The Transfiguration as a Rejection of the Prosperity Gospel’s Materialistic Teachings
First Reading: Genesis 15:5-12,17-18
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 26(27):1,7-9,13-14
Second Reading: Philippians 3:17-4:1
Gospel: Luke 9:28-36
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The modern obsession with wealth, success, and material blessings has found its way into Christian theology, distorting the message of the Gospel into a self-serving ideology that equates faith with financial prosperity. Many preachers proclaim that those who truly believe will see an overflow of riches, power, and earthly comfort, twisting Christ into a divine business partner rather than the suffering Messiah. But the readings for the Second Sunday of Lent (Year C) shatter this illusion, offering a radical rejection of the prosperity gospel’s materialistic theology. The Transfiguration – often misinterpreted as a revelation of divine grandeur – actually prepares the disciples for suffering, not wealth, for the cross, not comfort. The glory of Christ revealed on the mountain is not a promise of material gain but a call to abandon worldly pursuits for something far greater.
In the first reading (Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18), Abram is given a divine promise: his descendants will be as numerous as the stars, and they will inherit a land of their own. At first glance, this passage appears to correspond with prosperity, teaching – God promises abundance. But the Sitz im Leben of this text is crucial: Abram does not see the fulfilment of this promise in his lifetime. He lives as a nomad, a man of faith rather than possessions. The Hebrew word emunah (אֱמוּנָה), meaning “faithfulness” or “steadfast trust,” is at the heart of this reading. Abram’s righteousness is not measured by wealth but by his steadfast trust in God, even when there is no visible reward. This is the fundamental contradiction of the prosperity gospel: it seeks immediate material results, while true biblical faith demands trust in what is unseen and often unattainable in this life.
The responsorial psalm (Psalm 27) strengthens this rejection of materialistic faith. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?” The psalmist declares that safety, not wealth, is found in God. The obsession with material security contradicts the essence of this passage. The psalm does not promise that the faithful will be rich but that they will have God’s presence as their stronghold. Those who chase material wealth often live in fear – fear of losing, fear of lacking, fear of not having enough. But the psalm proclaims that those who trust in God have nothing to fear, even when the world offers them nothing.
Then comes the Transfiguration in the Gospel (Luke 9:28b-36). At first, it seems like a triumph, a revelation of Christ’s divine glory. Peter, overwhelmed, wants to build tents, to capture the moment and remain in that heavenly presence. But this vision does not lead to comfort; it leads to the Passion. The Sitz im Leben of this passage is significant: it occurs as Jesus prepares His disciples for His suffering and death. The Greek verb metamorphoō (μεταμορφόω), meaning “to be transformed,” is used here to describe Christ’s radiant change. But this transformation is not about gaining power or wealth; it is about revealing the deeper reality of who He is, a reality that will soon be expressed through His suffering and crucifixion. The prosperity gospel seeks earthly transformation – bigger houses, fuller bank accounts, promotions – but Christ’s transformation points to something entirely different: the call to suffer with Him, to embrace the cross, and to be changed into His likeness through sacrifice, not success.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians (Phil 3:17—4:1) delivers the final blow to the materialistic distortion of the gospel. He warns that many live as “enemies of the cross of Christ,” whose “god is their stomach,” and whose “minds are set on earthly things.” These words are a direct rebuke to those who reduce Christianity to a pathway to personal gain. Paul contrasts this earthly focus with the reality of the Christian life: “Our citizenship is in heaven.” This is the ultimate rejection of materialism. A faith that seeks only earthly rewards is not Christianity at all but a counterfeit gospel that Paul outright condemns.
In practical terms, this rejection of the prosperity gospel carries heavy implications:
First, it forces us to reassess our understanding of divine blessing. Too often, Christians equate financial stability with God’s favour and poverty with His disapproval. This is not biblical. Many of the holiest figures – Abram, the psalmist, Jesus Himself – lived in uncertainty, exile, and suffering. If God’s favour were measured by material wealth, then Christ, who had “nowhere to lay His head,” would be considered cursed. Instead of asking, “What has God given me?” the real question should be, “How is God shaping me?”
Second, this theme challenges the commodification of faith in today’s Church. Many preachers manipulate desperate believers into giving money in exchange for divine rewards. They sell an illusion of prosperity wrapped in theological language, using emotional appeals and distorted scripture. The Transfiguration exposes this deception. If Jesus wanted to demonstrate divine power for the sake of influence, He would have stayed on the mountain, dazzling His followers with light. But instead, He descends into suffering, humiliation, and death. Christianity is not a pyramid scheme promising financial gain; it is a call to sacrificial love, radical generosity, and self-denial.
Finally, this forces believers to redefine success. If our measure of a successful Christian life is a stable career, a big house, and a problem-free existence, then we have missed the heart of the Gospel. True success in Christ is not about accumulating wealth but about becoming more like Him, especially in His willingness to suffer for others. If we seek Christ only for what He can give us, we have turned faith into idolatry. But if we seek to be transformed, to undergo metamorphoō into His likeness, then we have understood the true meaning of the Transfiguration.
The prosperity gospel thrives because it promises something tangible, something immediate. But the readings for this Sunday dismantle that illusion, showing instead that faith is often difficult, demanding, and costly. Yet, it is precisely in this cost that we find the true reward, not the fleeting riches of this world, but the eternal glory of sharing in Christ’s divine life.
O that today you would listen to his VOICE, harden not your hearts! (Ps. 95:7)
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Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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