Homilies
Tomorrow's hope is today's strength
Holy Spirit, take my words and speak to each of us according to our need.
Today, we’re diving into one of the most incredible moments in the Gospels—the Transfiguration of Jesus. It’s a passage full of mystery, glory, and a bit of human awkwardness (Especially for Peter). But beyond the dazzling brightness and the heavenly visitors, this story has something powerful to say to us about how we see Jesus and how that vision shapes our daily lives.
Let’s recount the scene. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray. While He’s praying, His appearance changes—His face shines, and His clothes become dazzling white. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appear, talking with Him about His coming death and resurrection. The disciples wake up from their sleep, and are overwhelmed by what they see. Peter, in his excitement (and possibly confusion), suggests building three shelters to capture the moment. But before he can finish, a cloud descends, and God’s voice booms from heaven: “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to Him!” Then, just as quickly as it all began, everything returns to normal—except that the disciples are left forever changed.
The Transfiguration is one of those rare moments when heaven and earth seem to collide. It’s a glimpse behind the curtain, a revelation of who Jesus truly is—not just a wise teacher or a miracle worker, but God’s Son, shining in divine glory.
The presence of Moses and Elijah is also significant. Moses represents the Law, Elijah the Prophets, and together they point to Jesus as the fulfilment of everything God has promised. But here’s the key part: when Peter suggests building tents to keep the moment going, God interrupts him. “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to Him!” In other words, don’t get distracted by the spectacle—pay attention to Jesus.
This story isn’t just about a dramatic event from the past; it’s about how we see Jesus today. The disciples had been following Jesus for a while, but they still didn’t fully grasp who He was. The Transfiguration gave them clarity—Jesus isn’t just a great leader, He is God’s beloved Son. And that same clarity is something we need in our lives too.
So, what does this mean for us?
We Need to See Jesus More Clearly. Life gets busy, and it’s easy to lose sight of who Jesus really is. We might see Him as a good moral teacher, a source of comfort, or a historical figure—but the Transfiguration reminds us that He is far more than that. He is God in the flesh, the one who brings hope, transformation, and purpose to our lives.
How do we see Him more clearly? Through prayer, through Scripture, and through being part of a community that encourages us in faith. Just as Jesus took time to pray on the mountain, we need to step away from distractions and focus on Him. When we do, we start to recognise His presence in our daily lives.
We Can’t Stay on the Mountain - Peter’s reaction to build tents is understandable. He wants to hold onto this incredible moment, to stay in the glory of it. But faith isn’t just about mountaintop experiences—it’s about what happens when we come back down.
We might all have spiritual highs—times when God feels close, when prayer is easy, when life seems to make sense. But we can’t live there forever. The real challenge is carrying that sense of God’s presence into our everyday routines—our work, our relationships, our struggles. Jesus didn’t stay on the mountain; He came back down and walked towards the cross. We’re called to follow Him into the real, sometimes messy, world.
We are valley dwellers (literally, by living here) — our heads down in the rat run of life, moving from one task to another. But Jesus takes His disciples up the mountain because high views are for valley dwellers. From the mountain, shadows don’t dominate; everything is revealed. The weight of what is to come is eclipsed by the affirmation of the bigger picture—tomorrow’s hope.
For Jesus, this hope became His strength. There was no easy death ahead for Him, and His burden was heavy, but on the mountain, the ever-presence of God pervaded. That became His strength, which in turn becomes our hope and our reason to follow Him.
The Transfiguration is a moment where God shows us valley dwellers what is going on spiritually within Jesus by revealing it physically. His glory radiates from His face, and He is the fulfilment of God's promises. The presence of God becomes tangible.
This too is available to us in prayer. Prayer is our way of escaping the pressures of valley dwelling and seeking the mountain view, where we find strength in tomorrow’s hope. When the going gets tough, we need to get praying. In prayer, God’s nature and Jesus’ identity are revealed to us. Our value as beloved children of God is affirmed, and the hope of tomorrow gives us the strength to return to valley dwelling and continue each day.
We cannot remain on the mountain, but we can find our strength in Jesus—in His identity as the Son of God and in His hope for us. During the Transfiguration, Jesus’ strength to return to what was coming for Him became the world's hope for tomorrow. The passage describes Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah about His departure. Interestingly, the original Greek word used for “departure” was not “death” but “exodus.” Jesus would return to Jerusalem, pass through the valley of the shadow, and have an exodus from which He would return—leading all who follow Him from valley dwelling to the heights of heaven, from mortality to glory, and from hopelessness to freedom.
As the voice on the mountain commands us to listen to Jesus, it affirms that we too have a purpose. The experience on the mountain was not only for the mountain. Mountain highs equip us for valley living. Prayer equips us to live in the world with the knowledge that God loves us and will bring us through to His promises of glory on the other side. Prayer is not only our comfort; it is also our purpose and our power. It allows us to live in the valley while pointing to the light and hope of the mountain views with hope and strength.
Listen to Him - God’s command is clear: “Listen to Him.” That’s a call for all of us. With so many voices competing for our attention—news, social media, our own doubts and fears—it’s easy to drown out Jesus' voice. But if we truly believe He is the Son of God, shouldn’t His words shape how we live?
Listening to Jesus means more than just hearing His words—it means letting them change us. It means loving our neighbours, forgiving those who hurt us, standing up for justice, and trusting God even when the path ahead isn’t clear.
So, how does this story change the way we live, for tomorrow, next week, or next year?
• It encourages us to seek moments of clarity, to spend time with Jesus so we can see Him more clearly.
• It challenges us to take what we experience in worship and bring it into our daily lives—our workplaces, homes, and communities.
• It reminds us to listen—to really listen—to Jesus and let His words guide our decisions, big and small.
The Transfiguration is a stunning reminder that Jesus is more than we sometimes make Him out to be. He is God’s Son, full of glory and love, and He invites us to know Him more deeply. But knowing Him isn’t just about special moments—it’s about letting Him shape every part of our lives.
So, as we go into this week, let’s ask ourselves: Are we seeing Jesus clearly? Are we trying to stay on the mountain, or are we willing to follow Him into the everyday? And most importantly—are we listening to Him?
May we all have the courage to be able to see, to follow, and to listen. And be reminded that tomorrow’s hope gives us our strength for today and it is our strength today, supported by Jesus, that becomes everyone else’s hope for tomorrow. Amen