The Transfiguration

Mark 9: 2-10 (February 22, 2009)

1) The Text

2Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” 8Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

9As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean.

2) The Context

Mark is the writer who first shaped the transfiguration story into its present form, with all other versions being dependent on Mark. The word, “transfigured,” comes from a familiar Greek word that is known to us: “metamorphosis.” It means to completely change or transform such as a cocoon transforms into a butterfly or a tulip bulb transforms into a glorious tulip blossom. Jesus’ body was transformed from an earthly body into a heavenly body.

The transfiguration fits with Mark's understanding of Jesus as God's son and provides a preview of Jesus' supernatural glory, which Mark does not otherwise narrate. In the account of Jesus' baptism, God declared Jesus to be his son, and Mark reaffirms that role here at a crucial point in the gospel's plot, just after Jesus' first prediction that he will suffer and die. The command to "listen to him," underscores the grim prediction of Jesus' passion that Mark has just reported.

3) Interpretation

Life is full of surprises. Around every corner, in every part of life, experiences of wonder await us. We only need to open ourselves for the possibility of the different, the unexpected. But the rote and routine of life dull our sense of awe. We become too familiar, take people for granted, make too many assumptions. The disciples lived with Jesus throughout his ministry in Galilee. Even the closest of Jesus' friends walked with him as he made his way to Jerusalem blinded by their daily routines. They thought they knew Jesus. They thought they knew what to expect.
Mark presents a mountain top revelation charged with symbolism. The followers of Jesus witness the status of their Master raised to the same as that of Moses and Elijah. His words have the same power as those of Law Giver (Moses) and the first among the Prophets (Elijah). In comparing the mountain top experiences of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, the first parallel is the place: the mountain top. Moses received God's word on a mountain top in Exodus 3:1-6. Elijah heard the whisper of God's presence on a mountain top in 1 Kings 19:8-13. In both encounters, Moses and Elijah stood on holy ground at the peak. This represented the closest place between heaven and earth, the place where God would descend to humanity. Mountain tops were places of encounter and revelation. Both Moses and Elijah received divine commissions on Mt. Horeb.

Second, both men hid their faces when they realized God was truly present. The encounter caused a sense of awe and holy fear. They could not look upon the glory or power of God. Yet, both men were changed after their encounter. Unlike Moses and Elijah, however, Jesus did not hide his face against the glory of God. Indeed, he shined with God's glory. Other parallels arise in that there were signs of God's presence. Moses had the burning bush. Elijah did not have the expected signs (wind, earthquake, or fire), but had a whisper of a gentle breeze. The Transfiguration had the appearance of Jesus, the cloud and the voice. The cloud and the voice are clearly contented in the text. The cloud was a sign of God's presence in the Exodus (see Exodus 13:21-22). The voice from heaven was thunder (see Exodus 19:19). Ancient Israelites equated violence in the sky as a clear manifestation of God's power. Another parallel was the reaction of those receiving the revelation. In the case of the transfiguration, Peter, James, and John shank in fear and awe. Like Moses and Elijah, the disciple's holy fear provoked a change for they were given a mission: hear the voice of God's beloved Son.

In the context of Moses and Elijah, and in the context of the signs of divine presence (glory, overshadowing cloud, and thunderous voice), the revelation placed the words of Jesus on the same plane as those of Moses and Elijah. Moses, the Law-Giver, spoke for God as a people became a nation. Elijah, first of the Prophets, spoke for God as a nation turned away. Placing the two together symbolized the summed experience of Judaism. Indeed, "the Law and the Prophets" was a code phrase for the Bible; Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the Prophets) were the Living Scriptures. To the two living spokespersons for revelation, God added a third, his beloved Son.

What was the message the disciples were to hear? Not to share their experience of revelation until "the Son of Man should rise from the dead." While popular Jewish opinion held the just would rise in the Kingdom, the disciples have a hard time fathoming resurrection as "the sign" for the Kingdom. Nor could they fathom their Master dying so he could rise. And they could not sense that the only way Jesus could bridge experience and faith was through death on the cross.
Finally, the Transfiguration was a revelation of the Trinity. The voice from heaven proclaimed the words of the Father. The Son stood transformed in his glory. And the Spirit overshadowed the scene as the cloud. The scene harkens back to the Baptism, the Father's voice from heaven, the Son rising from the water, and the Spirit descending upon the Son. The difference between the two events, however, lies in the reception of the revelation. In the Baptism, Jesus received the revelation with others as witnesses. In the Transfiguration, the followers received the revelation. Notice the revelation was in context as confirmation and foreshadowing. The event confirmed Peter's confession. Jesus was the Messiah. But it also foreshadowed the mission of the Messiah, death on the cross to enter glory. The Transfiguration was a look backward and a look forward.

The message of this gospel is clear. To see, we need to look. To hear, we need to listen. To experience, we need to open our minds and hearts to the possibility of God's voice. Look at the Son. Listen to his words. Open your mind and heart to his presence. We don't need to be on a mountain top to experience God's fullness. Just shake off rote and routine. And he will be there.

4) Thought Exercise

How can we be more intent on looking for and listening to God’s presence?

How do you find ways to pause from your routine to open your mind and heart to the possibility of God’s voice?