Scripture Scribbles: March 1, 2026
the Gospel
Matthew 17:1-9
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
“Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
“Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
the scribble
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
This is where the Holy Spirit is drawing me in today’s Gospel. This moment in which God speaks. In these words he expresses who he is: the Lover, Loving the Beloved.
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Henri Nouwen describes the devil’s effort to seduce us away from this identity and into becoming “competitors for love” in Journey of the Heart:
The “Tempter” came to [Jesus] asking him to prove that he was worth being loved. The “Tempter” said to him: “Do something useful, like turning stones into bread. Do something sensational, like throwing yourself down from a high tower. Do something that brings you power, like paying me homage.”
These three temptations were three ways to seduce Jesus into becoming a competitor for love. The world of the “Tempter” is precisely that world in which people compete for love through doing useful, sensational, and powerful things and so winning medals that gain them affection and admiration.
Jesus, however, is very clear in his response: “I don’t have to prove that I am worthy of love. I am the Beloved of God, the One on whom God’s favor rests.
Rationally, I know that I too am a Beloved Child of God.
But actually living from that truth? That means letting go of everything I use to protect and provide for myself. There is an illusion of safety in self-sufficiency and a leap of faith required to live the life of the beloved child. Living like a child means surrendering what I have been working for all my life - security, control, protection, “love”. It feels impossible to let all of this go.
As I reflect on this, I am pondering how encountering God’s holiness, like Peter James and John do on the mountain in today’s Gospel reveals the places in our hearts we are holding back. And how in the light of holiness we see the great distance between where we are and who perfect love is.
“they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.”
But Jesus closes the distance.
He touches them, saying “Rise, and do not be afraid.”
These are the first words Jesus speaks after God tells Peter, James and John to listen to him.
Rise, and do not be afraid.
What tender words these are.
He doesn’t say, “rise and try harder.”
He doesn’t say “rise and don’t mess up again.”
Neither does he say, “stay down.”
He says, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”
He is with us. We are not left alone to try to fix our failures or make ourselves worthy (we can’t anyway). We are not left alone to face our fears. We are not left alone in grief or sorrow. We are not left alone to stay where we are. We are invited to rise with him.
“Rise and do not be afraid”
Where is he inviting you to rise unafraid with him today?
Jesus, I want to be like you. I want to live as the beloved child that I am. I want to rise with you, unafraid of how far I have to go, unafraid of what I can’t do without you. I want to let you lead me like a child with “straightforward simplicity, filial trust, joyous assurance, humble boldness and the certainty of being loved” (CCC 2278). To have an ever-deepening awareness of your mercy and love. Not to be discouraged by how many times I stumble along the way, by how long it is taking for us to make this journey together or by how much I don’t understand. For a beloved child, all of this is just right. Thank you for who you are and for coming close.
Today’s devotion was written by Lucia Parker
