Second Sunday of Lent Year A
First Reading: Genesis 12: 1-4
Second Reading 2 Timothy 1: 8-10
Gospel: Matthew 17: 1-9
During Lent, the liturgy focuses on the history of salvation, i.e., the whole drama of the fall and redemption. While the Gospel is chosen to move us closer to the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, the first reading is designed to capture a major episode in the history of salvation that is now fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
The first reading captures a very special moment in the history of salvation, namely, the call of Abraham and the promise to bless him, make his name great and bless all the families of the earth through him. This call requires Abraham to make a break with earthly ties; ties with his family and country, a break with the idolatrous cults that his family followed and put his trust entirely in God and worship him. Abraham believed in God and putting his trust in his promises, he obeyed.
God’s call to Abraham marks a new stage in his dealings with mankind. God is forming anew, a people through whom he would reveal himself and bestow his blessings on all humanity. In Genesis 17: 5ff, God will change his name from Abram to Abraham and upgrade these promises to an everlasting covenant. This promised blessing is a promise of salvation. This divine plan of salvation begins by requiring a man to put his trust in God and make an act of obedience. He is required to set out on a journey which amounts to going on a voluntary exile. The first sin, which was a sin of disobedience exiled man and now man will have to make a voluntary exile in obedience to begin the process of healing our exile.
This movement reaches its climax in Jesus Christ who voluntarily came down from heaven in obedience to the Father, the exile that healed definitively, our exile caused by disobedience and distrust of God. The perfect obedience of Christ is shown by his obedience even unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2: 8). By his death on the cross, he fulfils God’s promise to bless all mankind through Abraham’s descendants. It is only in the light of Christ that Abraham truly becomes the father of a multitude and all nations of the earth blessed in Him. God also promised Abraham an everlasting dwelling for his descendants forever. It is only in Christ, that we have an eternal dwelling, not an earthly homeland but a heavenly homeland.
Both Jewish and early Christian tradition sees the things God required Abram to give up as epitomizing the demands of faith and discipleship; country, kindred and father’s house and false gods. Not everyone is required to renounce their country and family literally because we are not all missionaries. But they remind us that the journey of faith requires us to leave behind the earthly man and everything that may impede our generous response to God.
The Gospel today presents us with the transfiguration account of St Matthew. Throughout the scriptures, setting or rather geography is a crucial and integral part of any story and theology. On the first week of lent, the Gospel took us to the desert where Jesus remained for 40 days and 40 nights praying and fasting and was tempted by the devil. Desert is a place of testing but especially, a place of encounter and intimacy with God. The mountain is also a place of Divine encounter. That none of the evangelists tells us the name of the mountain reinforces the idea that for the evangelists, a mountain is primarily a theological and spiritual rather than a mere geographical setting. The name of the mountain is far less important than the theological motif that mountains are places of revelation and encounter with the Divine. To go uphill suggests rising from the valley of sin and death, aspiring for the divine and ascending toward God.
Just as during the Exodus, Moses went up to the mountain with three special companions to encounter God, Jesus takes three special disciples to another mountain to encounter the divine. Luke’s account makes it clear that they went up the mountain to pray. The transfiguration of Jesus is first of all a prayer experience. Jesus “was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” Jesus forewarned his disciples about his impending passion, death and resurrection on the third day. But it seems that was not enough. He now makes three of his close companions, the same three who witnessed his agony in the garden of Olives to witness his transfiguration and glimpse his glory and majesty so that they would be able to overcome the scandal of the cross. These Apostles will never forget this drop of honey that Jesus gave them in the midst of their grief. It is the character of Jesus to give us consolation in the midst of our greatest sufferings.
The appearance of Moses and Elijah tells us that Jesus is the fulfilment of the law and the prophets. Moses is the symbol of the law and Elijah is the prophet. And the voice of the Father confirms it, “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Let us like Abraham, rise from the things that hold us back, let us climb to the mountain to encounter God, let us look beyond the cross and the trials of our daily lives and see our own resurrection prefigured in the transfiguration of Christ and the promise of a heavenly homeland.
Happy Sunday
Fr Chidi Onwuka m.ss.cc.