Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent
Genesis 12:1-4; Psalm 32; Timothy 1:8-10; Matthew 17:1-9
5 March 2023
The Transfiguration of Jesus occurs in all three synoptic gospels. And in all three accounts, Jesus goes up the mountain with Peter, James and John – the first apostles to have been called, and the ones chosen by Jesus to accompany him into the Garden at Gethsemane prior to his passion and death.
In Matthew’s account, the event takes place six days after Peter has declared, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God’ and after Peter and has remonstrated with Jesus telling him that he must not let himself be put to death at the hands of the elders and the chief priests and the scribes.
How was Peter to hold together these two facts: that Jesus was the Son of the Living God and that Jesus was destined for death as a common criminal? How could he envisage both the divine and the earthly reality of this one whom he was following? How can we hold together the earthly and the divine? How can he hold together the hope of heavenly things and the mess of our earthly reality?
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The mountain, the presence of Moses and Elijah, the face shining like the sun, and the clothes dazzling as light, the bright cloud, and the voice from the cloud. All this looks and sounds like the divine and the heavenly. In words, strikingly similar to those uttered at the baptism of Jesus, the voice from the cloud declares, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour; listen to him.’
Peter, James and John fall on their faces, overcome with fear. In Gethsemane, they will be caught sleeping three times, their eyes being so heavy. On the mountain, they are told, ‘Stand up, do not be afraid.’ In Gethsemane, they will be told, ‘Get up! Let’s go! My betrayer is not far away.’
Scripture scholar Brendan Byrne tells us: ‘By moving so swiftly from glory and theophany back to simple humanity, the narrative reaffirms the sense of divine presence in the human person of Jesus. Moses and Elijah were the two figures who came closest to God in the biblical tradition, both experiencing theophanies on a mountain. The disciples have shared their experience but do not remain on the mountain to preserve it. Whenever they are with Jesus, they are with God – or, rather, God is with them.’[1] And so it is for us.
We don’t spend our lives on the mountain with our heads in the clouds seeing and hearing the divinity of the Lord. We spend our lives mostly down on the plain amidst the earthly concerns of our fellowman and the needs of our world. But we carry with us the image of the scene on the mountain, knowing that the Lord is with us. It’s this that sustains us in the midst of conflict, human sinfulness, broken relationships, and flawed political processes.
I’ve just spent an intense fortnight engaged on issues to do with the Voice and the forthcoming referendum.[2] There is just so much unnecessary vitriol around. In part, this is because the processes put in place for attempting to amend our Constitution are so flawed. The Prime Minister announced a proposed amendment for the Constitution for consideration seven months ago. We are now told that it will be at least another month before a parliamentary committee is set up to consider the proposed amendment and that there will be only a six-week window for people to make submissions and for parliament to determine the words to be put to the people in the referendum.
Meanwhile the government has been sponsoring two Indigenous groups and one group of eight constitutional experts to advise government, largely in confidence. Such a process inevitably generates mistrust and misunderstanding.
The Prime Minister blames the Leader of the Opposition saying, ‘I’ve said I’ll consider anything that’s put forward in good faith. What I don’t see from the Opposition, or from the leadership of the Opposition anyway, is good faith at the moment. There aren’t suggestions coming forward. There is a conscious decision to try to confuse the issue. And the issue is about two things. It’s about recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our Constitution, and about consulting them on matters that affect them. That is all that this is about’.[3]
The Leader of the Opposition, for his part, continues to blame the Prime Minister saying, ‘I believe you are making a catastrophic mistake in not providing accessible, clear and complete information regarding your government’s version of the voice, condemning it to failure and, in turn, damaging reconciliation efforts in our country. Your approach will ensure a dangerous and divisive debate grounded in hearsay and misinformation.’[4]
Each of them has a point. But there is just no process in place to bring these two sides to the table.
During the week, I was privileged to participate in a conference where, almost for the first time, a variety of voices could be heard publicly in the one room.[5] We need far more of these respectful, open discussions with diverse opinions if we are to have any chance of getting to ‘Yes’ with the referendum later in the year.
Until the parliamentary committee is set up, there will continue to be mistrust and misunderstanding. We all need to hold before us the vision of the Lord on the mountain with Moses and Elijah, knowing that the Lord is with us, that there is hope, that there will be light, and that good can come of the present stand-off down on the plain.
Lord, let your mercy be on us,
as we place our trust in you.
The word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.
Lord, let your mercy be on us,
as we place our trust in you.
The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.
Lord, let your mercy be on us,
as we place our trust in you.
Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
The Lord is our help and our shield.
May your love be upon us, O Lord,
as we place all our hope in you.
Lord, let your mercy be on us,
as we place our trust in you.
