Agony and ecstasy of life

Jesus’ transfiguration experience taught Jason that agony and ecstasy are two parts of one story (Matthew 17). On Mount Tabor, Jesus revealed Himself in glory in the presence of his disciples, which is significant because it is the glorification of the body of Jesus. Jesus taught from scripture that He must suffer and be resurrected on the third day. Resurrection is the final confirmation of His ministry and glory; ‘A God who cannot suffer cannot love either.’
On seeing Jesus glorified, Peter was ecstatic and spontaneously said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Which one of us would not wish to hold on to the moment of joyful ecstasy, the moment of beauty, the moment of revelation, and hope the moment becomes eternity when all is clear and we are removed from the turmoil of everyday living?
At the transfiguration, we also hear God the Father affirming the identity of His Son Jesus and the necessity to listen to Him. Indeed, this profound awareness of Jesus as a beloved Son got him through the agonisingly tough times in His life. Let’s reflect, does our identity as being deeply loved by God comfort us when the going gets tough?
The disciples were terrified by the experience of seeing Jesus this way. But his word to them was: ‘Rise and do not be afraid.’ When we are afraid and fearful, do we let Jesus comfort us? Remember, when we contemplate the cross in our own lives, the cross of Jesus yields up its mysteries. A pastor facing death due to terminal cancer said, “the curtain came down, and it was back to the darkness of faith. But I wasn’t worried because I knew what was beyond the curtain.” On coming down from the mountain, Jesus healed the sick. Let’s become channels of Christ’s hope, love, respect and acceptance for suffering humanity.