Homily: The Transfiguration

“Listen to Him”
A sermon on Matthew 17:1–9

My dear brothers and sisters,

Today we get one of the most extraordinary scenes in the whole Gospel: the Transfiguration.

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a mountain. And there, for one brief moment, everything changes. His face shines. His clothes become dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appear. A bright cloud overshadows them. And then the voice of the Father says: “This is my beloved Son… listen to him” (Matthew 17:5).

It is a breath taking scene. It is mysterious. It is glorious. And it is also wonderfully inconvenient.

Because most people do not mind admiring Jesus. Many people are happy to speak well of Jesus, quote Jesus when He sounds agreeable, and keep Him around as a sort of religious ornament. But to listen to Him, really listen to Him, when He says things that unsettle us, that is another matter.

That is the heart of this Gospel: “Listen to him.” Now notice what happens first. Jesus is transfigured before them. His face shines like the sun. This is not Jesus turning into something else. This is Jesus revealing what has been true all along. The glory was always there. The disciples simply could not see it until now.

And that matters, because we are forever tempted to shrink Jesus down into something manageable. We prefer a Jesus who fits neatly into our plans. A Jesus who blesses our opinions. A Jesus who never asks too much. A Jesus who is useful, but not too disruptive.

But the real Christ is not manageable.

On that mountain, the disciples see that clearly. This is not merely a wise teacher from Nazareth. This is not a spiritual therapist who exists to make us feel affirmed. This is the beloved Son of the Father, shining in divine glory.

In other words, Jesus Christ is not someone we revise. He is someone we worship.

Then Moses and Elijah appear with Him. The Law and the Prophets. The whole history of Israel is standing there, pointing toward Christ. Everything that came before finds its fulfilment in Him.

And then Peter speaks. And, as usual, Peter says something very human: “Lord, it is good that we are here; if you wish, I will make three tents here” (Matthew 17:4). You can almost hear the nervous enthusiasm in it. Peter sees glory and immediately thinks, “Excellent. Let us start a building project.”

And honestly, who can blame him? He wants to hold onto the moment. He wants to stay there. He wants to keep the glory going. But that is not the point of Tabor. The mountain is not the final destination. The Transfiguration is not given so the apostles can stay in a bright, holy moment forever. It is given so they will be strengthened for what comes next.

Because after the mountain comes the road down. After the glimpse of glory comes the journey toward Jerusalem. After Tabor comes Calvary.

And that is important for us, because we often make the same mistake Peter makes. We want a faith made entirely of comfort, peace, and uplift. We want a Christianity that gives us inspiration but asks for no sacrifice. We want Easter without Good Friday.

But Our Lord does not offer that kind of discipleship. He gives His disciples moments of light, yes. He gives grace, consolation, peace. Thanks be to God for that. But He does not promise a life without the Cross. He promises that if we follow Him, the Cross will not be the end of the story.

Then comes the cloud, and the voice of the Father: “This is my beloved Son… listen to him.”

Notice how simple that is. The Father does not say, “Listen to whichever voice tells you what you already wanted to hear.” He does not say, “Listen to your preferences.” He does not say, “Listen to the latest fashion.” He says: “Listen to him.”

That is the whole Christian life in one sentence.

Listen to Him when He comforts you.
Listen to Him when He corrects you.
Listen to Him when He calls you higher.
Listen to Him when He asks you to repent.
Listen to Him when He says, “Take up your cross.”
Listen to Him when He says, “Love your enemies.”
Listen to Him when He says, “Do not be afraid.”

Because if we are honest, we all have a habit of treating Jesus like an advisor rather than Lord. We consult Him. We sample His teaching. We keep the parts we like. We explain away the parts we do not. But the Father has not presented Christ as one opinion among many. He has presented Him as the Son.

And then the apostles fall on their faces in fear. Quite understandably. This is not a casual religious moment. This is not “a nice spiritual experience.” This is an encounter with the living God. And then comes one of the most beautiful lines in the Gospel: “Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and have no fear’” (Matthew 17:7).

That is our Lord exactly.

First, His glory humbles us. Then His mercy lifts us up. He is not reduced to our level, but neither does He leave us crushed in the dust. He comes to His frightened disciples, touches them, and tells them to rise. And then we hear this remarkable line: “They saw no one but Jesus only” (Matthew 17:8).

That is the line I want to leave with you today: Jesus only. When the noise falls away, when the fear settles, when the spectacle passes, Jesus only.

Not Jesus and my ego.
Not Jesus and my political hobbyhorse.
Not Jesus and my favourite excuse.
Not Jesus and whatever the culture is shouting this week.
Jesus only.

That is what discipleship looks like. And then, of course, they come down the mountain. They do not stay there. They go back down into ordinary life, and eventually toward suffering, confusion, and the Cross.

And so do we.

We do not live all our days on the mountain. Most of life is lived down below, in ordinary duties, ordinary struggles, ordinary temptations, ordinary acts of faithfulness. But the vision of glory is given so that when the hard days come, we remember who Christ is.

The same Jesus who shines on Tabor is the Jesus who goes to Calvary. The same Jesus who is radiant in glory is the Jesus who gives Himself for us on the Cross. And the same Jesus who died is the Jesus who rises. So the message of this Gospel is not, “Enjoy a religious feeling while it lasts.” The message is this: when you see Christ rightly, you can follow Him faithfully.

Even when the road is hard.
Even when obedience costs you something.
Even when the Cross appears.

Because the Father has already told us what matters most.

Not merely admiring Christ.
Not quoting Christ when convenient.
Not fitting Christ into our plans.

But listening to Him. So this week, in your prayer, in your decisions, ask yourself one simple question: Am I actually listening to Jesus?

Not to my mood.
Not to the crowd.
Not to the voice of convenience.
But to Jesus.

Because the Father has spoken clearly: “This is my beloved Son… listen to him.”

Amen.

Archbishop Felix Gibbins OSB Cam