He was transfigured before them

 

 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 wishes, as it is written of him."

 

- Mark 9:2–13 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus 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.  The phrase after six days can indicate a six day period in between the events in our previous reading (above), which would mean the Transfiguration took place on the eighth day following His teaching regarding the Cross.  The eighth day is associated with the eternal time of the kingdom of heaven, giving us a significance regarding this revelation of Christ's transfiguration before Peter, James, and John.  A high mountain is often a place of divine revelation in Scripture (Matthew 5:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 19:3, 23; Isaiah 2:3; 2 Peter 1:18).  

 

His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.   This event is what is called a theophany; that is, a manifestation of God.  In particular it expresses the divinity of Christ, through a display of what my study Bible calls His uncreated, divine energy.  The Transfiguration, which was celebrated yesterday across many denominations, is a major feast day.  Because God is light (1 John 1:5), my study Bible says, the brilliant light described coming from Jesus' person (and especially His clothes) demonstrates that Jesus is God.  In some icons this light is shown as beyond white, as a blue-white, ineffable color, indicating its spiritual origin.

 

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.   Moses and Elijah represent all that has come before, which points to Christ.  These two indicate Christ's lordship of His kingdom to come.  My study Bible says that Moses represents the law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and -- since he did not experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  It notes that their presence shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament.  The presence of Moses and Elijah is also a manifestation of the communion of the saints, which St. Paul calls "so great a cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1).  Note that both are immediately recognizable by the disciples, and that they speak with the Lord (regardless of which time period they lived earthly lives).  St. Peter, in his confusion, understands the manifestation of the presence of Christ's kingdom; my study Bible says he sees all of this as a sign that the Kingdom has come.  As he knows that the Feast of Tabernacles is the feast of the coming Kingdom, he asks to build tabernacles (also called tents or booths) as is done at that Feast, serving as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom. 

 

 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  The bright cloud recalls temple worship and the cloud that went before the Israelites in the wilderness, the visible sign of God being extraordinarily present (Exodus 13:21), while the voice of the Father bears witness to Christ as God's Son.  My study Bible asks us to note that God the Father does not say that Jesus has become His beloved Son, but "This is My beloved Son," which indicates that this divine glory showing to the disciples is Christ's by nature.  From eternity past, my study Bible comments, infinitely before Christ's Baptism and Transfiguration, Jesus is God's Son, fully sharing in the essence of the Father.  He is God of God, as the Creed declares.

 

  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.   Let us note that at this point the disciples are mystified at Christ's words, and do not understand 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 wishes, as it is written of him."  After their experience of the presence of Elijah and Moses, the disciples are now able to understand Christ's words that "Elijah has also come" as referring to St. John the Baptist.  Their eyes have now been opened, my study Bible says, to the fact that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5) refers to one coming "in the spirit and power of Elijah," as prophesied by the angel of the Lord to Zechariah in Luke 1:17, rather than to Elijah himself.  

 

 Today's reading asks us to see prophecy and the symbolic presence of images with the eyes of those who understand how to read Scripture, in the light of the understanding of what we might call the language of God.  This language is often given to us in the form of symbols, such as Moses and Elijah representing the law and the prophets.  In our very literal-minded modern tendencies, we would perhaps simply view this as a representation of these two people for their individual lives, but that is not the case.  Symbolic language is not literal, and it is the language of Scripture we must try to learn to perceive in order to perceive clearly what we're given in the Gospels.  The cloud that appears overhead, together with the voice of the Father, is more than simply a cloud and a voice -- they represent many things at once, such as the cloud that led the Israelites through the desert, which in turn was God's presence to Israel, with them.  When we recall that Jesus is also called Immanuel in the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14), meaning "God with us," it takes these repeated symbolic layers to a greater depth of meaning and understanding -- for all of these things are true at once, and meant to be understood in the fullness of these senses.  The bright light streaming from His person, His clothes, which became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them, are meant to tell us something, to reveal something to us.  As my study Bible notes, we are meant to recall that God is light (1 John 1:5; John 1:4-9), and therefore this transfiguration consisting of brilliant, unearthly light is meant to communicate to us Christ's divine reality and origin.  These work in a way akin to symbols in dreams and in visions; they communicate to us the deep things of God at levels of depth within ourselves corresponding not just to the intellect or emotions, but to our souls, for the reality of what we're given in Scripture is something stronger than what we know of our waking, surface life and memories -- they give us deeper and more transcendent meaning of realities that extend beyond what we can grasp easily in our conventional daily mindset.  They work similarly to poetry, with echoes of meaning, and perception that works in symbols and images, sometimes in ways we're not conscious of perceiving, but nonetheless remember and might later recall.  This is similar to the experiences of the disciples, who puzzle over Christ's sayings, but later recall after the Holy Spirit was given to them, and they begin to understand.  But, as my study Bible points out, these vivid images received by the disciples will stand them in good stead for the future, when the time of Christ's Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection comes.  Through this experience, they will be able to understand that He voluntarily goes where He goes, and knowledge of His divinity will remain with them.  The Transfiguration also gives us knowledge about the Kingdom, its eternal timelessness, its communion of saints viscerally present to us somehow, and its powerfully transfiguring holiness, which also work with us and in us in ways we don't see but can observe in its effects in our lives.  For this real meaning of Transfiguration, or Metamorphosis, is finally about Christ's effect upon us, the sacramental way we are to participate in His life, death, and Resurrection, the presence of the Kingdom with us and in our worship.  Let us come and receive His light (hymn from the Orthodox Matins of the Resurrection); and walk in the light while we have that light (John 12:35).  In this case, Christ's transfiguration reveals who He truly is, and only He can reveal to us who we truly are through His saving work.

 

 

 

 

This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!

 

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

 

- Luke 9:28-36 

 

In our readings from Tuesday, and Wednesday, we were given themes of the kingdom of God, in preparation for yesterday (Thursday) which was the celebration of the Feast of the Ascension (Matthew 28:16-20).  Today's reading takes up where Monday's left off, in which we read that, as Jesus was alone praying, His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  so they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."  And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and raised on the third day."  Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and In His Father's, and of the holy angels.  But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."

 

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.   Our reading today describes the event called the Transfiguration (in Greek, Μεταμόρφωσης/Metamorphosis) after the appearance-altering effect of the brilliant holy light seen by the disciples surrounding Jesus' person, His face, and His clothing, in which even His robe became white and glistening.  These three disciples form Jesus' inner core of His closest disciples, the ones referred to as the "pillars" by St. Paul), the ones whose faith was the strongest.  This event is a theophany, or a revelation of God.  Additionally, the communion of saints is revealed in the appearance of Moses and Elijah, known and recognized by the disciples in this experience.  Christ's decease (in Greek, ἔξοδος/exodus; literally, "departure") refers to His death.  My study Bible comments that Christ's death is intimately connected to the glory of the Transfiguration, for Christ is glorified through His death (John 12:23).  In the liturgical cycle of the Orthodox Church, my study Bible points out, the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6th) comes forty days before the feast of the Holy Cross (September 14th), showing the connection between Christ's glory and His Cross.  That the term exodus is used here in the text is an expression revealing Christ's Passion as a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover, and the true exodus from enslavement into salvation.  Additionally, this revelation of divine power confirms that Christ's upcoming death was not imposed on Him by outside forces, but is a voluntary offering of love.  My study Bible comments that no arresting soldier could withstand such glory if Christ had not consented (Matthew 26:53).  

 

 But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  Peter senses that the Kingdom is close at hand, and knowing that the Feast of Tabernacles is the feast of the coming Kingdom, he suggests building tabernacles for Christ, Moses, and Elijah as was done at that feast, to serve as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  Again, the glory of Christ is a revelation of the divine reality present.  My study Bible further notes that Moses represents the law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and -- as he didn't experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  Their presence, it says, shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament.  

 

 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.  Here, finally, the Holy Trinity is manifest here, as Christ is transfigured and revealed in the brilliant holy light, the Father speaks from heaven testifying to Christ's sonship, and the Spirit is revealed in the form of the dazzling light which surrounds Christ's person, and overshadows the whole mountain.  The bright cloud recalls temple worship and the cloud that went before the Israelites in the wilderness, the visible sign of God being extraordinarily present, as my study Bible notes.  

 

Everything about this extraordinary witness tells us about the presence of the Kingdom, even in our midst.  This transfiguration of Christ is, in fact, a revelation of a reality so deep that it is, in fact, timeless.  Our own experience of time doesn't apply to this experience of the disciples, for as we can read, Moses and Elijah, although living in completely different historical times both from one another and from Christ and the disciples, appear and are immediately recognizable.  All is present here at once, and the knowledge of each person is present to the others as well.   In this sense of a timeless eternal reality, it's understood that the Father's declaration, "This is My beloved Son," indicates that the divine glory witnessed by the disciples is Christ's by nature.  That is, as my study Bible puts it, from eternity past, infinitely before Jesus' Baptism and Transfiguration, He is God's Son, fully sharing in the essence of the Father.  As God is light (1 John 1:5), the bright cloud, the alteration of His appearance, and the white and glistening quality of His clothing, testify to the same.  Thus in the Creed of the Church we can say He is "Light from light, true God of true God."  It's these experiences and stories we're given that define the theology of the Church.  In the hands of the Church Fathers and Mothers, they became tools and prisms through which we have come to know and to understand Christ, and our faith, to the extent that we do.  This would include our understanding that so much of the reality of the kingdom of God is a mystery, and we approach through mystery and the sacraments.  Let us understand that what we're given -- what's revealed to us -- holds so much more than we know.  But it's given to us through the apostles and the life of Christ so that we may find our faith and seek to know and understand. 

 

 

 

This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!

 

 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.   The event described in today's reading is known as the Transfiguration.  In Greek, it is Metamorphosis/Μεταμόρφωσις.  It is a change of form revealing an inner reality, and clearly indicates the presence of God.  This is what is called a Theophany, or manifestation of God, and reveals the divinity of Christ.  The light which plays such a powerful role is a display of Christ's uncreated, divine energy (as it is understood in Orthodox theology), and this experience is made present, "shown forth" to the three disciples Jesus takes with Him up on this high mountain.  This light is expressed in Christ's shining clothes, which are exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.  See 1 John 1:5.

 

And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.   Here in the appearance of Elijah and Moses, talking with Jesus, make clear the presence of the kingdom of God, and most especially the communion of saints (Hebrews 12:1).  That the disciples can recognize them immediately also gives us to understand the presence of this communion which has no limit of time nor barrier to understanding.  My study Bible says that Moses represents the law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and -- as Elijah did not himself experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  So, therefore, my study Bible says, their presence shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament.  

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.   Because of all the visible signs of God being extraordinarily present, Peter associates what is happening with the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of the coming Kingdom.  It commemorates the time when Israel wandered toward the promised land and lived in tents, or tabernacles.  So, He suggests to build tabernacles as at the time of the feast, symbolizing God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  It's quite notable that once again, we view Peter's impulsive nature in that he feels prompted to speak, and that all three disciples were greatly afraid.  But what he says tells us that he is grasping the significance of what is happening.  

 

 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"   Here is the completion of the Theophany.  It is the manifestation of the Holy Trinity in the Father's voice, the declaration that Christ is the beloved Son, and the radiant cloud overshadowing the mountain and dazzling light surrounding Christ's person reveal the presence of the Spirit. 

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."  When the disciples witnessed and recognized Moses and Elijah talking with the Lord, it prepared them to understand Christ's words here that Elijah has already come.  Because of what they have seen they know this refers to John the Baptist. My study Bible says that their eyes have become opened to the fact that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6) refers to one coming "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17), rather than to Elijah himself.

According to Strong's definitions, the Greek verb that describes what happens to Christ in today's reading (metamorphose) is structured as follows:  "from  /metá, 'change after being with' and /morphóō, 'changing form in keeping with inner reality' – properly, transformed after being with; transfigured."  We note the nuance in the explanation "transformed after being with."  This is important because it teaches us what it means for us to truly imitate Christ, and why the Transfiguration has significance for each of us.  Certainly it reveals the realities of Christ and the realities of the Kingdom that are necessary for us to understand and even to experience over time as part of our faith.  But there is a deeper element to the Transfiguration in its meanings for each of the faithful.  For we are also meant to be transformed, or transfigured, into our true nature through time and through the exercise of our faith.  That is, our own faith in Christ is meant to produce a transfiguring growth in us through time and through our lives, in which our own true nature is revealed as a child of God by adoption.  This is also understood as "true self" in the sense of who we are in the image of Christ that is created for us.  "Being with" Christ, praying to Our Father, in the Holy Spirit, we are transformed through faith.  Moreover, in the saints of the Church who have themselves been transfigured in this sense we also see the revelation of who they are in Christ, and this is why they are understood to dwell in holiness as is meant by the word "saint."  To recognize the communion of saints in today's reading is to understand how we, also, can dwell in this Kingdom even in our worldly lives, and be touched by that experience to reveal something truer and deeper within us.  Moreover, we're meant to grapple with the things we find within that stand in the way of that true self and its revelation, to discard the stumbling blocks, false beliefs, and misguided desires we have that would obscure and hinder that process.  This is part of the understanding of the practices of Lent and the traditional emphasis on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  We learn to give of ourselves, to give up things that we're better off without, and to seek the true light that Christ shines for us within and live that life He offers.  Sometimes this is more difficult than one thinks, when friends and acquaintances, or even loved ones, are used to the person who needs to change and find that change unacceptable or difficult.  Sometimes the things we're called to which reflect a deeper understanding of love or grace than we previously had seem odd to people who have different assumptions, or live by more worldly cultural values than the ones we're led to in faith.  Our own lives may even seem somewhat strange to us, when we let go of goals which no longer seem truly worthy of all of the effort we put into them, and seek less tangible goals instead.  The wisdom of valuing things more subtle than previously understood is not always obvious to others, or even those close to us.  The greatest example of all is Christ, whose suffering was in itself transfiguring to the world.  In fact, in Christ the Passion transfigured suffering itself into something having deep meaning and purpose.  The greatest symbol of transfiguration is the Cross, which was the most dreadful punishment of the Roman Empire, but was used to defeat the "prince of this world," and to usher in this period of the end time in which we live and await the judgment.  The coming of the Holy Spirit brings to us all this gift of transfiguration in God's grace, supplying us with inspiration and hope, strength and joy, and the courage necessary to participate in this process and in the life of Christ for the world.  So let us think about transfiguration, and the dynamic power of this light through which we are called to find out who we are as well.  For it is there with the saints in the kingdom, with Christ at the Cross in His true glory, where we may find our own way to participate for the life of the world. 

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening

 

Transfiguration Icon, late 16th century - St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

 

- Luke 9:28-36 

 

On Wednesday we read that, as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."  So He said to them, "When you pray, say:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us day by day our daily bread.  And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.  So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

 

  Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  The first hint we have that something very important is happening here is the reference to eight days.  Eight is an important number, and since this is in the context of days, it gives us another important reference.  At the Feast of Tabernacles (which makes its appearance in another reference further along in today's reading), the eighth day was the last, great day of the feast (John 7:37).  This was also known as the Feast of the Coming Kingdom, and so here we have a hint about what is manifesting for these apostles on the mountain.  In Christian tradition, and specifically because of the Resurrection, Sunday is known not only as the first day of the week for our worship, but it is also called the "eighth day," which my study Bible says symbolizes eternity, a day without end.  If seven is a number of completeness, eight is that step beyond.  To go up on the mountain is symbolic of a holy place, a place closer to God.

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  Here we begin to understand something truly special is happening, for this is the story of what is called the Transfiguration, a major feast day in the Church.  This alteration of Christ's face, and particularly the white and glistening quality of His entire appearance, makes this moment a theophany.  Theophany means a manifestation of God, and in particular here, what is revealed is a display of Christ's uncreated, divine energy.  Because God is light (1 John 1:5), there are several elements which combine in the reading to convey that Jesus is God.  Here, in particular, the white and glistening quality of the light emanating from Christ's person.  Matthew reports that Christ's face "shone like the sun" (Matthew 17:2).  In some icons of the Transfiguration, this light is shown as beyond white, a bluish-white, ineffable color, indicating its spiritual origin.  In Greek, the word for transfiguration is metamorphosis/μεταμορφωσις.

And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.   My study Bible says that Moses represents the law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and -- since he did not experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  My study Bible comments that their presence here shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament.  Moreover, it is noted here that what is translated as Christ's decease is in Greek exodus/ἔξοδος, which literally means "departure."  My study Bible adds that Christ's death is intimately connected to the glory of the Transfiguration, as Christ is glorified through His death (John 12:23).  This term, exodus, reveals that Christ's Passion is a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover and is the true exodus from enslavement into salvation.  Also, it adds, that this revelation of divine power also confirms Christ's upcoming death was not imposed on Him by outside forces, but was a voluntary offering of love, as no arresting soldier could have withstood such glory if He had not consented (Matthew 26:53).

But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  My study Bible notes the words of an Orthodox festal hymn of the Transfiguration:  "Your disciples beheld Your glory as far as they could bear it, so that when they saw You crucified, they would understand that Your suffering was voluntary."

 Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said. Here is another reference to the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of the Coming Kingdom, in which the time Israel wandered toward the Promised Land and dwelt in tents, or tabernacles was commemorated.  My study Bible says that Peter sees what is happening as a sign that the Kingdom has come, and in this sense, he asks to build booths as was done at that feast, to serve as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  Some also suggest that Peter knows he is witnessing what might be called a "divine council" meeting, and so the presence of the gathering tents is a natural association for his time and place.  Additionally, the presence of Moses and Elijah here manifest the communion of the saints (Hebrews 12:1).  Both are immediately recognizable and they talk with the Lord.  Now, my study Bible says, the disciples are able to understand Jesus' words that "Elijah has come already" (Matthew 17:2) referring to John the Baptist.  It notes that their eyes have been opened to the fact that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6) refers to one coming "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17), rather than to Elijah himself.

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.  Finally, what truly makes this event a theophany is the manifestation of the Holy Trinity:  Christ is transfigured, the Father speaks from heaven testifying to Christ's divine sonship here, and the Holy Spirit is present in the form of a dazzling light which surrounds Christ's person, overshadowing the whole mountain. 

When we think of the Transfiguration, we think of this dazzling white light.  To remind us, my study Bible says it is beyond white, symbolizing its divine, heavenly origin.  White light might be something to ponder, because when we think of earthly white light, we get an interesting phenomenon.  Truly white light is in some sense "misleading."  This is because while the color white in a material sense may reflect the absence of all color as in a bleached garment, reflected light is different.  White light is actually composed of every color in the spectrum, while darkness is the absence of light.  So if we consider that Christ is here reflecting not simply "all things" in the spectrum of worldly light, but even more beyond that, heavenly light in origin, then we truly have the Christ.  That is, another manifestation here of the Incarnation, both divine and human (that is, both divine in origin and also earthly in origin).  So we could think of the Transfiguration as completing this revelation of Christ's identity also in this dual sense of the light.  Moreover, if white light reflects a whole spectrum of worldly light, then Christ's transfiguring "beyond white" divine light transfigures all of our worldly realities and experiences, and that is what He -- in the Incarnation -- is also here to bring to us.  It is even what He will bring to His Passion and Crucifixion, transfiguring the Cross with the same light so that it becomes the symbol of salvation and Resurrection that we know.  In this sense, the Cross is the truly transfiguring symbol we have, for it tells us that all things, and even death, are transfigured in Christ and in the power of Christ, and this transfiguring power is offered to each of us.  If we can think of that in this sense when we read Christ's words that we are to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23), then we will understand more clearly the power that is conveyed in that cross, for we are meant also to be transfigured as followers of Christ, as participants in God's grace and Kingdom, even as we live through whatever struggles and experiences we have in this world.  The icon above is from St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai, home to what is considered the Burning Bush in Moses' vision (Exodus 3).  If we remember that for the ancient world, fire was the source of light besides the sun, we begin to perceive the ties between the Burning Bush of Moses, and the Mount of Transfiguration.  The energies of God are present in both places, both on the holy mountain, and both with Moses as witness to the testimony of God, to theophany in both Old and New Testaments.  Let us consider the mystery, the fullness of revelation, and the Resurrection to come in this light.

 

 

 

He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light

 

 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

 

- Matthew 17:1-13 

 

Yesterday we read that from the time of Peter's confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone 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 will find it.  For what profit is it to 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 the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.  Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

 

 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves . . .  My study Bible comments that a high mountain is often a place of divine revelation in Scripture (Matthew 5:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 19:3, 23; Isaiah 2:3; 2 Peter 1:18).

. . . and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  The events in today's reading describe what is called the Transfiguration (ιn Greek, Μεταμορφωσις/Metamorphosis.)   This event is what is called a theophany in Greek, a manifestation of God, especially the divinity of Christ, through what is a display of God's uncreated, divine energy.  This is a major feast day in the Church.  My study Bible explains various elements of this event which describe or make explicit that Christ is Messiah and God.  First of all, because God is light (1 John 1:5), the shining light radiating from His face which shone like the sun, the brilliant white light of His clothing, and other elements of light in today's passage, such as the bright cloud in verse 5, demonstrate that Jesus is God. In many icons, my study Bible points out, this light is shown as beyond white, given a blue-white tinge, an ineffable color which indicates its spiritual origin.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  My study Bible says that Moses represents the law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and -- since he did not experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  Their presence shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, who is the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament.  The presence of Moses and Elijah also manifest the communion of the saints of which St. Paul speaks in Hebrews 12:1.  Both are immediately recognizable and they speak with Christ.  

Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  Knowing that the Feast of Tabernacles is the feast of the coming Kingdom, Peter asks to build booths (tents, or tabernacles) which was done at that feast, commemorating the time Israel wandered toward the Promised Land, and which symbolize God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"   The Father bears witness from heaven concerning Christ the Son.  He doesn't say, that Jesus has become His beloved Son, but rather "This is My beloved Son."  It is a revelation that the divine glory on display in the various images of light is Christ's by nature.  From eternity past, my study Bible says, infinitely before Christ's Baptism and Transfiguration, Jesus is God's Son, fully sharing in the essence of the Father:  Jesus Christ is God of God (as the Creed states).  Moreover, the bright cloud recalls the temple worship and the cloud that went before the Israelites in the wilderness, a visible sign of God being extraordinarily present.  Peter's response, to build three tabernacles, comes as he sees this as a sign that the Kingdom has come.  Finally, this is a true theophany in the manifestation of the Holy Trinity:  Christ is Transfigured, the Father speaks from heaven in testimony to Jesus' divine sonship, and the Spirit is present in the dazzling light which surrounds Christ's person, and overshadows the whole mountain in the bright cloud.

And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.  Because of the revelation of the communion of the saints and their capacity to know and recognize Moses and Elijah, the disciples now can understand Christ's words that "Elijah has come already" as referring to John the Baptist.  My study Bible says that their eyes have been opened to the fact that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6) refers to one coming "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17), rather than to Elijah himself.  

 

 In today's reading we might contrast two important concepts of our faith.  The Transfiguration is called a "theophany," meaning a manifestation of God.  We might think of this as a revelation, but the word for revelation is "apocalypse" (ἀποκάλυψις).  In the Greek, that means to uncover something, to reveal something.  But Christ's Transfiguration reveals not by unveiling but by manifesting something, by showing forth something, by presenting us with signs and symbols of His identity; specifically, of His divinity.  The things that manifest here are the various forms of light which is an expression of God, the true uncreated light that is God (1 John 1:5, as referenced by my study Bible).  Included in this is the bright cloud that overshadows everything, such as it did when Israel wandered in the wilderness.  Moreover, there is the voice of the Father identifying the reality that Jesus is the Son.  All of these things are signs, manifestations of a reality that was always true and always present, but showing forth on this occasion to the apostles in ways they can understand.  Even the presence of Moses and Elijah, and the discussion between them and Jesus, although they all come from different periods of time in an earthly sense, is a manifestation of the communion of saints, always present to us in Christ.  These things reveal by showing forth, by manifesting.  Jesus' Transfiguration, as with all things in the story of Christ, is also meant for us to understand something about ourselves and about our faith.  As we each bear an image of Christ, so faith is meant also to transfigure us.  Christ asks us to bear fruit -- to bear the good fruit of His vine, which is built upon faith (see John 5:1-16).  In this sense, our own "transfiguration" comes through the bearing of this fruit, the signs that Christ is present with us and within us, the things that we do or manifest which give glory to God, the true products of our faith (Matthew 5:16).  One of the properties of God which is frequently overlooked (often in the West) is beauty.  We understand qualities of God to include Beauty, Truth, and Goodness, and beauty can be a manifestation of God.  What do we beautify?  A beautiful gesture is one of loving care and compassion which we extend to others, no matter how small the occasion nor how much it goes unnoticed by others (Matthew 10:42).  An act of beauty can be an act of kindness, a smile or a good word that encourages.  To clean up garbage from a property and rehabilitate it, showing forth a manifestation of the joy of the beauty that God brings us in what we can see might be one more sign of our faith, God's presence with us encouraging us to delight in what God provides that is beautiful, such as good order, or a garden, or helping to care for a child or an elderly person in their home.  All of these things can be the fruits we manifest through our own transfiguration in faith through Christ, and Christ's kingdom and the Spirit dwelling within us.  St. Paul writes, " But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).  These are manifestations of our own transfiguration in the faith of Christ; they "show forth" fruits that are borne of the Spirit, and they glorify God in showing the world what our faith and what we faithful are all about.  These create beauty in the world; they manifest beauty and show it forth, they add to creation in the Spirit of the Creator that works through us in faith.  Let us consider what we show forth, how we glorify God, what our own transfiguration in His image is meant to be all about.  

 

 

 

 

His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them

 

Icon of the Transfiguration/Metamorphosis

 

 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.   Jesus' radiance is a sign of divine light, which includes in its reality wisdom, truth, goodness, and beauty.  This light is also a sign of His identity as Logos (written extensively in the language in John's Gospel; see for example John 1:1-5).  This color of Christ's clothes, described as shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them is often portrayed in icons with a blue tinge, indicating it is an ineffable hue, normally not discernible to human beings, beyond white, and hence of spiritual nature.   It would not be amiss to remember that white light is a combination of the whole known color spectrum of light, and that this light goes beyond the spectrum we know to include that which we don't commonly know and cannot perceive.  This is a sign that what these disciples witness is a theophany, or manifestation of God, through a display of Christ's uncreated, divine energy. 

And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.   The presence of Moses and Elijah is representative of the Law and the Prophets, respectively.  My study bible says that Moses not only represents the Law but also all those who have died.  Elijah did not experience death (2 Kings 2:11), and so represents all those who are alive in Christ.   Their presence therefore shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament, the Messiah.  

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.   It is noted here that Moses and Elijah are immediately recognizable to Peter, therefore an indication of the communion of the saints (Hebrews 12:1).   Both speak with Christ, showing that normal boundaries of time and space are not present in this communion.  Peter's confused and stunned statement is not as disjointed as we might think, as he innately understands the presence of the Kingdom.  The Feast of Tabernacles, commemorating the time when Israel wandered searching for the Promised Land is known as the Feast of the Coming Kingdom.  A tabernacle is a tent, symbol of temporary dwellings of the people and the tabernacle of the Lord at that time.  My study bible calls these structures symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.

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.  These actions describe a theophany, a manifestation of the Holy Trinity.  The Father bears witness concerning the Son, and the statement is an expression of the timeless reality of Christ as Son.  My study bible suggests that this event not only proclaims Christ's divine sonship, but also foreshadows His future glory when, as the Messiah, He will usher in the long-awaited Kingdom.  The bright cloud recalls the temple worship and the cloud going before the Israelites in the wilderness, as the visible sign of God being extraordinarily present.  The Father speaks, Jesus is revealed as Son, and the Spirit is present in the form of dazzling light which surrounds Christ's person, and overshadows the whole mountain.   And seemingly just as suddenly, this manifestation is gone.

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."  My study bible makes note that the disciples, having witnessed Moses and Elijah speaking with Christ, can now understand Jesus' words that "Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him" as a reference to John the Baptist.  It says that their eyes have been opened to the fact that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6) refers to one coming "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17), rather than to Elijah himself. 

If our lives as Christians are meant to live "in Christ" and to participate in that life, then how does the Transfiguration apply to us?  How are we to live this exalted moment of Christ's true glory manifesting to the disciples?  In Greek, the word for this Transfiguration is Metamorphosis.  Jesus' sudden change in appearance to the disciples is a manifestation of the truth about Him, the true inner nature of Christ and at the same time the reality of the Kingdom.  And this is our life in Christ, our life in the ongoing action of worship and prayer and the practices that the Church has set down for the care of our souls, that our true nature be manifest through it and the synergy of grace at work.  Our "true image" is in the One who has created us, and whose truth sets us free to become that true self.   The Greek word "metamorphosis" indicates a change that is a result of "being with" (meta-), and changing form in keeping with an inner reality (morpho).   Therefore it is a manifestation of true inner reality or identity, but happening for us through some form of agency or action, with which we cooperate or accept at a very deep level of the heart.   At times, it seems to me, I am not even aware of the deep level of the soul at which this "yes" to grace takes place.  Like the butterfly which matures out of the chrysalis, our own nature evolves out of this action of transfiguration which is possible through our faith in Christ, the communion which we enter via faith.  It is a divinely mysterious reality that our prayer can build, something that happens when we are truly touched by our faith and grow in it.  It is the same sense in which we may become carriers of that Kingdom within us and into the world.  When we overlook this event, or fail to grasp its meaning, we might choose to think that somehow our faith in Christ is simply akin to a set of values or principles, a philosophy which we work out to the best of our abilities and intellectually claim to represent His word.  But the Transfiguration defies all of that realm of the pure intellect, and puts us within an entirely different kind of framework for our faith.  This is a framework that is all-inclusive, and not only includes the intellect and the rational process and information we already have in our own minds, but puts us in the realm of the unknown, of participation in the life of Christ, of the divine, with all its attendant spiritual help and energies and reality.  That this Transfiguration event manifests to the disciples the communion of saints, the timeless eternity of the Kingdom and its presence to us in full, as well as the Trinity itself, teaches us that to walk in the light of Christ is far more than to symbolically take communion or consider His teachings as moral dicta.  We enter into the unknown, and its energies and grace slowly reveal to us, through a mysterious process, the equally mysterious reality of who we are through time, and through our lives in faith.  The early Church understood this right from the beginning, our earliest theologians proclaimed it so from the start.  Our is a mystical reality that permeates the known cosmos, right down to the details of our inner life of the heart in the present moment, the blades of grass, the very hairs of our head, and the small sparrows.  It is all at once, a reality that expands far beyond anything that we know, and down to the unknown details of life at our fingertips and below the line of our sight.  Through the mystical life of the Church, through our ongoing prayer and worship, all is included in the loving embrace of God.  The real question is whether or not we can, through faith, accept it, and move on into its embrace, giving up the things we cling to that keep us outside of where it would lead.  This event, the Transfiguration, is all about what they the disciples, or you or me, or anyone else might be missing when we think we have it all within our grasp and the construction of our limited sight and knowledge.  God would lead us to something much grander, beyond what it is we think we know now, into a place of sharing God's vision in God's love for us.  And this is what Christ came into this world to do for us.

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

- Luke 9:28-36

Yesterday we read the final passage in Matthew's Gospel, in commemoration of Ascension Day in the West (which will be celebrated on June 6th in the Eastern Orthodox Church).  After Christ's appearance to the women at the tomb (Matthew 28:1-10), the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  Today's reading follows in sequence the reading from Monday (see Who do you say that I am?).  In that reading, the disciples made their confession of faith (through Peter) that He is the Christ, and Jesus also revealed to them His suffering that is to come, and spoke of each one who would be His follower taking up his or her own cross daily.  Eight days is symbolic of what is called the "eighth day"; that is, the day of the Lord's Kingdom, the day we commemorate His Resurrection.  In the early Church, Sunday was frequently referred to as the "eighth day."

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  God is light (1 John 1:5), and the presence of an extraordinary light permeated this transfiguration experience is a sign of the presence of God, and a revelation that Jesus Himself is God.

And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets, and also the communion of saints.  (Note that they are immediately known to the disciples without any apparent communication.)  Moreover, Moses represents all those who have died, while Elijah, who did not experience death, represents those who are alive in Christ.  Jesus' decease (which is literally the word exodus, meaning "departure" in the original Greek) refers to His death, which He has just predicted to His disciples (see Monday's reading).  My study bible says that Christ's death is intimately connected to the glory of the Transfiguration, for Christ is glorified through His death (John 12:23).  It adds that the Greek term exodus reveals that Christ's Passion is a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover, and is the true exodus from enslavement into salvation.

But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  Peter's slightly inchoate response to what he was witnessing makes sense in terms of the associations he has made between his perception of the presence of the Kingdom and the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the feast of the coming Kingdom, during which Israel's time in the wilderness was commemorated, when the people dwelt in tents (or tabernacles) and the Lord's presence went with them in the tabernacle of worship.  The tabernacles at the feast serve as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  Note again the presence of glory; light pervades this whole experience upon the mountain.

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.  This is a manifestation of the Trinity, or what is known as a theophany.  Christ is transfigured and revealed as divine and beloved Son, the Father speaks from heaven, testifying to Jesus' identity, and the Spirit is present in the form of the cloud and the dazzling light which surrounds Christ and overshadows the whole mountain.  When the voice had ceased, Jesus is found alone, just as He appears in worldly form.  But these disciples will not forget what has been revealed to them here.

It's interesting to think about the small, closed circle of disciples to which the Transfiguration (Metamorphosis in Greek) has been revealed, and the eventual revelation to all of this event.  In going up to the mountain in the first place, Jesus takes only His closest circle of disciples, Peter, John, and James.  These are the disciples with the strongest faith, the same ones He took with Him for the resurrection of Jairus' daughter at a time when all others were ridiculing Him because she was dead (see this reading).  It reminds us of Jesus' teaching, given in quite another context (as a warning to His disciples against hypocrisy) that "there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops" (12:2-3).  In that case, Jesus was warning the disciples against the "leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."  But the same saying applies to that which is revealed in today's reading of the Transfiguration:  the mysteries of the Kingdom may be initially revealed to very few, but what is given is the truth which is eventually revealed to all, and for all in the edification of the Church.  In his second Epistle, St. Peter writes about the revelation in today's reading, saying, "We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."   In the "light" of today's reading, we are also reminded of the shepherds of Bethlehem in Luke's second chapter, and the appearance to them of an angel of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord that shone all around them, and the good tidings of great joy for all people given to them (see Luke 2:8-20).  What is given by the Spirit finds its way for the illumination of all, and the help of the whole of the body of the faithful, past, present, and future.  In this we should take great heart and great hope, because the light that shines for one who may be truly illumined by God is meant for all those faithful who will profit by it, and with whom it may be shared.  In this we take our own glory and understanding, for we also are in turn so gifted.  Let us rejoice (as the shepherds were told) in this light that shines in a dark place, as St. Peter puts it, the light that we are promised and given today through the revelation of Transfiguration.  It is given to us all, and we who follow as disciples also seek in this example our own transfiguration, or metamorphosis, in His light.  So may we all find ourselves and our true identities in His way.

And He was transfigured before them

 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

- Matthew 17:1-13

In yesterday's reading, we were told that from that time (after Peter's confession of faith, and Jesus' affirmation that He is the Christ, or the Messiah), Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone 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 will find it.  For what profit is it to 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 the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.  Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves . . .  My study bible lets us know that a high mountain is often a place of divine revelation in Scripture (5:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 19:3, 23; Isaiah 2:3; 2 Peter 1:18). 

. . . and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.   My study bible has several important comments here which I will endeavor to share.  First of all, the Transfiguration is considered a theophany, which means a "manifestation of God" -- especially of the divinity of Christ, through a display of "uncreated, divine energy."  For the Eastern Christians it is a major feast day.  My study bible says, "Because God is light (John 1:5), the bright cloud, the shining of Jesus' face like the sun, and the whiteness of His garment, all demonstrate that Jesus is God."  There are many icons that show this light as beyond white, represented as a blue-white, meant to express something indiscernible by us, a light that is so much more than the light we understand that it is beyond our capacity to fully perceive, showing its spiritual origin.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  My study bible says that Moses represents "the law and all those who have died, and Elijah represents the prophets and -- since he did not experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  Their presence shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament."  The presence of Moses and Elijah also testify to the reality of the communion of saints, present in the great presence of Christ, in whom all live.  My study bible points out that both of them are immediately recognizable to the disciples, and that they talk with the Lord. 

Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them . . .  My study bible says that this bright cloud is a sign that recalls temple worship and the cloud that went before the Israelites in the wilderness, "the visible sign of God being extraordinarily present.  Peter sees this as a sign that the Kingdom has come.  Knowing that the Feast of Tabernacles is the feast of the coming Kingdom, he asks to build booths, as was done at that feast, to serve as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom."

. . . and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  My study bible tells us that "the Father bears witness from heaven concerning His Son.  He does not say, 'This has become My beloved Son,' but 'This is My beloved Son', indicating that this divine glory is Christ's by nature.  From eternity past, infinitely before Jesus' Baptist and Transfiguration, He is God's Son, fully sharing in the essence of the Father:  Jesus Christ is God of God."

And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.  Because of the presence of Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration, the disciples are now able to grasp what Jesus teaches here about the return of Elijah and prophecy regarding the coming of the Messiah.  My study bible says that "their eyes have been opened to the fact that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6) refers to one coming 'in the spirit and power of Elijah' (Luke 1:17), rather than Elijah himself."

The Transfiguration of Jesus, coming so soon after His revelation as Christ, and His warning that He is to be made to suffer, and be killed, and to be raised on the third day, gives us not only an idea of His true origin and identity as Christ, but also a sense of how we are to understand our own world and our own lives.  In fact, if we take seriously our spiritual relationship to Him, we begin to see things more clearly as not static, not engraved in stone, so to speak, as we perceive things around us, but living and rooted in the great reality that is far beyond us, which comes into the world to intersect our lives and to make us into something beyond what we know.  Even the understanding that Elijah would not literally return in the flesh, but rather Elijah's spirit is present in John the Baptist, gives us a hint, a suggestion, of the new reality into which we step when we understand the things of the Kingdom that Jesus is bringing into the world.  This is a Transfiguration of light, a light that is beyond anything we know, something so full because it is heavenly or spiritual in origin (as in the phrase "heaven and earth are full of your glory") , that we can't have the ability or the faculty to perceive it.  But the Transfiguration is in a central place in the Gospels.  It teaches us that all around ourselves, in ways we can't perceive, the Kingdom of heaven intersects our lives, our world, even our time and space, with a kind of light that is truly filling everything.  This is something so full of life and light that we can't really perceive all there is in this fullness, and yet, we are invited into it, to dwell in it with Him, to receive the abundance of meaning and revelation it will offer us, in our capacity to grasp what we can of spiritual things as they are revealed or manifested to us.  And, of course, the coming of the Spirit would mean this opening up of deeper capacities to perceive, and to grow.  In this sense, the Transfiguration not only shows us who Christ truly is, and gives us a sense of the divine origin that is before and within all things, for an eternity beyond our understanding, but it is a roadmap for our own journey into faith, a roadmap of what it is to find ourselves in Christ and to grow in His light, so that we may become His children, and grow in the fullness of what that might mean.   The word for Transfiguration in the Greek is "metamorphosis."  Let us consider carefully all that this means to us.