Lent 2nd Sunday 2014

Genesis 12:1-4; 2 Timothy 1:8–10; Matthew 17:1-9

When the Lord speaks to Abram He uses the word “bless” four times. Why did the Lord choose to bless Abram? What was Abram’s reaction at the time? His motives? This is the first interaction between a man, a people and the Lord, but why did Abram warrant such favoritism?

Because of free will, Abram could have rejected the Lord’s invitation to friendship. But perhaps, the Lord so blessed Abram because he knew of his character and the potential for the loving relationship that could develop between the two. Similarly, the Lord often blesses us of His own volition, and we are unaware of the whys. And at times, we may be unclear as to the motives of our reactions. Like the author this passage, we need not defend God’s decision to bless us; we only need acknowledge and respond with love, hope and action. It is not ours to question why.

We do not know when the Communion of Saints was established by the Lord in the spiritual world, but surely, in this prayer experience Jesus is communing with those who have gone before. Here it involves a small gang, the Lord, Elijah, Moses, and Jesus; even the sleeping John, Peter, and James were present, in spite of themselves. When we pray, we similarly have a little posse which includes Jesus, God the Father, the Holy Spirit and people in our own lives who have been the law-givers and prophets.

According to Matthew Henry, 1662-1714, the word ‘transfiguration’ in Luke’s account can be translated as, “the fashion of his countenance was another thing than what it had been” (Commentary of the Whole Bible, Vol. 5). And while we, even through grace, blessing and prayer don’t literally become transfigured, we do become other than what we had previously been. For some, it is a dramatic transformation that is observable, in other cases, it remains subtle; however, we are simply not the same before and after prayer and spending time with those in our posse.

Reflection questions:

Has the Lord shown you unwarranted favoritism? How have you responded to it?
Reflect on your prayer life in general. Have you noticed a change following prayer?
While we may not perceive this transfiguration, have others noticed a difference in you during a time in which your prayer life was rich?

Writing exercise:

Recount with as much detail as you can remember, and reflect on an experience you had in prayer with someone in the Communion of Saints, and your subsequent “transfiguration.”

Creative arts:

Fabric arts- Somehow “transform” a piece of material so that its appearance is altered. For example, perhaps you take a fabric square and attach beads, sequins or ribbons to it to accentuate the pattern.

Paper arts- In either two distinctive pieces, or one that is split into two halves; represent your life, relationships and faith before and after the transformative prayer.

Home arts- Write a letter to someone you consider “blessed” by God, who is also a blessing to others. Find an object given to you by someone in your personal prayer posse and either use or display it. Read material about someone in the Communion of Saints, and share the materials with another person.

Related