For years Peter, John and James journeyed with Jesus. They recognized him as the Messiah, but their notion of Messiah was not what God had in mind. They envisioned an earthly leader who would free their land from the Romans. Eight days earlier, Jesus told them of the exodus he would undertake, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” He then took them up on the mountain to pray and while they were there, what happened clearly changed their perception of Jesus.
Perception is what comes to mind as I pondered this significant event. We usually make assumptions about a person based on what we perceive, passing judgment instead of trying to enter into that person’s situation. If you have ever read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey, you may be familiar with this experience he once had on a New York Subway on a Sunday morning.
People were sitting quietly. Some were reading newspapers, some were dozing, while others were contemplating. It was a calm, peaceful scene. At one stop a man and his children got on. Soon the children were yelling, throwing things, and annoying other passengers. Their conduct was annoying yet their father just sat there and did nothing. Steve, feeling quite irritated, could not believe the man could be so insensitive as to let his children run wild and do nothing about it.
Finally, after much restraint and patience, Steve said to the man, “Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people. I wonder if you couldn’t control them a little bit more?” The man looked up as if becoming aware of what was happening and said, “Oh, you’re right. I guess I should do something about it. We just came from the hospital where their mother died an hour ago. I don’t know what to think, and I guess they don’t know how to handle it, either.”
“Can you imagine what I felt at that moment?” Steve said, “Suddenly I saw things differently. Because I saw differently, I felt differently. I believed differently. My irritation vanished. I didn’t have to worry about controlling my attitude or my behavior. My heart was filled with this man’s pain. Feelings of compassion and sympathy flowed freely. ‘Your wife just died? Oh, I’m so sorry! Can you tell me about it? What can I do to help?’”
Steve finished his observation with this reflection. Nothing changed in that subway car. All was the same: the same people, the same irritation, the same kids. What changed was his way of seeing it all and, with the seeing, a change of attitude and behavior.
Today we hear the story of the Transfiguration. The word, transfiguration, means a metamorphosis. Yet, Jesus does not change into something he was not before. He has always been and will always be the Son of God. What changed was the apostles’ perception of Jesus. They saw him in a new light as the fulfillment of God’s long plodding history with the chosen people dating back to Abram on that starry night.
Peter offered to build three tents. The experience was so profound that they wanted to stay there and savor the moment, fully grasping the relationship between Jesus and his guests but before Jesus could reply, a cloud overshadowed them and the apostles heard a voice, “This is my Son, my chosen one, listen to him!” Putting up three tents was not meant to be. Moses and Elijah had left, leaving Jesus alone with them.
Like the apostles, we are urged to listen to Jesus, who often told his apostles to seek reconciliation, which begins with listening to one another. Listening isn’t easy. For one thing, listening isn’t the same as hearing. To listen is to totally give yourself to the other person, putting yourself in that person’s mind and heart, just as Steve Covey did with the distraught father on the subway. Listening is being willing to put aside your mindset, like Peter did, and endeavor to see where the other person is coming from to fathom what happened.
True listening enables us to see the situation in a new light. Really listening, especially when the need to reconcile is there, is an act of love. Listening involves being present with our whole being just as Steve Covey did.
How readily do we listen to Jesus and all that he challenges us to be and do? When God said to listen, he in effect is saying, “Obey him if you truly want to follow him.” To listen to Jesus is to be his disciple and do your part in building his kingdom here on earth. Too often we think of God’s kingdom as being out of this world but it becomes real here and now when we repent and strive to follow God’s will, summarized for us in the Ten Commandments and the corporal works of mercy.
Lent is our time to be transformed so ask yourself, “What transformation do I need?” Some of our opinions and attitudes are difficult to change and yet we may need to change them if we are to build God’s kingdom and transform our world. Taking time to gaze at God by staring at the stars as Abram did or at Jesus as the apostles did provides the moments we need to listen and be transformed. Listening enables Jesus to enter our being and transform us, so what part of “listen to him” don’t you yet understand?