Word to the Wise
Saturday, August 6, 2022 - 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-36,685]"This is my chosen Son; listen to him." [Luke]
The experience of the transfiguration of the Lord is reported in all three of the synoptic gospels. They share in common the location (on a mountain), the cloud (a symbol in the Old Testament of God's presence), the characters besides Jesus (Peter, James and John), the change in Jesus' appearance (dazzling light), the appearance of Moses and Elijah in conversation with Jesus, and the voice revealing Jesus as God's "Chosen Son." Luke adds the topic of the conversation: Jesus' "exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem." Peter, James and John are privileged witnesses to this event. Peter tries to capture the event by building tents (like the Old Testament tabernacle), but the point is revelation.
Self-revelation, whether one is the revealer or the recipient, can be fraught with significance. How will the revelation affect the relationship? It is difficult to determine how it did affect the relationship between Jesus and his three closest collaborators. They seemed to continue on as if nothing had happened! They still abandoned Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (where they fell asleep just as they did on the mountain).
Scripture scholars point out that the story of the transfiguration is placed alongside Jesus' prediction of his passion and resurrection. These two stories give the "big picture" of Jesus' identity and mission. That big picture may have been too big for the disciples to grasp since they were living inside of the experience. The evangelists had the benefit of reflection on the big picture and included the event as part of their portraits of Jesus. The voice from the cloud sums it up: "This is my chosen Son. Listen to him." Whatever we make of the experience of the revelation, our relationship to Jesus must include listening to him! AMEN