A Word from Joel - February 18, 2026

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

In Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration, we reach a decisive turning point in Jesus’ ministry. Having revealed himself as the Messiah, Jesus begins to teach what that truly means: not triumph, but suffering; not domination, but self-giving love. When Peter boldly confesses, “You are the Messiah,” he receives praise. Yet moments later, when he rejects the idea of a suffering Savior, Jesus rebukes him: “Get behind me, Satan.” Discipleship, Jesus insists, means denying ourselves, taking up the cross, and following him. Like Peter, we don’t like this. We’re far too scared to embrace non-violence. We want a God who wins, not loses, and we want the church to be in control, not suffer.
Six days later, Jesus leads Peter, James, and John up a mountain. There he is transfigured—his face shining like the sun—as Moses and Elijah appear beside him. The Law and the Prophets converge in Christ. Both Moses and Elijah confronted unjust power; now Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem, where he too will confront violence with truth and nonviolence.

When Peter tries to preserve the mountaintop moment, a voice from the cloud interrupts: “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” The command is simple and urgent: listen to him. How much time in your day do you spend resting in the words of Jesus and how much time do you listen to other voices, be they media, or cultural, political, or economic?  Lent is here, and it’s the perfect opportunity to tune out all the voices of fear, violence, and division, and instead tune into the voice of love. You always know you are listening to Jesus when you hear compassion, love, and forgiveness, because that’s who he is. 

This Lent, we will be grounding ourselves in the good news of Jesus’ life and teachings where we find liberation, love, mercy, and grace—all of which are meant to be very good news for us all. I hope you’ll join us tonight at 7pm in person or online for our Ash Wednesday service as we start our Lenten journey together.

- Rev. Joel Esala