Scripture/Sermon of the Day. March 2, 2025
Luke 9:28-43a
The Transfiguration
28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and
John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while he was
praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as
bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and
Elijah, talking to him. 31 They appeared in glory and were speaking about
his exodus, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his
companions were weighed down with sleep, but as they awoke they saw his
glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 Just as they were leaving him,
Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us set up
three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not realizing
what he was saying. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and
overshadowed them, and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35
Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen;
listen to him!” 36 When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And
they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had
seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon
37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd
met him. 38 Just then a man from the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to
look at my son; he is my only child. 39 Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and
all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it
mauls him and will scarcely leave him. 40 I begged your disciples to cast it
out, but they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse
generation, how much longer must I be with you and put up with you? Bring
your son here.” 42 While he was being brought forward, the demon dashed him
to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed
the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astounded at the
greatness of God.
Reflection/Sermon:
I. At the beginning of this chapter — 9 — Jesus sent out the twelve
disciples and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure
diseases and to heal. He said: “Proclaim the kingdom of God to everyone.
So they went out and brought good news and cured diseases “everywhere.” (We
do this too.)
II. When they came back and told Jesus all they did, they went to a
quiet city, Bethsaida. But the crowds, like paparazzi, found him, and Jesus
welcomed them and told them about the kingdom of God and healed whoever
needed to be cured of — whatever.
It was getting late. The disciples told Jesus send the people away — so
they can get food or lodging for the night. Jesus said, “YOU give them
something to eat.” They said “WE CAN’T — with only five loaves and two fish
— and there’s about five thousand people here — we can’t buy food for
everyone.” But Jesus found a way to feed them.
III. Later, when he was praying alone, he asked the disciples “Who do
the crowds say I am?” The crowds (who are always wrong) said John the
Baptist or Elijah or one of the ancient prophets. Jesus asked who they
thought he is — Peter said, “the Messiah — the Christ.” Jesus said, “Don’t
tell any one.” And he told them, whoever wants to be his disciple has to
suffer and lose their lives.
IV. And that’s where our reading today starts — this is what happened
before it. Last week Jesus described THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE when
someone does something BAD to us and WE DO GOOD in return. Heaven is LOVING
our ENEMIES. It’s HEALING hatred and diseases. That’s HEAVEN.
V. I’ve been troubled by a meeting that was broadcast Friday between
Zelensky and Trump and Vance. It wasn’t a meeting — MORE LIKE A SCHOOLYARD
BRAWL. IT WAS AN AMBUSH. I wanted it to have a happy ending. How could it
have gone better? What needed to happen? Because the outcome of that
meeting is now our problem. It affects us and the world. HOW CAN
SOMETHING LIKE THAT BE TRANSFIGURED INTO CHRIST? Because OUR WORK IS
PROCLAIMING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IN OUR LIVES BY BECOMING TRANSFIGURED INTO
CHRIST.
VI. What could Zalensky have done to salvage that meeting? (Do you know
he’s Jewish? Maybe a blood-relation of Jesus?) HOW DO WE NOT ARGUE when
you’re with someone who does? How do you let them insult and humiliate you
and not let you speak?
WE MUST BE TRANSFIGURED EACH DAY — WITH THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST. God
said, “Listen to him.”
When we LISTEN to him we are transformed, says Saint Paul, into Christ,
“from one degree of glory to another.”