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영어

The authors of the Synoptic gospels commonly place the events of the transfiguration in the same sequence: the confession of Peter, the announcement of Jesus’ suffering and death, the transfiguration, and a repetition of the prophecy about the passion. The event of Jesus’ transfiguration reveals that the glorious resurrection and ascension come only after suffering on the cross, of which the idea of “spirituality of suffering” can be developed from. When Christians practice the “spirituality of suffering,” they experience three blessings. First, the person who receives from them benefits materially as well as spiritually. As Christians practice the “spirituality of suffering,” they live a life of love, which is giving. Even though they do not give their whole life for others like Jesus, they still live the life of giving. Thus, the person who receives benefits as much as the one who gives. Second, the Christians who live in the “spirituality of suffering” experience complete joy. Jesus, in his parable of the vine and the branches, teaches that “my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.” He promises that the Christians who live the life of love will be rewarded with complete joy. Therefore, the “spirituality of suffering” becomes the “spirituality of joy” in the life of Christians. Finally, the Christians experience their own transfiguration through the “spirituality of suffering.” When they practice the “spirituality of suffering,” they experience the presence of God through the Holy Spirit as the Bible promised. As they experience God’s presence in their soul, their inner beings are purified and illuminated. Then, the Christians seek the presence of God even more. As a result, they are united with God in His will. At the same time, their inner beings are ignited by the light of God and become bright. Then, their faces shine, since they reflect the divine light in their hearts. In that spiritual state, they realize that the event of the transfiguration becomes their own experiences, although it is not the same experience as Jesus’, since it is fully realized only in heaven or after the second coming of Jesus. Still, they discover that the transfiguration of Jesus gradually becomes their own until the end of their life on earth.