Sunday 15 February 2026

Psalm 99

Background
Travelling from Jerusalem to Nazareth, it is impossible to miss Mount Tabor rising majestically from the plain, as though reaching toward the heavens. There is no firm evidence that this is the mountain of the Transfiguration: the gospels do not name the 'high mountain', and people have long debated whether Tabor is the actual site of what Thomas Aquinas called the 'greatest miracle'. Yet over time, Mount Tabor has become the place where the Transfiguration is commemorated in the Holy Land.

A transfiguration is a 'complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state', and Matthew vividly describes Jesus transformed: “his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white” (v. 2). Traditionally counted as one of the five great milestones of Jesus’ life, the Transfiguration stands between his birth and crucifixion, with the resurrection and ascension completing the five.

Just as Mount Tabor seems to stretch heavenwards while its base rests firmly in the plains, the Transfiguration can be understood as the meeting point of the divine and the human, the bridge between heaven and earth. God took human form in Jesus, becoming that living meeting place of humanity and divinity. God’s words in verse 5, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” suggest that if we seek a bridge between our own lives and the eternal, we will find it by listening to Jesus.

Irenaeus, the 2nd-century Greek bishop, wrote of the Transfiguration that “The glory of God is a living human being, and a truly human life is the vision of God.” Many would agree that in Jesus the glory of God is revealed, yet some might hesitate to say that human life, as we know it, reflects the vision of God. We often excuse failure or wrongdoing with the phrase 'it’s only human'. But perhaps our lives, too, can be transfigured, becoming truly human and reflecting something of God when we follow the transfigured Christ: when we make peace; when we hunger and thirst for justice; and when we turn the other cheek, and walk the extra mile.

To Ponder:

• When have you witnessed someone living in ‘a truly human way’ that revealed something of God to you?
• As Lent begins next Wednesday, instead of only giving something up, are there teachings of Jesus you feel called to take on or to practise more deeply?

Prayer
God of heaven and earth, we give you thanks for the people in our lives whose kindness, courage and compassion have shown us glimpses of your glory. For every moment when another’s humanity has revealed something of your heart, we are grateful. Open our eyes to recognise you in the ordinary grace of those around us. Shape our lives to reflect your light. Transfigure us, day by day, so that in becoming more truly human we may bear the likeness of Christ and reveal something of you to the world. Amen.

Bible notes author: The Revd David Hardman
David Hardman is currently serving as the Methodist Liaison Officer, Jerusalem for the Methodist Church in Britain. Ordained in 1994, he has served churches and circuits in the city centre and in the inner city and suburbs of Manchester and London. He has also worked for Christian Aid as Senior Regional Coordinator in the North West of England and most recently was the Methodist Team Leader of the Joint Public Issues Team. Justice and peace have been at the heart of David’s ministry; he is an accredited mediator with Place for Hope and a committed activist.