Be like our Master
Introduction
- If we ask small children ‘who do you want to become’ most of them would say, ‘I want to be like my father/mother.’ Some psychologists are of the opinion that boys see their father as a role model to follow in their early childhood and girl their mother. It may change when they are more exposed to the world.
- In the same way as above, what should be the aim of a true disciple? To be like his/her master. Our aim is to be like Jesus. “It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master” (Mt 10:25).
- We may not achieve our goal ‘become like Master’ in a perfect manner, we can try for a good result. How to try to be like our master who was perfectly a man of the Holy Spirit? The event of transfiguration gives us some clues.
Body
- They went up to a mountain with Jesus.
o Peter, James and John had the experience when they went up on the mountain as Jesus instructed.
o Climbing the mountain is essential for God experience. It means readiness to work hard to attain God experience.
o ‘Jesus guided them in their way to the mountain’. It is important that when we do hard work, we do it according to the instructions of Jesus that is revealed in the Word.
o Jesus says, ‘those who want to follow me must deny him, take up his cross and follow me’ (Mt 16: 24). He never wishes us to run away from the reality but to face it courageously.
o Lent is the time to discipline our mind for this climbing – by practicing self control.
- They remained with Jesus
o Peter, James and John remained there on the mountain looking at Jesus.
o Our prayer time, both vocal and meditation, is necessary for God Experience. During our prayer time we ‘look at the face of Jesus’ and remain in that stillness.
- Readiness to come down from the mountain
o After the experience Peter wanted to remain there. He said ‘let us make three tents. It is good to be here’. But Jesus invited them to decent. He was explaining them the way to resurrection that is ‘through suffering and death’.
o The experience of Jesus should make us courageous to take up the daily crosses as per the divine will. It should not take us away from the reality.
Conclusion
- Our life is a cycle of experiences. There are experiences of climbing, being in ecstasy and climbing down the mountain. We also may feel to be in the divine experience for ever as disciples wished. But Jesus said to them to climb down. The final experience of resurrection has a long way to go. The way to achieve that glory is through suffering and death by fulfilling the will of Heavenly Father.
