfiguration of the Lord is
a glimpse into the eschatological glory of God, which will fill our home as
envisioned in Revelation 21:23 and 22:5.
But, the light of Christ the Lamb at our eternal home, as described in
Revelation 21-22, upon completing our spiritual Exodus “marathon” is far
greater than the glorious light of the Transfiguration.
We know that this journey of faith: the spiritual
Exodus “marathon” from this world of sins into our eternal home in the Kingdom
of God comes with so many challenges and even tribulations (Revelation 6-19).
We know this fact also from Jesus demanding us to carry our daily cross (Matthew
10:38,16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23, 14:27). This “marathon” really is ultimate
one. But, it is worth pouring our whole life on for the sake of the Kingdom of
God, filled with the glorious light, as envisioned in Revelation 21-22, after
all the tribulations (Revelation 6-19). And, the Transfiguration of Christ is a
reflection of this eschatological glorious light that we are entitled to upon
successfully completing our “marathon” of Exodus from this world, where death
is inevitable due to the Original Sin of Adam and Eve.
In fact, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to Mt. Tabor to let them witness the glorious light of his Transfiguration after Peter, assisted by the divine power, identified Jesus as the living Christ (Matthew 16:13-20//Mark 8:27-30//Luke 9:18-21). Then Jesus foretold the disciples of his death in Jerusalem, to which Peter resisted and was rebuked (Matthew 16:21-28//Mark 8:31-38//Luke 9:22-27). Given Peter’s protesting reaction to foretelling his death, Jesus probably realized that Peter and the rest of the disciples would need a bit of encouragement to accept his death in Jerusalem and a prospect of their own martyrdom. For this reason, Jesus must have shown his Transfiguration to the selected disciples: Peter, James, and John on Mt. Tabor, so that they would endure their apostolic “marathon” to share his glory of the Resurrection and ultimately his eschatological glory, which characterizes the Kingdom of God, where he reigns. To reflect on this, the Transfiguration is always the Gospel theme for the 2nd Sunday of Lent, so that we can endure our Lenten journey beyond the death of Christ on Good Friday all the way to the Resurrection Sunday and beyond. And, this Lenten “marathon” is actually a “marathon training” for our ultimate Exodus “marathon” from this world, juxtaposed to Dante’s Inferno, to the Kingdom of God, juxtaposed to Dante’s Paradiso. No matter how difficult this “marathon” may become, we can successfully complete, enduring through the tribulations, because we have already burned an image of the Transfiguration into our soul, creating an empowering vision to share Christ’s glorious light with us, along with Moses and Elijah in the Kingdom.
In fact, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to Mt. Tabor to let them witness the glorious light of his Transfiguration after Peter, assisted by the divine power, identified Jesus as the living Christ (Matthew 16:13-20//Mark 8:27-30//Luke 9:18-21). Then Jesus foretold the disciples of his death in Jerusalem, to which Peter resisted and was rebuked (Matthew 16:21-28//Mark 8:31-38//Luke 9:22-27). Given Peter’s protesting reaction to foretelling his death, Jesus probably realized that Peter and the rest of the disciples would need a bit of encouragement to accept his death in Jerusalem and a prospect of their own martyrdom. For this reason, Jesus must have shown his Transfiguration to the selected disciples: Peter, James, and John on Mt. Tabor, so that they would endure their apostolic “marathon” to share his glory of the Resurrection and ultimately his eschatological glory, which characterizes the Kingdom of God, where he reigns. To reflect on this, the Transfiguration is always the Gospel theme for the 2nd Sunday of Lent, so that we can endure our Lenten journey beyond the death of Christ on Good Friday all the way to the Resurrection Sunday and beyond. And, this Lenten “marathon” is actually a “marathon training” for our ultimate Exodus “marathon” from this world, juxtaposed to Dante’s Inferno, to the Kingdom of God, juxtaposed to Dante’s Paradiso. No matter how difficult this “marathon” may become, we can successfully complete, enduring through the tribulations, because we have already burned an image of the Transfiguration into our soul, creating an empowering vision to share Christ’s glorious light with us, along with Moses and Elijah in the Kingdom.
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