This Sunday we reflect on the Transfiguration and the powerful command from heaven: “Listen to him.” In a world that pushes us toward constant action, achievement, and reaction, Jesus calls us first to listen. Listening may sound simple, but it is often the harder spiritual task. It requires humility, openness, and a willingness to hear a voice beyond our own.
Through a Wesleyan understanding of grace, we will explore how listening to Christ is central to sanctifying grace—God’s ongoing work of shaping us into people perfected in love. As we grow in God’s love, that love begins to shine through us in compassionate action, courageous leadership, and joyful service.
Matthew’s telling of the Transfiguration gives us one more word of hope. When the disciples are overcome with fear, Jesus touches them and says, “Get up and do not be afraid.” In overwhelming times, these words still speak to us. As we listen to Christ, we are strengthened, transformed, and sent back into the world to embody God’s love without fear.
