The Gospel of Luke, chapter 9:35

In the reading from the Book of Genesis (15/17-18) we read, “It was on that occasion that the Lord made a covenant with Abram.” The word Covenant is used frequently throughout the Old and New Testaments. I would like to devote this message to discussing the meaning of Covenant in the Bible.

To put it simply, the word Covenant, in the Scriptures, signifies the relationship which God establishes with his people. The Scriptures speak of different covenants (i.e. relationships) between God and man and the meaning of the terms is not always the same. For example, God’s covenant with Abram in Genesis signals his protection for the chosen (Hebrew) people. God pledges not to break this relationship with Abram and Abram responds to it with faith: “Abram put his faith in the Lord, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.” Later, in the Old Testament, God entered into an even higher relationship with his people when He gave Moses the ‘Ten Commandments’. By living the ‘Ten Commandments’, God’s people have a clearer way of knowing that they have a satisfactory relationship with Him.

The greatest and highest relationship that God has established with His people is through His Son, Jesus Christ. By following the example of Jesus, Christians can show no greater sign of union with Almighty God. This relationship is very personal and may be described as a personal relationship with the personality of Christ’. In Christ, the idea of Covenant (or relationship) comes to completion.

The reading from St. Paul to the Philippians (3/17-4/1) and the Gospel according to St. Luke (9/28-36) talk about the glory of the new covenant or relationship established by Christ. St. Paul discusses the great possibilities now open to Christians who follow Christ, possibilities that enable one to “give a new form to this lowly body of ours and remake it according to the pattern of his (Christ’s) glorified body. St. Luke gives an account of the hidden glory of Christ by recounting the story of the Transfiguration. The Apostles, who were with Christ on Mount Tabor, got an ecstatic glimpse of the new Covenant of the New Testament.

As we can see, the idea of Covenant has developed and grown with time, in the Scriptures. In the same manner, the Christian appreciation of God’s Covenant requires time to mature and grow in each of us. When St. Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, and when St. Peter, James and John witnessed the Transfiguration, they had come a long way.

Let us not presume to have reached such heights of ecstasy, but let us be realistic in trying to improve our relationship with Christ by listening to Him and following His example.

May you continue to grow in a personal relationship with God’s Son, the chosen one of God.

Fr. Hugh Duffy