Word to the Wise
Friday, August 6, 2021 - Aug. 6 - The Transfiguration of the Lord
[Dan 7:9-10, 13-14; 2 Pet 1:16-19; A: Matt 17:1-9 B: Mark 9:2-10 C: Luke 9:28b-36,1237]"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. [Mark]
The story of the transfiguration of the Lord appears in all three of the synoptic gospels, but with different emphases. In the Gospel According to Matthew, the emphasis is on Jesus as the "new Moses." In the Gospel According to Luke, the emphasis is on the coming passion of the Lord. In today's passage from the Gospel According to Mark, the emphasis is on revelation of Jesus as the Son of God. Since this story follows on the dialogue between Jesus and Peter about "who the Son of Man is," and Jesus' rejection of Peter's understanding (while recognizing his faith), the event serves as an important emphasis on the whole gospel: the revelation of Jesus as Son of God and the struggle of the disciples to understand this truth.
The event itself is full of strands from the Old Testament. Moses and Elijah are pivotal figures. Although in some contexts they represent "the law and the prophets," here they more likely represent figures who spoke to God face to face on a mountain. Coming, as it does, on the heels of Jesus' prediction of his passion and resurrection, the transfiguration is meant to give hope since Jesus is pictured as he will be after his resurrection: a glorified figure!
All of this can send us back to Jesus' question, "Who do YOU say that I am?" Although the experience was aimed at Peter, James and John, the account of it is aimed at us. If we go up the mountain with Jesus, our personal ideas may be in for a big surprise. AMEN