Transformed in Light

Last Sunday of Epiphany
Exodus 34:29-35      Psalm 99     2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2      Luke 9:28-43

For most of us, our 'prayer life' is a struggle. We aren't sure how to pray and when we do pray we usually wonder if anything is happening. I remember reading books on prayer in seminary. A common theme went something like this: "When it comes to prayer, we are always beginners." Forty years later I no longer wonder what that means.

When Jesus and the three disciples go up the mountain to pray, there is no question that something happened. As Luke says, "the outward appearance of Jesus' face was different." He also says "a bright light shone from His clothing." The Scriptures speak 243x of light. While it often refers to ordinary light, it is frequently a metaphor for God's presence and His glory. perhaps of great import, Jesus calls His followers children of light. When we pray, we are invisibly bathed in this holy light. God's glory fills us. Someday, united with Him, our faces will be different. Someday... But for now our prayer discipline is a preparation for that great day.

There are other stories of humans who already shine with divine light. Moses' close contact with God caused his face to shine. Moses had begged God to have mercy on Israel and go with the people--perhaps the light in Moses' face is a bit of that presence. Perhaps if we were closer to God that light would shine in us a bit more brightly?

Paul gives us hope. Through Jesus, we are freed from the veil of unbelief! We can see the glory of the Lord--God Himself shining in His Son. Even more amazing, "we are being transformed into the same image." This is from the Lord, the Spirit. It is a work God is doing in each one of us. Paul uses the term metamorphoo, the same word Matthew and Mark use to describe what happened to Jesus. It literally means to change into another form. Our new form is an eikon, the Greek word for image or likeness. In the Greek Bible this word appears in Genesis 1 (image) and in Jesus we are finally being repaired to become who God always meant us to be...

The centrality of the transfiguration to the church's teaching on theosis can not be overstated. If Jesus' true self lay hidden within Him until that moment, then can we be shocked that we must undergo a similar transformation? The image of God within us lays dormant under the false self, the wounds, doubts and fears. The passions are often unconsciously at work within us, and we fail in our struggle with sinful desires. All of this is part of this present 'darkness.' Too many of us are content to whistle in the dark, distracting ourselves from the hard work of conversion and loving God...

If the Christian life is a process of being healed of brokenness and saved from sin, then the power of God's light within us is the means. Paul says, "we have renounced the shameful things that one hides"--that is the holy work of conversion. God says of Jesus, "This is my Son, listen to Him." That obedience to Jesus is discipleship. What if this Lent we became children of light?