This blog offers a meditation on the Common Lectionary daily bible readings along with a headline frm world news:

185 killings in remote Nigerian village, part of Islamist/Govt conflict

the shattered ruins of Baga where killings happened

Luke 9:28-36

J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

Peter, John and James are allowed to see the glory of Jesus

^28-35 About eight days after these sayings, Jesus took Peter, James and John and went off to the hill-side to pray. And then, while he was praying, the whole appearance of his face changed and his clothes became white and dazzling. And two men were talking with Jesus. They were Moses and Elijah—revealed in heavenly splendour, and their talk was about the way he must take and the end he must fulfil in Jerusalem. But Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep and it was as they struggled into wakefulness that they saw the glory of Jesus and the two men standing with him. Just as they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is wonderful for us to be here! Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still talking, a cloud overshadowed them and awe swept over them as it enveloped them. A voice came out of the cloud, saying “This is my Son, my chosen! Listen to him!”

³⁶ And while the voice was speaking, they found there was no one there at all but Jesus. The disciples were reduced to silence, and in those days never breathed a word to anyone to what they had seen.

The so-called transfiguration of Jesus is recounted in slightly different ways by Matthew, Mark and Luke. The note of a precise timing-eight days after Jesus’ teaching about his future suffering and the coming of the kingdom-may mean that the gospellers saw this incident as the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that some of his disciples would see the kingdom come with power in their own lifetimes. In Luke’s case I think it’s more of a reminder to the reader that the story of Jesus’ rejection and death which he is about to narrate is the story of the Son of God. As such it is a reinforcement of Jesus’ prophecy rather than its fulfillment.

In Luke’s version, a literal translation states that “they were talking about the exodus he must complete at Jerusalem.” Given that Moses led the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and that Elijah’s exodus from the world involved a fiery chariot from heaven, the use of the word “exodus” by Luke can hardly be an accident. He is pointing to Jesus as leading a new exodus of God’s people, from confinement within Israel out into the whole world, and from the “present evil age” into the time of God’s rule. Jesus will complete this exodus by his death, and by his resurrection of which Elijah’s fiery chariot is a symbol.

A true vision of Jesus, Luke tells the reader, sees him as the Son of God who faithfully shows the offensive truth of God’s goodness, all the way to his own death, through which, in the power of his resurrection, he liberates God’s new people from personal sinfulness and nationalistic religion.

Luke alone depicts the transfiguration as also a prayer experience of Jesus. In prayer he sees clearly the cost of his liberating mission and receives confirmation of his relationship with the father. For Luke the nature of Jesus’ divine sonship is primarily the identity of his human will with the goodwill of God towards all humanity.

What does this theological fable have to do with the life of a seventy-one year old,  semi-retired minister in Dundee, Scotland, on a sunny morning, as he deals with an invitation to canvass tomorrow for a by-election in Aberdeen and tries to plan evangelical programmes in three churches?

It tells me to look at Jesus, of whom God says, “This is my son, the beloved, listen to him.” Yes, that’s it, listen to him, not any other voices, and especially not my own. Listen to him.