Homily for the Transfiguration of Our Lord

For those of us who use the One-Year Lectionary according to Lutheran Service Book, today marked the Transfiguration of Our Lord and the conclusion of the Epiphany season. (Three-Year Lectionary folks in the Lutheran Church will celebrate this great feast in three weeks, and others in Christendom will celebrate it on August 6.) The Gospel reading from Matthew 17:1-9 gives so much on which to preach--the Lord's transfigured appearance; the "exodus" of Jesus' imminent suffering, death, and resurrection (cf. Luke 9); Peter's response; and the Father's voice from the cloud proclaiming Jesus His "beloved Son" with whom He is well please (a nice bookend to our Lord's Baptism in Matthew 3).

Today's homily focused on the "Glimpse of Glory" that our Lord gives us when He Himself is transfigured in brilliant, radiant glory. When we "see" Him transfigured in this Gospel account, we do get a foretaste - a glimpse - of the glory which He bestows on us purely by His grace and favor. Focusing on this "glimpse of glory" flows from the Collect of the Day in which we prayed, "Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven."

Listen to the audio file of today's homily - "A Glimpse of Glory" - by clicking on this link and then downloading the audio file.