Transfigured on the Mountain
August 6
Transfigured on the Mountain
"There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light."
— Matthew 17:2
Today's Story
Peter, James, and John were allowed to see what Jesus normally concealed: the divine glory within the human form. For a few moments on a mountain, the veil was lifted and they saw what had been there all along. C.S. Lewis used this image often: 'The dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which... you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet only in a nightmare.' The Transfiguration is a glimpse of the full weight of what human beings carry and what Christ's glory truly is — behind the ordinary appearance, reality beyond imagination.
Reflection
The Transfiguration in Matthew 17 happens between Jesus' first prediction of His death (16:21) and His return to ministry among suffering people (17:14-21). It is a mountaintop experience deliberately placed before a valley experience — as if the disciples needed to see glory before they could understand suffering. Moses and Elijah appear, representing the Law and the Prophets fulfilled in Christ. The Father's voice repeats the words of the baptism: 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.' The disciples fall on their faces in terror. Jesus touches them: 'Don't be afraid.' The One who reveals His glory also reaches out and touches your fear. This is always the sequence.
Today's Prayer
Lord Jesus, let me catch glimpses of Your glory — enough to sustain me through the valley experiences ahead. Let every mountaintop moment be the memory that carries me forward when the valley is dark. Amen.
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