Transfiguration Sunday
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36
Key verse: “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” (Luke 9:35)
<music>
Intro:
Hello, This is Jade.
Welcome to Yi.kigai
A space for all to explore the intersection between faith and daily life
<music>
<Message:>
Transfiguration Blessings to you!
Last week, my husband and I saw that it was a perfect day to hike. So, we decided to hike the Mailbox Peak Old Trail which we had done before. But this time, we were thinking of venturing an extra 0.4 miles to the Dirtybox Peak which we hadn’t done yet. Since it was Saturday, there were many hikers. On our way up, I noticed that we were not the only ones looking for the White Diamond Trail Markers that were affixed to trees to show the way. Whenever I spotted those who moved upwards faster, I asked if they had hiked this trail before. If they did, I asked again if they had been to the Dirtybox Peak. None of them had, but one commented that, from what he had heard, it would take about 20 minutes from the Mailbox Peak to the Dirtybox Peak in summer, but he wasn’t sure what the trail would be like when it was covered by snow and ice. Another hiker told me that he didn’t think that there was actually a dirty box on the peak. Their comments shook the determination we had to make it to Dirtybox Peak.
During Jesus’ transfiguration, Jesus’ disciples were able to glimpse the divine nature of their Lord. This important event gave his disciples the assurance that they were following the right Master. But how much assurance did the disciples need to keep pressing on toward the goal for the prize of God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus as St Paul said in Philippians 3:12-16? Similarly, how many White Diamond Trail Markers do hikers really need when a trail is not clear and confusing?
Right before Jesus’ transfiguration, Jesus foretold his coming suffering and death. While James, John, and Peter followed Jesus up to the mountain, the rest of the disciples continued doing what Jesus told them to do, proclaiming God’s good news, healing the sick and casting out demons. Jesus’ bad news must have shaken their hope and faith, they lost the power and authority that Jesus had passed on to them to cast a demon from a boy. That was the first complaint Jesus heard when he and the three disciples returned from their mountain hike.
While we took a lunch break on Mailbox peak, it was cold and very windy. I wasn’t sure if there were markers like the White Diamond ones to guide us to Dirtybox peak. So, we decided not to venture the extra 0.4 miles into a little-known trail covered by icy snow. On our way back down, whenever we saw people who seemed to be lost, we would tell them to look for the White Diamond Markers on the trees. Some of these markers had messages left behind by hikers, such as “Don’t give up!”, “You are doing great!” or “Keep going!” It was inspiring to see.
What has shaken your hope and faith in Jesus? May you and I walk on the path that is set before us for the sake of joy that Jesus has accomplished through the cross. Remember the passage from Hebrews 12! It says that we are not the only ones on God’s call to spread God’s Good News since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses and all our siblings in Christ who are cheering us on saying, “Don’t Give Up!”, “You Are Doing Great!”, and “Keep Going!”
<Music>
<Closing Prayer:>
May your coming week be blessed by God’s grace
As together we explore the intersection between faith and daily life
Outro:
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and follow yi.kigai.
<music>
Comments