Second Week of Lent

"You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you?" What is it about us that could lead Jesus to make such an exasperated statement?

In this passage Luke tells us of Jesus' miraculous transfiguration before Peter, John and James. How humbling it must have been to have been able to bear witness to such a miracle. Yet instead of giving thanks and praise, Peter offers to build three dwellings. Why? In a moment of profound and absolute proof of both the existence of God and Jesus' connection to Him, why would Peter offer to build three huts? Perhaps Luke's statement that Peter made this offer "not knowing what he said" begins to answer this question.

When confronted with something I do not understand, fear often sets in. To regain a sense of control I grab for something familiar and hold on just long enough to get my feet back on solid ground. Peter's offer to build these dwellings may have been just such a crutch in the face of the fear he most certainly must have felt at that moment. In that same manner, when Luke tells us of the clamoring crowds yelling to Jesus "I beg you to look at my son," they too had great fear and were asking for His help to return their lives back to a familiar state.

What does this need to hold onto the familiar tell us about ourselves? Intellectually we may know change is good, but emotionally, to face fear we need to hold onto something solid and sure. The real question quickly becomes – what are we holding onto?

God tells Peter "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" Where once Jesus stood planning his departure, where Peter was offering to build the dwellings and where clouds were gathering overhead, the moment God tells Peter to stop and just listen, everything disappears and Jesus was found standing alone with just them. The message seems clear: God sent his Son to live amongst us to show us the way to His will for us. If we clear out our self will and listen, we will find something truly worthy of holding onto.

When Jesus asks "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you" He may just be asking how long are we going to hold onto our self will and not trust Him enough to show us the way to God's will for us. His harsh words may be strong but so is His profound love for us and His pain in watching us cling to the crutches of our self will.

May we find a strong foothold in our faith and let go of self will.
May the greatness of God's will for us astound us all.

Ralph Engelberger