Jesus' Transfiguration: Do I Get it?

Today we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord on Mount Tabor! On this Mount, Jesus spoke to Moses and Elijah about his impending death, His agony on the cross, His crucifixion.  How difficult it must of have been for Jesus. He tried to share his pain with this apostles. But they simply did not get it!  It was important for Jesus to be able to talk to someone who would understand what he was going through. His Father knew that and arranged for this meeting with Moses and Elijah!

Jesus takes Peter, James and John with Him up to Mount Tabor. As Jesus begins to pray, His face "changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem."    The three apostles fall fast asleep! Only when they became fully awake did they see Jesus' "glory and the two men standing with him." Baffled and not knowing what to say, Peter blurts out a request: Jesus, let us build three tents here--one for you, one for Elijah and one for Moses. As he was speaking a "cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, 'This is my chosen Son; listen to him.'"  Then, all of a sudden Peter, James and John are alone with Jesus and "[t]hey fell silent"!

Even on Mount Tabor, the three apostles do not get it, as obvious from Peter wanting to build three tents there for Jesus, Moses and Elijah!  They sleep!  How often do you and I not get it and are truly asleep to what is going on spiritually.  How often are not our eyes closed to God at work in our world, in our lives, in the lives of others, in our church, our society, our families.  How often are we not living in a fog, so to speak, or simply are too busy focused on our desires, whatever they may be--building tents or doing whatever, babbling anything because we don't know what to say. Yes, we easily miss the point of what God wants and how ordinary reality, every day,  is being transfigured into a reality of God's Presence and God's power at work!

"Be still and know that I am God,"   the psalmist tells us in Psalm 46:10!