“While Peter was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were terrified as they entered the cloud."
The Gospel today exposes the disciple’s experience of fear, doubt and surprise in the last week of Jesus’ life. Today’s Gospel calls us to meditate on the profound transformative power of Jesus in us.
The narration of the Transfiguration is told by three of the evangelists, and each one had an intention. Each spoke from a particular point-of-view. More than once they say that before Jesus’ suffering and death, the Messiah had to reveal his Glory, and through that give new hope to the disciples.
It is also true that the church uses this Gospel more than once throughout the year. We hear the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus in August but is also presented before the beginning of Lent.
When the author of the Gospel tries to answer the question: “Who is Jesus?” - he also answers the question: “who is a disciple of Jesus? and what are their characteristics?”
The Gospel read today is a story to strengthen us. The story happens in a very tense context. Jesus and the disciples are not experiencing peace. They are already suffering persecution by those with power who refuse to accept Jesus’ message of liberation.
More than trying to explain the fantastic Transfiguration scene, or trying to prove it was real; our attention should turn to the richness of the symbolism presented by the author of the book.
To do that, we need to recall what the evangelist presents:
Six days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus took them to a high mountain. There he was transfigured before them. His face and vestments turned bright and then two other men appeared by his side: Moses and Elijah.
Have you ever wondered why those two? Why not Abraham or King David, or Isaiah? If you need to pick somebody from the Old Testament, why specifically those two? Well, maybe it is because Moses and Elijah are the major figures of Judaism. The author of the Gospel knew it couldn’t be anybody else but the major symbols for Judaism, the religion of the disciples. Moses symbolizes the Torah, and Elijah symbolizes the Prophets. These two represent the words and the will of God to God’s people. They represent what is “right” in God’s eyes.
The Transfiguration happens just before Jesus goes to Jerusalem and experiences suffering and death. In the midst of the fear and doubts, that affirmation is done. Jesus is the Son of God and here are Moses and Elijah to ratify it.
Besides this very fantastic event, we will notice another fact. The second piece of the story. We see the reaction of the disciples. And today, in this story, the disciples represent each one of us.
In the week before Jesus’ death, many people already knew about Jesus of Nazareth, and of his group. They were walking toward Jerusalem where the authorities were. Jesus and his disciples were hiding here and there, avoiding public places, and avoiding being caught by those who represented the "Old Order" of that religion.
For the disciples, on that night, on that mountain, there were a lot of emotions and feelings.
They went up to rest, pray and recharge. But then God surprises them with this event. Initially, it was a very pleasant experience. They felt safe there. It was a quiet place, they felt close to God, and Moses and Elijah were there to complete the company. They were away from all the troubles down the hill, in Jerusalem where they could be arrested and killed with Jesus.
Peter is the one who says: “Lord, it is so good for us to be here. Why don’t we stay here and make shelters for you? Let’s stay here.”
That’s the key for the Gospel today. Old patterns are like “the comfort zone” for some. Some may think that the church building is like that, our safe place. And it is but it can’t be the only place to encounter God.
We come here, we encounter God, but we need to go back into the world. Our tendency is to be confined here, between these walls, thinking this is the only place to find a religious experience. Today the Gospel tells us that we need to meet God in sacred places, but we also need to know when it’s time to go down the hill and face the world with God’s power.
In the end Jesus and the three disciples walk down the hill to continue their ministry. The evangelist tells us that they didn’t share the experience with others. It suggests that the Transfiguration of Jesus was a powerful experience to those who needed the reaffirmation that God’s is with us on this mission. And as a sign of that, Jesus goes down the hill with them. They were not alone. And we are not alone when we leave this church, but he (Christ) is with us.
The action of going down the hill into the world is not only about ourselves and our agenda but is God’s agenda to be fulfilled. It is about breaking the chains of evil that divide us from the poor, the vulnerable, the sick, and the excluded in our society. It’s our Mission to bring the Light of Christ to others who don’t have the opportunity to meet Christ up the hill.
It’s a big temptation and Peter didn’t resist. His desire was to stay away from Jerusalem and avoid the problems. “Let’s avoid the headaches, the politics, and the hard job that Jesus was trying to give to the disciples. God is here anyway; why bother going down for trouble?"
Well, the meditation today calls us to leave this place and embrace the world. Not easy but there is a Sufi story that helps us to see.
The wise Sufi Bayazid (master Sufistic) says:
"When I was young, I had a revolutionary spirit and I used to pray like this: "O God, give me the energy and power to transform the world!”
But then I became adult and noticed that a good part of my life was gone and I didn’t change anybody. So, I changed the way I prayed, saying to God: "My God, give me the grace to transform those who live with me, day by day, people like my family and friends. I will be satisfied with that”.
BUT now, I’m old and I don’t have much time. Now I noticed what a fool I was when I prayed.
My prayer now is just this: "Dear God, give me the grace and power to change myself”.
If I had prayed like this since the beginning, I would have touched many more people in this world.
Take home with you this message, that all we need is to remember is these two words: ascend and descend.
Ascend the mountain to create a space of silence, meditation, and contemplation of Christ’s light. To open our senses to God’s voice in the “cloud of the unknown.” To pray.
But we cannot stay there! Encountering the divine spirit is an encounter that transfigures me as well. Not for show, but for empowerment. We are called to return (descend) to the plain where we meet others who are broken by: fatigue, sickness, injustice, ignorance, and poverty, both material and spiritual.
There you will shine the Light of the Transfigured Christ.
Amen.
Credits:
Created with images by Wirestock - "Biblical scene - of Jesus Christ landing a hand for help with the sun shining near his face" • Jaroslav - "Transfiguration of Jesus" • Jaroslav - "Transfiguration" • NICOLA - "Madrasa-ye-Chahar Bagh, in Isfahan, Iran.", and Lambeth Conference website.