Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent March 16, 2025

Do you remember the rich fare you could get for very little at the movie theater years ago? Main features, additional short films, cartoons, and previews of coming attractions. Often, there would be “cliff hangers”—a stop in the action at a critical point, you wouldn’t know how it ended unless you came back the next week.

Well previews of coming attractions, or trailers, are pretty sophisticated now, but the idea is pretty much the same: to give us enough of a taste of what the film is about to get us to watch the movie. Of course, previews of coming attractions are now shown, not just at the theaters, but also on television and other forms of media.

The reason I bring this topic up is that what we have in today’s Gospel reading is basically a preview of coming attractions. You have quite a cast of characters, including Jesus, Moses (who, by the way, had died some 1,200 years earlier), Elijah (who died or was taken up to heaven some 800 years earlier). And those who get to see the preview: Peter, James and John.

In this preview of coming attractions, God displays Jesus’ divinity, a kind of fore-taste of the Resurrection, and gives his seal of approval: “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” Scripture scholars say that the purpose of this preview was to strengthen the disciples for the tough days ahead, including the crucifixion. And through today’s proclamation of this gospel, this preview of coming attractions is given to us.

Now, of course, we are able to make choices. And I believe that our minds are playing previews of coming attractions all the time. In conversations during the past few weeks, I’ve heard about some of these previews. Let me share a few…

Some have been watching the preview that asks the question: What if they take away my Social Security? How am I supposed to live?

Others have been watching the preview: What if they take away Medicaid? Is grandma going to be evicted from the nursing home?

Of course, still others are rewinding and watching previews that were instilled in them when they were quite young: You’re no good! You’ll never amount to anything! Or…You’re not smart, you’re not pretty, you’re not popular. You’re a loser, and you always will be.

Why do you suppose that God gave this biblical preview of coming attractions? It was to teach that the story doesn’t end with the crucifixion. You see, that’s really a kind of cliff hanger, and if you don’t come back to get the rest of the story, you may think it all ends right there. The preview, in which Jesus’ glory is shown, and in which he’s talking to two people long considered dead, is meant to get our attention and convince us to stick around and get the full version of the story: Easter, not crucifixion. Life, not death. Hope, not failure. God in control, not us.

Now, there’s no denying that plenty of bad things happen in life. People are not always respected or affirmed. Some people do terrible things to others. For many, there’s a life of drudgery and poverty. And in the days ahead, we will do all in our power to support, encourage, and take care of the needs of all who are treated unjustly.

But the question is, which preview of coming attractions is playing in your mind? Do you believe you’re a nobody? That all there is waiting for you are pain and death? That they might make life difficult, especially for the poor who are struggling already? Pretty depressing stuff. And the threats are, indeed, very real.

But today we are offered God’s preview. He’s introducing someone very special: This is Jesus, my chosen Son. Listen to him. In the midst of all the fears and rumors, in the midst of people obsessed by power, listen to him. He’s with you. He’s going to see you through. He struggled through Good Friday and knows what’s on the other side. Whenever you feel overwhelmed or afraid, God says, play my preview. Don’t forget why you come to Church in the first place, to hear my side of things. You get enough of the world’s message out there, and it can be pretty depressing. So, listen to my message. Don’t lose your courage. Have faith. Trust me on this. You’ll love what I have in store for you.