2nd SUN LENT – Part Deux of Homily

On the mountain, Peter spoke for the disciples, offering to build 3 booths for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.  What’s up with that???

This reply seems to come from the same place in Peter as his reply to Jesus previously, “God forbid that you should suffer & die!”  Peter and the others want to domesticate Jesus and God so to ward off uncertainty and primal insecurity.

He wished to build 3 tabernacles – places to worship, to visit, and to leave when he wanted.  He seemed to wish to build a museum he could control.

Then the voice from heaven… “Listen to him…”

Matthew 17:5           While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”

Jesus later told a parable that addressed “how to listen…”  The disciples heard the word, but either it was stolen, found no root, or was choked by the cares of the world…

Matthew 13:13–21           The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’ With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: ‘You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.

Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. “Hear then the parable of the sower.  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.