The Lord be with
you.
I thank Pastor
Tess for sharing the pulpit with me and bring to you God’s good news. Recently
puro, bad news ang nababasa natin at puro bad news din ang sinasabi ko sa mga
patients ko. So, I am happy to share God’s good news today.
Let me share a
story. I recently told a patient she has hypertension. She cried after I told
her that. I asked what made her sad? She replied, she will probably die of
heart attack or stroke in a few years time. I told her, she can reduce the risk
if she would change her lifestyle. I told her if she would avoid eating lechon,
kare kare, stop eating too junk foods, burgers and fries, avoid softdrinks,
stop partying at night, sleep early and exercise regularly she would decrease
the risk. She cried even further. She was only seeing the disease. She only
sees superficially.
Let us pray. Lord, bless the people here today
that they may only see and hear your word, use your humble servant and cover me
with your spirit that only your glory will be seen and magnified. Amen.
Today is Transfiguration
Sunday and our Gospel story tells us about this event.
A week ago,
Jesus was talking to the disciples about his coming suffering, crucifixion and
resurrection. The disciples were scared at what they heard. They criticize
Jesus for speaking about death. They only understood the superficial meaning of
the sufferings Jesus will experience. Maybe they were scared for Jesus. Imagine
your friend talking about the pain, humiliation, struggles and even death that
he will experience.
Even though the
disciples has been with Jesus for the longest time, and have witnessed the
miracles of Jesus, how he healed the sick, how he fed thousands, how he
commanded the wind and rain to stop, they only saw a Jesus as a mortal being
prone to suffering and pain.
How long have
you been Christians? I have been a Christian since I can remember. I know of
Jesus from Sunday School. Every CI I receive Jesus in my heart. Just to be
sure. Yet, everyday in the clinic and in the hospital, I only see things as
they are. I only see sickness, suffering and pain as they are. And for many of
us Christians, we just see things as they appear to us. Look at the person
beside you. He is just a friend. Look at the other person across the pew, just
any other church member. Every Sunday, we just see the worship service as a
time to sing songs and recite your prayer requests. We often do that. Yes, we
see Jesus but only superficially.
Now, everything
changed for the disciples when they saw beyond the superficial. This is especially
true for Peter, James and John in their transfiguration experience. An experience when they had a glimpse of God’s
glory.
We need to learn
to see beyond the superficial to be able to see the glory of God, even if it is
just a glimpse. Let us continue our story and journey with the Disciples and
learn from them, how they were able to see beyond the superficial. And have a
glimpse into the glory of God. Three basic actions.
First, expect to
see God.
Jesus invited
Peter, James and John to climb up the mountain. In the mountain, they saw God. The mountain
has been symbolically the place where we meet the divine. I do not tell you to
climb mountains although that is a good spiritual exercise that I will
encourage you to do. But climb mountains everyday. Be intentional in meeting
God out of the ordinary. In everyday people you engage with. In everyday
activities that you do. In every place that you go. You can meet God there.
For example,
when you go to church on Sundays. Do you expect to see God out of the ordinary
things we do here in church? Or do you expect to sing hymns only? Do you expect
that the words that comes from your mouth will be heard by God? Or when we
light the candles as we begin the worship service? Do you just see a candle
being lit? Or do you expect to feel the presence of Jesus symbolized in the
light? Or when we give offerings? Are you intentional in allowing God to use
these resources for his work or do you see money subtracted from your budget? Do
you expect to see Jesus in the fellowship of your fellow Christians? Do you
expect to see the image of God in the other person beside you? Hindi ko naman
kilala yan eh. If you do not climb the mountain - if you are not intentional in
finding time to meet God, it will be difficult to see God’s glory in ordinary
things. Peter, James and John found time and were intentional when they climb
the mountain that they will commune with God. Climb the mountain.
Let us continue
our story. The disciples are now ready to see God. They prayed. So they closed
their eyes and fell asleep. How many of you are falling asleep when you are
praying? Paminsan nga kahit sa sermon, natutulog. Tignan mo yung katabi mo,
kung nakapikit ang mata, wag mo distorbohin, nagdarasal lang yan.
In the Gospel of
Luke, while the disciples were in the mountain praying, they were sleepy. Their
eyes were closed or maybe half closed. The disciples had to open their eyes
wide to see the transfiguration.
Open your eyes. That
is the second principle.
Luke noted that
Peter, James and John were very sleepy at that time but when they opened their
eyes and became fully awake, they saw the glory of God. We need to open our
eyes to see God’s glory out of the ordinary. We will only see the physical
being of Jesus if we are sleep and half awake.
By opening our
eyes, I do not simply mean that idilat mo ang iyong mga mata. Ako, dilat na
dilat ang mga mata ko but sometimes I still do not see clearly. More than the
physical eyes, we must see with the eyes of our hearts and our soul. That is
the message of the song “Open the eyes of my heart” by Michael Smith. “Open the
eyes of my heart… I want to see you… High and lifted up… Shining in the light
of your glory”
When the
disciples opened their eyes, the eyes of their hearts and soul, they saw a
bright light shining from Jesus. God’s glory was revealed to them. If we open
the eyes of our heart, if we are fully awake we can see God’s glory beyond the
ordinary. They saw that Jesus was not just any other prophet or teacher, they
saw he was divine. They saw God’s glory.
Now I have to
explain that the transfiguration of Jesus did not mean Jesus was transformed
from ordinary to divine. No. when the disciples opened their eyes, they saw
Jesus beyond the ordinary, and saw who Jesus really is and has been all along.
Since yesterday
was Valentines, let use the example of your best friend na babae. Dati you saw
her only as a friend, but you have that transfiguration moment, she was not
just your ordinary friend, she was the love of your life na pala.
Their view of
the ordinary was transfigured. It was transformed. We can see God’s glory in
everyday people we meet. We can see God’s glory in ordinary events in our
lives. We can see God’s glory out of the sufferings we endure. We can see glory
in everyday of our lives.
Speaking of
Valentines Day. It was a day to celebrate love. But what kind of love did you
celebrate? Did you celebrate your love for your husband and wife? Did you see
God’s love in that? Where does the love come from in the first place? The love
that you received from your parents? Or relatives? Where does that come from?
The love that you give to your friends? Is that kind of love the love of God?
What does it mean then for us Christians to confess that God is love if your
love is not the glorious presence of God in your relationships?
Open your eyes
to see God’s glory in the ordinary. Open your eyes to see God’s glory in
ordinary relationships between husband and wife, parents and child, among
friends and even with a stranger. Lagi ba kayong nag-aaway ng asawa mo? When
you forgive your spouse and confess your shortcomings to God, do you not see
the glory of God? Even among strangers, when you see boy respectfully giving
his seat to the elderly in a full bus, do you not see the glory of God? When
you go in the hospital and see a newborn baby cuddled by a mother, do you not
see the glory of God? When you see a stranger, worshipping with us for the
first time, do you not see the glory of God? Open the eyes of your heart and
soul to see God’s glory in the ordinary.
The third action
from the disciples is going down the mountain.
Going down the
mountain means moving beyond the moment. After Peter, James and John saw the
transfiguration of Jesus, they wanted to bask in the moment. They were awe
struck and that was understandable. If you experience the most wonderful thing,
you don’t want to let it go. Maybe that is why Peter suggested that they build
altars there. He wanted to enjoy the experience and stay in that moment. He
wanted it to last forever.
Just like many
of us, we enjoy having wonderful experiences. I remember as a student, I had
those wonderful moments after receiving grades from exams. Pagkatapos mong
maghirap mag-aral at magpuyat, you will receive the passing score and your
grade for the semester. You enjoy that moment. You want it to last. Sometimes,
you want it to be your last. Ayaw mo na. Kaya hindi ka na papasok sa next
semester. What you do after the glorious moment will spell the difference. So
for most of us, after that glorious moment, you have to go down from the
mountaintop experience.
The disciples
just did that. They had a glorious experience and wanted it to last. But like
any wonderful moment, it had to come to an end. They had to go back down and
continue the ministry work. And when their faith was being tested, they used
that moment to strengthen them during the difficult time when Jesus was
arrested, crucified until he resurrected.
You don’t have
to hold on to that singular glorious moment. My dear brothers and sisters, the
good news is that we can glimpse of the glory of Jesus anytime, anywhere. For
God is always with us and around us. We can have a transfiguration experience
and catch a glimpse of God’s glory everyday. Those little glimpses of God’s
glory will assure us that God is always around us. That God is in control of
everything.
You can choose
to live in that glorious moment or use that moment to find hope in times of struggles.
You can choose to make that glorious moment help you carry through difficult
times knowing that Jesus who is both human and divine had to suffer and be
crucified like what we experience in this life. But just as Jesus overcome
death, we know we will also triumph.
Allow god to
transform our minds.
Climb. Open your
eyes. Go down.
So my dear
brothers and sisters, find and see the transfigured Christ in the ordinary
things in our life and experience the glory of God. What you do after the
transfiguration experience is up to you.
I attended the National Colloquium on Community Medicine early this month. The speakers where fellow practitioners of Community Medicine. Most of them have been serving in the remote areas of developing countries like the Philippines for decades. One of the social teachings of Christianity is that the Gospels challenges us to have a preferential option for the poor. Repeatedly, the speakers noted that Jesus associated with the poor and sick. I was so captured by their thoughts and insights about their theological views and how it led them to practice medicine in geographically isolated and difficult areas. The poor and the sick is affected by the society one lives in. The doctor, therefore, must be able to consider and address the social conditions if the doctor really wants to treat the sick and poor. One important question captured my mind during that colloquium that I think every healthcare provider should consider and struggle with:
The question then, how did 85% of the Filipino people who are Christians allow such injustice to take place? Regardless of affiliation, the Roman Catholic and the Protestant church have great influence in the mind and attitudes of the people. The mainline Christian teaching is to help the poor and the needy yet the Filipino people exist in a capitalist economy that seems to do the opposite? Is capitalism incompatible with the Christian teaching or is it being abused? But Jay Richards says that capitalism is the solution. If capitalism rightly drives us to do our best to produce better quality products, be competitive in a setting with equal opportunity to succeed and rid ourselves of poverty; should Christianity then blame the poor for being lazy, not competitive enough and responsible for their poor state?
