Spoiler alert


THROUGH UNTRUE

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If the life of Jesus were a movie, the Transfiguration would serve as a spoiler alert. A spoiler alert warns of an unexpected plot twist that, once revealed, can discourage people from watching the movie, as they would already know how the story unfolds and ends.

A few days before His crucifixion, Jesus told His apostles about the immense suffering He was about to endure. He understood how easily their faith could falter, especially in the face of hardship and persecution. Jesus knew that if they witnessed His death on the cross, they might lose heart. To strengthen them, He took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain and allowed them to witness one of the most remarkable events of His life: the Transfiguration.

The Gospel reading today describes it as follows: “And as He was praying, the appearance of His face was altered, and His clothing became dazzling white” (Luke 9:28, 34-35). By revealing His divine identity and glorious majesty, Jesus was essentially telling them: “Spoiler alert! When you see Me mocked, ridiculed, helplessly carrying My cross, and crucified like a criminal, remember this moment of glory. My story does not end in death but in a glorious resurrection.”

As a spoiler alert, it requires the apostles to keep silent about it, which is why today’s Gospel contains these words: “They kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen” (Luke 9:36).

The apostles must have been tempted to ask Jesus, “Why should we keep this marvelous event a secret? Why forbid us to share it with those who might be disheartened by your suffering and death?”

Jesus’s command was crucial. After witnessing such a spectacular event, the apostles would naturally want to proclaim it to others. For sure, news about the Transfiguration would stir excitement, but prematurely revealing it would not lead to Jesus’s desired outcome. Many are drawn to extraordinary stories that offer an escape from life’s hardships. The Transfiguration could quickly become the focal point of discipleship, distracting potential followers from the more difficult path of sharing in Jesus's agony and death.

Jesus calls us to share in His resurrection, but not without first embracing the journey that leads to it: the agony of betrayal, the pain of abandonment, the torment and suffering of unjust punishment, and ultimately, death. He calls us to earn heaven, not by simply believing in a glorious future, but by participating in His life, suffering with Him, and embodying His image and character.

There is no Easter without Lent. The Transfiguration of Jesus reminds us that we must live the Gospel values in their entirety. Otherwise, we become like “cafeteria Christians” who selectively pick and choose aspects of Christian teachings that align with their personal preferences while rejecting or ignoring those that they find inconvenient or uncomfortable. This attitude is a by product of relativism, where truth becomes subjective and tailored to individual desires rather than rooted in objective doctrine. 

Discipleship requires more than selective adherence to certain teachings. It demands a wholehearted commitment to living out the entirety of Christ’s message, with all its challenges and rewards. We cannot be true Christians if we think we can merely “drop in” on Christianity when it suits us. We cannot call ourselves believers if we spend most of our lives rejecting God’s authority, indulging in sinful pleasures, committing wrongs without remorse or repentance, and avoiding sacrifice, discipline, and self-denial.

The tendency to craft our personalized version of Christianity leads to a watered-down religion, and breeds among us rabid factionalism and division within the Church, weakening our collective identity, unity, and mission.