Have mercy on me, O God, in your great goodness, according to the abundance of your compassion. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
On Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus. When Jesus ascended the mountain, his face shone with divine brightness. Similarly, in the book of Exodus, when Moses descended from Mount Sinai carrying the tablets of the covenant, his face also radiated with light. In our All-Age service, we discussed the way to recognise people through voice, face, body shape, and hair. In the Transfiguration story, the disciples recognised the divine nature of Jesus. However, what I want to emphasise on Sunday is that it is no coincidence that both Moses and Jesus shone with divine brightness. While we do not regard Moses as divine in the same way as Jesus, there is something more significant here than simply recognising Jesus’ divinity.
Reading these two stories side by side encourages us to see the humanity present in Moses, in Jesus—the Word made flesh—and in each of us, who are created in God’s image. This humanity has the potential to shine with divine brightness. This is the heart of transfiguration: it is not about changing into something we are not, but rather about revealing who we truly are—God’s beloved children. It is about embodying and living out God’s commandments. Transfiguration is not transformation in the sense of becoming something alienated to ourselves; rather, it is the unveiling of our best selves, responding to God’s call in our daily lives.
Let us not forget what Moses held in his hands when his face shone so brilliantly—God’s commandments. The Feast of the Transfiguration, placed just before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, sets a ‘standard’ for our lives. It calls us to reflect on how we can live out our humanity in a way that follows God’s will.
This also leads us to an important reflection on sin—something that, in contemporary culture, we may find uncomfortable to discuss.
On this Ash Wednesday, we should rethink the doctrine of sin, which is not merely about what we do or fail to do, but about whether we have truly been, become, and done the best of humanity as God wonderfully made us to be.
Let me share a story. My partner and I often discuss social issues in our British society. Occasionally, he will say, ‘But we’re not that bad, are we? Compared to other countries…’ To which I usually reply, ‘Why do we always compare ourselves to those who are worse off, rather than to those who have done better?’ I believe this is how we often approach the concept of sin. We measure ourselves against those who seem more immoral rather than those who have excelled in generosity, service, and devotion to God. But the real standard for our lives should not be those who have fallen further but those who have risen higher. If we truly believe that we are wonderfully and fearfully made in God’s perfect image, then we must acknowledge when we fail to reflect the fullness of that divine imprint.
Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew presents us with the dangers of hypocrisy and performative piety. Jesus warns against those who love to stand in the streets and pray publicly for the sake of recognition. At times, we too are tempted to seek praise for our good deeds. We crave encouragement and validation. However, Jesus reminds us that if we do good solely to receive human approval, we have already received our reward. When we allow praise to satisfy us, we risk stagnation, thinking we are already ‘good enough.’ We may even fall into the trap of believing we are superior to those who do not pray or give as we do. This mindset prevents us from striving for the better humanity God calls us to embrace.
It is easy to read this Gospel passage and conclude that we should simply avoid hypocrisy and performative piety. We may even be inclined to believe we are not guilty of these tendencies.
However, I believe Jesus’s teaching challenges us more deeply. It calls us to examine how much we truly invest in loving God and loving our neighbours—even those who are difficult to love. Are we truly satisfied with what we have already done? Do we believe we have fully expressed God’s image in our humanity? Have we given back all that we have received from God? Are we living in faithful response to God’s call?
As we approach Lent, let us use this time to reflect deeply on our lives. May we seek not comparison with others but a sincere desire to live according to God’s commandments. May we recognise that our humanity, when lived in accordance with God’s will, has the capacity to shine with divine brightness. And may we always strive to embody the ‘transfigured’ life to which Christ calls us. Amen.