I have heard people say "God had to use a two-by-four to get my attention." Of course, a two-by-four up aside the head is not God's standard methodology. God is not a violent God in spite of what is recorded in the Hebrew scriptures. The meaning of the statement is some disruptive experience (generally a traumatic, painful experience) caused the person to see things differently. It was as if they woke up to a new way of thinking.
Waking up to see things from a different perspective is a normal experience on the spiritual journey. Spiritual progress involves learning to think differently - from God's perspective rather than a human perspective, from a grace-based perspective rather than a merit-based perspective, from a faith perspective rather than a fear-governed perspective. (See "by the renewing of the mind," Romans 12:2; also Ephesians 4:22-24, Colossians 3:9-10.) The Greek word that is translated repent actually means "to think from a different perspective," literally, with a different mind. Waking up involves moving beyond the way I normally think. It involves understanding and embracing spiritual truth, taught by the Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 2:11b-16.)
As I read the account of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8), I see Peter, James, and John having this kind of two-by-four experience, calling them to wake up ... to move beyond their self-focused way of thinking ... to see things from a spiritual perspective.
The Transfiguration experience is tied to what we call The Great Confession in which Peter acknowledges that Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 16:13-17). Jesus affirmed Peter's understanding. The problem was Peter's understanding of what the Messiah was to be and do was not Jesus' understanding. Peter thought from a human perspective. He assumed Jesus would be a conquering hero who would defeat the enemies of Israel and establish Israel as the dominant nation of the world. (Of course, that meant Peter would receive a high ranking position in the new order.) Peter thought from the world's perspective regarding power: power used to dominate and control others for one's personal advantage. This assumption is reflected in the interchange between Jesus and Peter in Matthew 16:21-23. When Jesus began to explain that being the Messiah included suffering and death, Peter rebuked Jesus and attempted to correct him. Jesus then rebuked Peter, telling him he was thinking from a human perspective, not a spiritual perspective (see Matthew 16:23).
The Transfiguration experience called Peter beyond his way of thinking to embrace a different, spiritual way of thinking about the Messiah and power. In the Kingdom, power is used to serve others, even at great cost to self.
In the experience, Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transfigured from his normal human appearance to one filled with light and energy. It was as if the veil separating the spiritual realm and the physical realm was pulled back so they could see the fuller reality. Moses and Elijah, representing the law and the prophets, were a part of the experience. Their presence indicated the new way of thinking they were being taught was in harmony with the teachings of scripture. Then a light and energy-filled cloud representing the presence of God engulfed them. The metaphor is clear: they were in the presence of God. And a voice - the voice of God - spoke to them: "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well-pleased" (Matthew 17:5). The voice was the same voice Jesus heard at his baptism. The voice said to them the same thing that was said to Jesus at his baptism. The statement affirmed (1) Jesus was the Messiah, just as they had perceived: "This is my Son, the Beloved" from Psalm 2, the coronation psalm. It also communicated (2) a different understanding of the Messiah's role. "With whom I am well-pleased" was from the Servant Songs of Isaiah. The Messiah was the Suffering Servant, not a conquering hero-king like David. And then came the two-by-four: "Listen to him!" God called Peter, James, and John to be willing to hear a different way of thinking, to accept a new understanding of the Messiah's role. God called them to allow Jesus to teach them. God called them to be willing to learn. God called them to move beyond their old way of thinking to embrace a new way of thinking, taught by Jesus. Listen to him!!!
At the heart of the spiritual journey is learning to think and live from a different perspective. It involves recognizing and moving beyond our old way of thinking. It involves learning the think from a spiritual (Kingdom) perspective. It involves learning, embracing, and living the ways of God Jesus taught.
Thus, an essential attitude for the journey is one of being teachable - the willingness to learn - the willingness to think and explore a different way of understanding life. Apart from being teachable, some kind of two-by-four will be needed to get our attention.
Could this teachable attitude be the true attitude of Lent?
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