With Opened Bible
Mount Transfiguration
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
Today, we celebrate Lent's second Sunday. The Gospel places us in the presence of Jesus and three of his disciples on Mount Tabor, the mountain of the Transfiguration. This event, where Jesus's appearance changed and he was seen talking with Moses and Elijah, is a significant moment in his ministry. It is a way for the Master to give his friends a foretaste of what awaits him after his Passion-death-Resurrection. He is the One who summarizes the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah).
In the Old Testament, faith in the God of Abraham is proclaimed not with the verb to believe (Aman in Hebrew) but rather with that of listening. (Shemar in Hebrew) Why this great particularity? For the Jew, believing in God is listening to his voice and practicing his commandments. Hence their creed and the greatest commandment: "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!" (Deuteronomy 6:4)
Listening to God is not just a mater of faith, it is a profound act of obedience. The man of faith proves his devotion to God through attentive listening. As it is written, "You go closer and listen to all that the LORD, our God, will say, and then tell us what the LORD, our God, tells you; we will listen and obey" (Deuteronomy 5:27). God speaks to his people through the Law of Moses and the Prophets, and it is their duty to listen and obey.
With Jesus transfigured, the New Testament brings something much greater than the Law and the prophetic message. Here, we understand the significance of Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the prophets) appearing on the mountain. They come to confirm Jesus's identity and mission, assuring us that he is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, and the culmination of our faith.
Now and for the times to come, the believer must only listen to Jesus, the Son of God, to have life. He is the living Word, the incarnate Law that saves from sin and death. It is through Jesus, the living Word, that we can find salvation and eternal life. "This is my chosen Son; listen to him." (Luke 9:35)
Lent extends a warm invitation to all of us to listen to Jesus' voice, to better live our relationship with the Father in the truth of the Holy Spirit. In doing so, we become full members of his flock: "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish." (John 10:27-28)
