2026-03-01 Second Sunday in Lent

 

Genesis 12:1-4a

This passage calls Abram of the Ur in the Chaldean, to leave his familiar life and surroundings and embark on a journey to an unknown country of God's choosing. 

As a firstborn son, Abram’s leaving is notable. In ancient times, it was unusual for the firstborn to leave. The pattern was for a younger son (Jacob, Joseph) to go while the firstborn son stayed home, charged with care of aging parents and unmarried younger siblings.

This Second Sunday in Lent we are also called to enter the unknown journey in obedience to God, out of our familiar surroundings to a place of God’s own choosing.

Notice how God's promise to Abrams is a blessing which flows in one direction from the giver to the recipient. These blessings were also unconditional - the only thing Abrams had to do with have faith in God and were not dependent on the previous actions of the subject.

Psalm 33

The psalmist, possibly King David himself, calls upon Israel to praise (verses 1-3) “the word of God” (verse 4), particularly in the way that word is revealed in creation (verses 6-9) and history (verses 10-11). 

The thematic coherence of these first eleven verses is striking insofar as verses 12-22 cautions against praising God but putting trust in worldly power instruments like war chariots. Today we are absorbed by the latest technology instead of keeping our eye on God's saving grace.

In the Old Testament story of Israel, through the cry of the prophets, we see Yahweh's call to rectitude of his chosen people, and how Yahweh will punish even this chosen people when they no longer reflect Yahweh’s heart for righteousness and justice. King David could speak from personal experience to what it is to be chosen and anointed by Yahweh but punished for not practicing righteousness and justice

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

St Paul's letter, written when his martyrdom was imminent, encourages its addressee his protege Timothy, later Bishop of Ephesus.

This letter powerfully represents Paul, imprisoned and aware that his death is near, exhorting his spiritual son Timothy to follow his exemplary Christian life and teachings as Timothy continues to advance the gospel in adverse circumstances in which Timothy confronts challenges created by rival teachers. It worries about their teachings’ potential to hamper and discredit the church.

2 Timothy comes to us from the pen of a man writing a confident testamentary farewell. Paul comes across as one modeling how to die - these writings are as relevant to us today. He does this by giving instructions about how to live confidently and in ways that instill in others confidence in God’s promises

Gospel Matthew 17:1-9

Introduction: On June 19, 1911, Pope St. Pius X proclaimed as Catholic teaching that Matthew the Apostle (and reformed tax collector) wrote the earliest Gospel in Aramaic primarily for a doubting Jewish audience. Later this same Matthew wrote a more complete Gospel in Greek, with a number of Aramaic phrases, that rightly prophesied the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem; meaning it was published before 70AD.  It references the Old Testament often since it was written for a Church mainly composed of Greek-speaking Jewish converts located probably in Syria where Jesus is presented as the new Moses bringing the word of God to the people. 

Transfiguration on the Mount:  It should come as no surprise then that in today's Gospel, there are a lot of hidden symbolism linking Jesus to Moses

The whole passage resonates with allusions to the Old Testament. It brings to mind the revelation of the Ten Commandments to Moses at Mt. Sinai (or Mt Horeb) and the cloud of God’s glory overshadowing both the mountain and the tent where Moses met with God. Notice Moses comes back with God's commandments whereas Jesus comes down offering his body as the ultimate sacrifice. 

The Gospel setting on a mountain Mt Tabor in Galilee and the presence of three disciples Peter, James and John, indicates something significant is about to happen (these same 3 were also present at the Garden of Gethsemane and when Jesus cured the daughter of the Synagogue official. Furthermore these three took leadership positions after the death and resurrection of Christ becoming the only 3 to be named in the Acts of the Apostles by St Luke)

In scripture, a mountain is not just a scenic location but has special theological significance as a place to encounter God - like Moses at Mt. Sinai, in today's Gospel, Jesus will hear God’s voice directing him and the people alike. Jesus and his disciples will bear witness to the prophetic embodiment of Jewish law (in Prophet Moses), and Jewish prophets (in Prophet Elijah who was gloriously carried on a chariot to heaven), and hear the voice of God affirming Jesus’ vocation. 

This transfiguration itself would be enough to stun the disciples, but then Moses and Elijah also appear and start chatting with Jesus, presumably about his death and resurrection, though Scripture does not say immediately until Jesus refers later to these events. The presence of Moses (representing the law) and Elijah (representing the Prophets) marks Jesus as their legitimate heir, their collaborator to fulfil rather than negate their holy work.

In both stories, Exodus and Transfiguration, the main characters go up a high mountain with three men. Moses takes Joshua, Aaron and Hur and Jesus takes Peter, James and John. 

In Exodus, they built a tent at the base of Mt Sinai where God met in person with Moses, maybe Peter was thinking of recreating the experience by suggesting they put up three tents. 

In both cases, a cloud covered the mountain before they meet God that changed or transfigured the appearance of the principal figures (Moses and Jesus) as they were spoken to by God (Exodus 34:29-30). After Jesus is “transfigured before them.” He is luminous and brilliant. His face shines as do his clothes. Jesus radiates light. Moses in Exodus also experiences Yahweh and his faces shines so brightly that he has to cover it with a veil in the presence of the people.

For the second time in the Gospel, previously in Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:16-17), the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove and God speaks directly - this moves the disciples to fall face down in fear but Jesus touches them (a detail not to be missed as we see here an embodiment of Jesus’ compassionate, healing, and courage-inducing touch) and asks them to arise and have no fear.

When all else fades — and indeed, soon enough all will become dark with the climatic death of Jesus on the Cross — Jesus remains, reaching out to help and heal.  “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

On the way down the mountain, Jesus tells them  once again that the Son of Man must suffer, and he orders them to tell no one about the vision until after he has been raised from the dead. Maybe he knew his followers would not understand and mistakenly prevent him taking up his cross and therefore from fulfilling the wishes of his Father.

In Matthew’s account, the Transfiguration on Mt Horeb occurs six days after Jesus’ first prediction of his passion and his rebuke of Peter (Get behind me, Satan in Mt 16:21-23) - his apostles accepted he was the Messiah but could not understand the talk about Jesus suffering and dying. This transfiguration passage serves in part as a lead-in for the climactic events in Jerusalem - but gives Peter, James and John a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven which Jesus has prepared for us all.