And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.  And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.  And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves. 

Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.  And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things.  And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."

- Mark 9:2-13

Yesterday we read that Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"  So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."  Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.  And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  He spoke this word openly.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."  And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.  And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.  And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.   Here is the story of Jesus' Transfiguration.  We first note that this occurs after six days from the revelation to the disciples that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah (see yesterday's reading, above).  That is this is seven days from that time, a number symbolically indicating fullness or completeness.  The Transfiguration is the revelation of Jesus' divine nature as Son.  Several elements combine to reveal the truth of His identity to the disciples, so soon after He has also revealed to them that He will suffer and be killed, and on the third day rise again.  That His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them is indicative of a holy light, impossibly white, often depicted with a blue tinge in icons to express its ineffable quality of "beyond white," indicating a fullness of the spectrum of light beyond a normal worldly experience of light.  Elijah and Moses both speak with Christ, indicating in themselves the Prophets and the Law.  In Luke 9:31, we're told that they discuss Jesus' "decease," in the New King James Translation; but the Greek word for this is literally exodus, meaning Jesus' departure from this world, His death.  Peter's seemingly disjointed statement that they should build three tabernacles for them reflects his understanding of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) as that of the coming Kingdom; in his mind he has grasped that the Kingdom is present with them.  This is also reflected in the fact that the disciples are greatly afraid, a natural response of tremendous awe at a revelation so outside the boundaries of normal experience.  The cloud which came and overshadowed them further cements the connection with the Feast of Tabernacles, as it resembles the cloud which overshadowed the tabernacle of the Israelites in the wilderness, a sign of God's presence with them (Numbers 9:15-23).  The cloud, and the voice of the Father, together with the revelation that Jesus is the beloved Son, is a revelation of the presence of the Holy Trinity. 

Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.  And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things.  And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."   According to the prophecy of Malachi (Malachi 4:5-6), Elijah was to return first before the Messiah would appear.  But Christ explains the prophecy, in a reference to John the Baptist (see also Luke 1:17, Matthew 17:11-12).  Jesus' emphasis is on the suffering of both John the Baptist and Himself.  The revelation of the Transfiguration is a way of emphasizing to the disciples (and to us) that Christ goes willingly and voluntarily into His suffering and death.  We note that the disciples still do not understand what rising from the dead meant.   Over the course of the past several readings, Jesus has repeatedly solicited public silence regarding His identity both from the disciples and from those whom He's healed, as He does also in today's reading. 

Another aspect of Peter's suggestion that they build three tabernacles (or tents) at the Transfiguration is that the booths or tabernacles built at the Feast of Tabernacles symbolized God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  Moreover, Moses represents those who have died, while Elijah never experienced death.   Each of these elements together teaches us about the living Kingdom, dwelling in the communion of saints, those who live and those who have died -- and all who bear witness to Christ as Messiah and fulfillment of the entire Old Testament.  That living Kingdom which dwells among us and within us is a truly universal reality, one which is timeless and without limitation and surpassing all boundaries, for even death itself cannot be a barrier to its living presence shared among all who bear witness.  This universal communion is present, and it is the light of Christ in which it dwells.  The Transfiguration is an experience of the source of life itself, so that these men -- and we ourselves -- will know Christ as the source of life, although He goes toward His suffering and death on the Cross.  It is at this stage that Jesus begins to warn them to prepare for this end to His worldly life, and teaches them to see the suffering He will endure as also that which the world has given to the prophets and John the Baptist before Him:  "And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."   The Transfiguration is a reminder of the truth of spiritual reality present to us, even as the worldly treat such truth with contempt and the violence that comes from that contempt.   The Transfiguration invites us, perhaps as no other event quite does in the same way, to think about the reality of this dynamic spiritual energy contained in the vibrance of an impossibly brilliant light, which is always with us and contained in all things, yet mysteriously hidden from our sight.  Our capacity to perceive this reality may be commensurate with our spiritual growth and understanding, in the sense that our angels are always with us, hoping to spur our growth so that we too, may see light in His light (Psalm 36:9; John 1:4).  It is when we are unaware that such a powerful truth and reality is always present with us, when our choices in our lives fail to at least heed an awareness of this possibility, that we enter into the contempt for the holy things expressed by the "worldly" -- that which is purely materially oriented.  The Messiah will not be a worldly king who will reign forever and provide for all material needs of his people.  Instead, He is the divine Son incarnate as human being, calling all of us, as did the prophets sent before Him, to Himself as Second Person of the Trinity, to the will of Our Father, to the work of the Holy Spirit in the world -- to all beings who enter into that work, the angels together with human beings.  In His light, the suffering of all who witness to this reality becomes transfigured as well, and we enter into the love of God with Him.  Let us understand the contempt of those who don't see, and the love of those formerly blind, who respond to His love and light and willingly endure that contempt.