Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness

Baptism of Christ, 15th cent. from Kythera;  Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens, Greece 

 

 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he allowed Him.  

 

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

 

- Matthew 3:13-17 

 

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"  For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'"  Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.  Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.   But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 

 

  Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he allowed Him.  My study Bible comments that Jesus does not need purification.  He makes the purification of humanity His own, and thereby washes away humanity's sin, grants regeneration, and reveals the mystery of the Holy Trinity.  So, therefore, Christ's baptism was necessary for the fulfillment of God's righteous plan of salvation.  St. Gregory of Nyssa comments, "Jesus enters the filthy, sinful waters of the world and when He comes out, brings up and purifies the entire world with Him."

 

 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  My study Bible says that the Spirit of God hovered over the water at the first creation (Genesis 1:2).  Now, the Holy Spirit comes in the form of a dove in order to anoint the Messiah, the Son of God, at this beginning of the new creation.  Jesus does not become the Son of God here on this day.  What is happening is that He is revealed to all as the Son of God at this occasion.  The Holy Spirit has always rested on Christ.  The feast day of Epiphany (meaning manifestation or revelation) or Theophany (meaning a manifestation of God), is celebrated on January 6th.  In the Eastern Churches it commemorates this occasion.  In the most ancient practices of the Church, Theophany and Nativity (Christmas) were celebrated together on January 6th; in the Armenian Apostolic Church, this practice is maintained today.

 

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."   This quotation is from Psalm 2:7, "You are My Son, / Today I have begotten You."  My study Bible asks us to note how the Baptism of Jesus reveals the great mystery of the Trinity -- the Father speaks; the Holy Spirit descends; the Incarnate Son is baptized.  

 

In a particular sense, we can think of the occasion of Christ's Baptism as an icon, and it is among other things an icon of the Holy Trinity.  There is the voice of the Father, identifying Christ as God's Son, and the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God) descending like a dove, all together, and declaring the tripartite God; that is, one God in three divine Persons.  This great mystery is revealed in this "icon" of Baptism, in which God has chosen to manifest God's realities for us human beings.  This greater revelation of God comes as Jesus encourages John the Baptist to baptize Him in order to fulfill all righteousness.  So here, at this very beginning of Christ's ministry, we are immediately offered a manifestation of God, the Holy Trinity.  That is, a revelation of God in an expanded sense.  While in second temple literature in the Jewish tradition, from the centuries just immediately prior to the coming of Christ, there existed opinions that there might be more Persons of God than One, here that is confirmed and expanded.  So this beginning of Christ's public ministry both reveals God in greater fullness than was known before, and at the same time inaugurates His preaching and teaching mission.  It's a way that we understand that He is the One who is Sent among us, as the Beloved Son.  So even as Christ is fulfilling all righteousness by being baptized by John the Baptist, the fruits of ministry have begun, and humanity is enlightened into an understanding of God in a fuller way than before.  As Christ's ministry unfolds, He will teach us that to see Him is to see the Father, and we will also witness the effects of the Spirit, even as Christ's ministry prepares us for Pentecost.  Let us take a moment to think of these gifts given to us, this illumination brought by Christ who is Sent, and manifest to us through the Holy Spirit, and be grateful for what we have been given, for even in this moment, the world is transformed and Christ's gifts and effects continue among us.  Christ is placed in the waters of Baptism, sanctifying the waters of the world for Holy Baptism to come, transfiguring what we know of God, giving us gifts that will continue to give and will not stop coming.  Let us not be dismayed by the evil that works in the world, for we know that He has come to enlist us in the fight for this world, and all that He does is for us.  Let us be blessed with this knowledge, this revelation, and with the gifts of the Spirit that continue to bless us, including baptism, holy water, our prayers, and all the sacraments and mysteries this moment offers and opens up for the Church to come.  Let us learn from this icon of the Holy Trinity that where One Person of the Trinity is present, so there are all Three among us, with Christ who brings us this depth of connection to God.  For the whole world is blessed as sacrament from this moment fulfilling all righteousness.

 

 

 

 

 

I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes

 

 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

 

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

 

- Luke 10:17–24 

 

Yesterday we read that, having begun His long journey toward Jerusalem, the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.   But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."   Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."

 

  Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  My study Bible comments that "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" is a description of an event that took place before the creation of the world. It notes that five times Satan set his will against God (Isaiah 14:12-15; see also Revelation 12:7-12).  

 

 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."  My study Bible defines babes as people of simple faith and open hearts (see Luke 18:15-17).  These are those who now see the things which many prophets and kings have desired to see, and have not seen it, and to hear what they hear, and have not heard it.  

 

What does it mean to reveal the things of God?  To have the things revealed to us that Christ reveals to us?  Here He makes it clear that there is none who knows the Father except the Son -- and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.  This is the reality of the revelation of our faith.  It is not understood from theories or fanciful notions about how the world should work.  Ultimately, the "all things" that are give to Christ by the Father are revealed to human beings to whom Christ wishes to reveal them.  It's an important distinction, because it reveals reality that exists in places you or I can't know and don't experience in the fullness of that reality.  Certainly visions have been given to prophets throughout the spiritual history we read of in the Bible, such as the vision of the prophet Isaiah cited above (Isaiah 14:12-15), and of course the Revelation of the New Testament Scriptures.  These are the ways that things have been revealed to us, and it's important that we understand this process.  For what we have been given is a gift, a priceless gift for each of us.  St. Irenaeus of Lyon (125-220 AD) writes:  "True knowledge is the teaching of the Apostles, the order of the Church as established from the earliest times throughout the world, and the distinctive stamp of the body of Christ, passed down through the succession of bishops in charge of the church in each place . . ."   Ultimately, we also have the Holy Spirit given to us, alive and well and at work in our world and in ourselves, and that gift is what will be celebrated this coming Sunday, the feast of Pentecost (see Acts 2).  While theology is essential to our understanding, and great saints and visionaries have helped us to understand God through their capability in their education and also in the holiness of the love of God and certainly through prayer, our foundation is in these revealed realities given to us as a gift from God.  When Christ praises and thanks God the Father for hiding these things from the wise and prudent, and revealing them to babes, He is glorifying for us this process in which we are to understand further that God does not work on worldly terms, but on God's terms, and that this gift of what is revealed is given to all of us.  So there are none left out of the great salvation plan of God, in the Son's revelation of God to the world.  The visions inspired and given by the Holy Spirit are also those things that reveal the things of God to us, such as the vision of St. Stephen which he revealed even as he was stoned for doing so.   This is told explicitly to us in Acts 7:55-56:  "But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, 'Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!'"  See Acts 7 for his entire testimony before the Sanhedrin.  These things are important for us to understand, for they give us our foundation upon which the Church and our faith is built.  All that we do, every sacrament, every element of worship and prayer, is informed through revelation -- and shaped through Christ's revelation of the Father to the apostles in order to be given to us.  Let us stand on that foundation and receive Him and His word, and the great gift and blessings of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, "See here!" or "See there!" For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you

 

Christ Pantocrator (Almighty) icon, 6th century.  St. Catherine's monastery, Sinai, Egypt

 

 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  

 

Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

 

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  

 

"In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left.  And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

 

- Luke 17:20–37 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."

 

 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."    My study Bible explains that the kingdom of God is a spiritual reality present within the Christian believer and within the community of the Church.  Within you can also be translated "among you" or "in your midst."  The varied shades of meaning in the words of the Gospel are important; they are to be held and considered at the same time.  

Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."    The coming of Christ will not be something that is hidden, or divulged only to a few.  It will be as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven; that is, it will be known to all immediately.  But first Christ's Passion must take place, His suffering and rejection on the Cross.

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed."  My study Bible comments on this passage that the warning not to be preoccupied with worldly matters applies both to believers and to parishes. 

 

 "In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."  My study Bible notes that Christ's second coming will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  It says that one will be taken to heaven and the other left for eternal condemnation.  The separation of the saints from the wicked will happen on "the day when the Son of Man is revealed" and not, as some speculate today, at an event that occurs before His return. 

 

And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  My study Bible says that the body refers to Christ, while the eagles refer to the angels and the saints.  

 

Today's reading begins with the theme of the kingdom of God, with the Pharisees asking when it would come.  Christ's gospel has been the gospel of the Kingdom, His preaching saying that the kingdom of God has come near.   But the nature of this Kingdom is significant, and Jesus teaches the Pharisees that it is within (or among) people.  Note that this works on both a communal and individual level.  But then Jesus takes that question to a new perspective when He addresses the disciples, and begins to speak about what we call "end times."  This is important, in that it is at that time that the fullness of the Kingdom, even the fullness of the present age, occurs.  That time, that fulfillment of the present age, comes when Christ returns, at His Second Coming, and in that time -- importantly -- will also occur a sudden revelation of judgment, in the words of my study Bible.  It is for that sudden revelation that He wants us, His disciples, to be prepared at all times.  From the picture Christ gives of the fullness of this time, it is understood that we are in "end times" now; this is the era initiated by the Incarnation.  As we await Christ's return -- even in that sudden sense which He describes as a flash of lightning which shines from one end of the sky to the other -- we await the fullness of this age of the "end times."   This happens at the return of the Son of Man, and that is truly when His authority will be clear to all.   It is most telling that He says then, "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."  For what this does is set the Cross at the very center of the history of the world, in between all that has come before, and all that will come until this fullness of the end, when judgment will be revealed and life in this world as we know it will shift absolutely to a different type of life altogether.  The way that Jesus adds this assertion is not only to warn the disciples about the shocking events to come, but to place the Cross fully at the center of everything.  It tells us how absolutely necessary Christ's Cross -- His Passion, death, and Resurrection -- is to all the fullness of time and of life in this world.  Also, it tells of the necessity of these events for judgment, for without them He will not be given the fullness of the throne which is His.  In Greek, this position on His throne in the Kingdom is that of the Pantocrator, the "Almighty."  (See the icon above, and the two sides of Christ's face, reflecting His human life and divine.)  And the Cross is also at the very center of that identity, the requirement that in His obedience to the Father, Jesus, our Lord and divine Son, will also experience everything there is of human life, and even human death.  He will be all in all.  In the Creed, we declare that we "look to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come."  Let us understand all that we have been given, the love that drives Christ to the fullness of His Incarnation for us, and the judgment that is to come as He brings to us the Holy Spirit at work in the world until His return.  For the kingdom of God is within us, among us, the Holy Spirit everywhere present and filling all things. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it

 

 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

 

- Luke 10:17–24 

 

 Yesterday we read that the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.  Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 

 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  My study Bible comments that Jesus is describing an event which took place before the creation of the world.  There are five times when Satan set his will against God (Isaiah 14:12-15; see also Revelation 12:7-12).  Serpents and scorpions are symbols of devils and demons, images of the manifestation of the power of the enemy.  They sting with venous poison.  Note however, that Jesus teaches that we are to rejoice because our names are written in heaven.

 

 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."  My study Bible describes babes as meaning people of simple faith and open hearts (see Luke 18:15-17).  

In this return of the Seventy we can read the great good news of Christ's gospel, and the effects of their ministry.  First they report their power (Christ's power, shared with and bestowed upon them and their mission) even over the demons.  But Christ's response to them becomes even more important for us.  First, they are directed to rejoice not over their power against the demonic, but rather because their names are written in heaven.   In this place of the kingdom of God is the greater glory and salvation found.  But then Christ goes on to give us greater reason for rejoicing; indeed, it is His reason for rejoicing and giving thanks to God the Father:  "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight."  The text here asks of us to notice what great good news this is -- so much so, and we may even say stunningly so, that Jesus pauses to give thanks to the Father.  In this sense, we can call this a revelation of God, for even to Jesus this seems to be a new turn in His ministry, a new sign from the Father about how God's kingdom manifests, and teaching those who would seek to follow Him all about the true nature of God whom we serve.  For this is a God whose glory is defined by graciousness.  That is, not only by a shared power which the Seventy have experienced in their contact over the demonic, but rather in the wisdom and knowledge shared even with "babes."  For these Seventy are not exclusively those of the learned class or schooled in the formal schools of the religious establishment.  They are those "of simple faith and open hearts," as my study Bible describes them.  Let us note how Jesus has emphasized the gifts of the Holy Spirit already, as we read when He taught the Lord's Prayer (in this reading from chapter 11), saying, "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!"  For this revelation of the gracious sharing of wisdom from God the Father comes not only as good news to us, but also as a revelation of the fullness of the authority bestowed upon the Son:  "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  And then we read Jesus' private comment to the disciples:  "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."   Here is the glory and flower of this ministry, in Jesus' joyful -- perhaps we might say ecstatic -- sight, that His disciples who are "babes" have seen and heard what prophets and kings have desired to see and hear, and have not seen and not heard.  The great revelation of God in the world, through the ministry of Jesus Christ and these seventy apostles He has appointed, is God's gracious nature even to the humble and simple in the generous outpouring of the Spirit and the things of the Spirit, especially God's wisdom.  This is where we must also see God as light, for these things which prophets and kings could not hear and see are part of what it means to be enlightened, illuminated.  They are in this sense the great outpouring of God's gracious energies, the "light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel" (Luke 2:32).  If in this passage we are witnessing Christ's own ecstatic joy at this outpouring and enlightening even for the "babes," then what of us?  How are we joyful over such glad tidings, the good news of the gospel?  Do we appreciate what tremendous gifts we've been given? Do we glory in that light in the world? Can we cherish it as does He, and appreciate its worth?  Let us be grateful and live in that light, bringing glory to God as is fitting.

 

 

And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "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 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened, as He was alone praying, that 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 be raised 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.   The event which we read about today is called the Transfiguration (in Greek, Μεταμορφωσις/Metamorphosis).  This "altering" of His appearance is a transfiguration.  The specific type of change here gives us a sense of what is being revealed, for this is what is called a theophany, a revelation of God.  In particular this indicates the divinity of Christ, through a display of His uncreated, divine energy.  The white and glistening light from His robe is not a reflection of the sun, but a showing forth of something that is natural to Christ Himself.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus asked the disciples, "But who do you say that I am?" and St. Peter confessed, "You are the Christ of God."  Here, my study Bible points out, several elements of the Transfiguration show that Christ is Messiah and God.  Let us note that this is about eight days after that confession of Christ, and also Christ's first warnings to the disciples about His Passion to come.  This is one hint about what is revealed here, for often the Resurrection is referred to as the eighth day, the beginning of a new kind of life, a new time.  Because God is light, my study Bible says, the light all around demonstrates that He 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 give us the communion of saints (Hebrews 12:1), all those who live to Christ.  Moses represents the law and all those who have died; while Elijah represents the prophets and -- as Elijah did not experience death (2 Kings 2:11) -- all those who are alive in Christ.  My study Bible comments 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 whole Old Testament.  There is a lengthy note on what is translated here as Christ's decease.  In Greek this word is exodus/εξοδος which literally means "departure" or "road out."  It refers to Christ's death.  My study Bible says that His death is intimately connected to the glory of the Transfiguration, because Christ is glorified through His death (John 12:23).  The term "exodus" reveals that Christ's Passion is a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover, and that it is the true exodus from enslavement into salvation.  My study Bible adds that this revelation of divine power confirms that Christ's death will not be imposed upon Him by outside forces, but will be a voluntary offering of love -- no arresting soldier could have withstood such glory if Christ had not consented (Matthew 26:53).  And this will be the understanding that the disciples take with them.  

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.  Note that Moses and Elijah are recognizable to Peter, also affirming the communion of saints in Christ.  My study Bible tells us that these aspects of the Transfiguration are seen by Peter as confirmation that the Kingdom has come.  He knows that the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot, which incidentally takes place this week) is the feast of the coming Kingdom, and so he asks to build tabernacles (also called booths, or tents), as was done at that feast, to serve as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  This event makes possible the understanding of John the Baptist as one who came "in the spirit and power of Elijah" at the time of the Messiah (Luke 1:17), rather than a return of Elijah himself, which many expected as an interpretation of Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6).  

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, the Holy Trinity is manifest here at the Transfiguration.  The Father's voice is heard from heaven testifying to Christ's divine sonship, and the Spirit is present in the form of the white and glistening light surrounding Christ's person, and the cloud overshadowing the whole mountain. 

The Transfiguration presents us with a kind of "fullness" about who Christ is.  This event, occurring about eight days after Peter's confession, and Jesus' affirmation that He is the Christ, together with His prophesy of His Passion, more fully reveals what it is to be the "Christ of God" (see yesterday's reading, above).  We're given a theophany, a revelation of God.  And this is God in a complete sense -- not that all possibilities and manifestations of God are present in explicit detail for the disciples, but that God the Holy Trinity is here, Jesus revealed as divine Son is here.  These are all stunning and vivid images that the disciples will take with them as they proceed together with Jesus toward Jerusalem and His Passion.  This vision will sustain them through what will unfold, and it informs the experience of the Passion from the correct point of view -- giving to the disciples, and to we faithful who follow, the correct picture of Christ's voluntary sacrifice, His defeat of death and sin, and the power of the Cross.  For it is not only Christ who is transfigured in this event, but this event defines the very power of Christ in our world.  His death on the Cross will forever transfigure death and suffering, turning the most dreaded instrument of the Empire's punishment into a symbol of Resurrection and the power to conquer evil.  Transfiguration is the very act which characterizes Christian faith, for redemption and salvation have the effect of transfiguring us, the divine power of God helping us internally to turn away from sin, to become transfigured in the image of Christ into those faithful who may produce spiritual fruits (Galatians 5:22-23).  The revelation we're given through the Transfiguration gives us the fullness of the picture of Christ's identity, which we must take with us through His Passion, death, and Resurrection -- especially through His suffering on the Cross.  We can take away from Him neither His humanity nor His divinity, for both inform us of His voluntary suffering on our behalf, His willingness to lay down His life for His friends (John 15:13), and His Ascension through which our humanity becomes a part of heaven, preparing the way for the end of the age.  Let us consider His transfiguring power in us, for this is part of the work of faith in the One revealed to us.  

 

 

You are the Christ, the Son of God!

 

Peter's mother-in-law healed by Jesus, mosaic, early 14th cent. Byzantine Church of the Holy Savior in Chora

 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

 

- Luke 4:38–44 

 

Yesterday we read that, after His rejection in His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

 

 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  From this passage, among others, we know that Peter was married and had a family home.  My study bible quotes St. Cyril of Alexandria regarding Christ's rebuke of Peter's mother-in-law's fever:  "That which was rebuked was some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it, for it is not reasonable to rebuke a thing without life and unconscious of the rebuke.  Now is it astonishing for there to exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Let us note here as well the signs Christ does in this glimpse of His early ministry.  With Peter's mother-in-law, He stood over her and rebuked the fever and it left her.   Here He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  But also, demons came out of many, who cried out and identified Him as did the demon in yesterday's reading (above).  Now the demons become even more specific, saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And Jesus also rebuked them, as He did the fever of Peter's mother-in-law, in addition to using His power to disallow them to speak.  My study bible remarks on the different ways that Christ heals:  by touch, by a word, sometimes the healing is immediate and other times it's gradual and requires the cooperation of the healed person or loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).  

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.  My study bible says that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom.   It adds that miracles and healings testify both to the truth of the message and the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24).  The same pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30).  

It's interesting to think of the varying ways that Jesus healed people.  But one thing that is consistent in the picture of this early ministry is the establishment of Christ's authority and power, a theme continued from yesterday's reading, above.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus rebuked the demon who both feared and publicly identified Him as the Holy One of God.  In today's reading, the demons are more specific, giving Him the titles of Christ (meaning Messiah) and Son of God.  In both yesterday's and today's readings, it is as if the presence of the power and authority of Christ stirs a challenge and conflict, both revealing and opening up the reality of the presence of the demons in order to heal the people and that the demons may be rebuked.  He has the power to command that they are not allowed to speak.  Once again, as in yesterday's reading, all of these things become signs of the presence of the Kingdom, effects of the power and authority of Christ.  It may sound strange to find the presence of the demonic manifesting openly as a sign of the presence of God's holy power, but it is Christ's presence that reveals the truth about what was there already, and what was ailing the people.  This is something we might also take as metaphor in many ways, that like any other Physician, it is part of Christ's power to reveal an ailment, what is wrong, and shine a light on the hidden darkness.  This is an important teaching for us, because if we don't understand the revelation of what ails or is wrong, then we will see perfection in hypocrisy, in a false front, like the "whited sepulchres" to which Jesus compared the hypocritical religious leaders:  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" - Matthew 23:27-28.  We cannot be healed of things when they remain hidden; they must come to the light so that we can be healed, and this is the healing work made possible through the power and authority of Christ.  Sometimes when something is awry in our lives, it needs to rise to the surface to tell us there is a problem we need to address.  What today's reading suggests to me is that when we put effort into our prayer and the state of our spiritual lives, there might be times when things seem to go worse, or some sort of disaster we need to address comes to our attention.  Possibly, as with the terms used in physical medicine, we might find a crisis breaking.  But if we're wise, we can read today's text and understand that Christ's way is not to sweep problems under a rug, but to expose them to the light of truth so they can be healed, so that action can be taken.  Sometimes while we bide our time keeping a lid on problems, we might have a solution that is found in drastic action rather than tolerance.  Possibly something was there all along we just learned to ignore, but spiritually this is bad for us to continue.  So let us learn to look at problems through the light of the Gospels.  As with the healings we see performed by Jesus, some problems need to be "brought out" and exposed in order to be resolved.  Hypocrisy, a "good look" on the surface is the last thing that leads to spiritual health.  This can be true in an individual or a group of any kind; a crisis may simply be the effect of God's energies propelling us to make a hard choice.  Let us consider the power and authority of Christ and the mysterious ways they work.  Our "perfection" is not in a worldly idea of seamlessness or a problem-free life, but rather in the courageous journey toward deeper faith and what that entails in an imperfect, conflicted world.  Jesus' power and authority reveal the "arena" of this world, and the struggle into which we enter, and in which we engage in faith.

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 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 be raised 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 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 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.  The first hint of what is about to be revealed in today's story is that it is about eight days after Christ's previous sayings:  His warning about the Cross, about His Passion, about the daily cross we are each to taste, and also His statement that "there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."  The "eighth day" has often been one that describes the eternal day of the Kingdom, revealed clearly in the Transfiguration.  The brilliance of Christ's white and glistening robe, and the change in the appearance of His face tell us that we are in a place of revelation of something beyond our usual worldly time and space.  Frequently in icons this "white and glistening light" around Christ appears with a tint of blue, so as to convey that it is beyond white, beyond earthly light.  

 

 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 speak with Christ about His decease, the text says.  But the word translated as "decease" is exodus/ἔξοδο in Greek, which literally means "departure." or "exit" and it refers to Christ's death.  Christ's death, my study bible says, 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, the Feast of the Transfiguration is celebrated on August 6th, forty days before the feast of the Holy Cross (September 14th), which shows the connection between Christ's glory and His Cross.  The term "exodus" is a revelation that Christ's Passion is a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover.  My study bible says that it 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.   The three disciples (Peter and those with him, James and John Zebedee) are heavy with sleep and then become fully awake to this revelation, affirming our understanding of this time and space of Transfiguration as a true reality masked by our worldly lives.  Peter's immediate response, suggesting that they build three tabernacles, reminds us of the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorating the time that Israel lives in tents (or "tabernacles") as they went toward the promised land.  The Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew Sukkot) is also called the Feast of the Coming Kingdom.  That the disciples recognize and know Moses and Elijah announces the presence of the communion of all the saints, a reality beyond the time and space we know (Hebrews 12:1).  

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!"  The cloud is also reminiscent of Israel's wandering toward the promised land, as they were led by a pillar of cloud during the day which overshadowed the tabernacle  (Exodus 40:38).  The cloud reminds of the Spirit overshadowing the mountain.  We are given the Father's voice, and the declaration of the Son.  This is a revelation of the Trinity present.

 

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. That they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen is an indication of the holiness of this experience, its nature as "set apart" and sacred as mystery.

In our faith there is a sense of holiness or sacredness that indicates being "set apart." That is, set apart for a particular purpose, and to serve God.  This is where the idea of saints comes from, a word that comes from the word for "holy" or "sacred."  In today's reading of the Transfiguration, so much of the important imagery -- and hence the message -- is about light.  The mountain is surrounded by light, Christ is radiating light, even His clothing does so.  The "halo" that we often see in images of saints is precisely the message of holiness -- of being "set apart."  It is the light of God upon them.  The halo or nimbus that is seen around the head of Christ is icons bears the title Ὁ ὬΝ.  This is a translation into Greek of the Hebrew name for God given to Moses, the I AM (Exodus 3:14).  In the Greek, this "name" conveys a sense deeper than "I am," and tells us that this "am" means being itself.  It is the deep drawn sense of God as pure existence, the "IS" if you will.  The light that permeates the Transfiguration is this light of pure being that underlies and transcends and live in between everything we know and see, the presence and energy of the Creator that permeates all because it IS reality.  In that halo or nimbus of Christ is the message that He is anointed from before there was a beginning.  He is and always was the Son.  But as Jesus Christ Incarnate He is the One set apart, who calls us to holiness too.  He calls upon those who would all be sons of God by adoption, be saints, be set apart for the holy work of faith while in this world.  The Transfiguration brings us a taste of the manifestation of this true holy existence that shines beneath everything, if we could but see it.  It doesn't "manifest" so much as it reveals -- it pulls back the layers of time and place we know and offers us what is really there after all.  It gives us the truth of Christ, of the Kingdom, and our place in it -- where Moses and Elijah converse with Christ and are known to the disciples without introduction or explanation necessary.   It is.  In our every day struggles, and the day to day grappling with faith and how we live life in this world, it is easy to forget the true mystery that we plunge into with prayer, that is there with us in our worship, that asks us to participate in the Kingdom -- a place which unites us in Christ, where all the saints are present with us.  This is really the reality for which we are set apart, within which we find our blessings (or beatitudes), where we take our deepest identity.  It is this place which is revealed to the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration, where everything else is peeled away to reveal true being and existence, the energies of God within which we are asked to participate in faith.  This taste of life and light, this day of the Kingdom, is given to the disciples very shortly after Jesus' first prediction of the Passion He will suffer.  They are to be eased into what is coming on the journey to Jerusalem, prepared for crisis, subjected to all kinds of uncertainties and horrors, unthinkable things not possible -- they would think in the popular assumption of the time -- for the Messiah.  This taste of true life of Transfiguration is given to them for that journey, and it is given to us as well.  What part of life needs this light of Transfiguration for you now?  Is there a dark place from which you need to recall that life is truly this dazzling and brilliant light?  In the grim, hard, charcoal gray places of the world, you are reminded that you need this light.   This is what He affirms for all in this experience, and reveals for us just as for the disciples.  It is the place in which we are set apart to experience a mystery and grasp it the best we can; it is the journey of faith that we glimpse and it illumines our souls.  Let us pray through all times.  Like Jesus taking His closest disciples to the mountain, let us set ourselves apart to do so.

This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!

Bulgarian icon of the Transfiguration

 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 that He is the Christ,  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 coming."

 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.  Luke's report says, "about eight days after" (Luke 9:28).   Both give us a clue about this event.  Matthew is possibly speaking of the number of days between Jesus' revelation of His suffering and this experience of the Transfiguration.  Six days was the number of days in Genesis in which God created all things, and rested on the seventh.  The eighth day is a term understood as the day of Resurrection, the new time born through the ministry of Christ.  The Transfiguration would be an experience of that for these three apostles, Jesus' inner circle of faith.  Jesus transfigured means that His divine nature was revealed and shown through His appearance.

His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. The Transfiguration is what is known as a Theophany, a Greek word meaning a manifestation of God.   This theophany is characterized by light, as God is light (1 John 1:5).  In these images of light -- his face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light -- we're given an expression of Jesus as God.  Oftentimes icons will depict the Transfiguration light as having a blue tinge to it, indicating its otherworldly, divine origin:  beyond this world, impossibly white, brighter than the full spectrum of earthly sunlight. 

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  In Luke 9:31, we're told that Moses and Elijah speak to Jesus about His decease or departure, which in the original Greek is literally exodus.  My study bible says that Moses represents the Law and all those who have died, while Elijah represents the prophets and, as he did not experience death (2 Kings 2:11).   My study bible says that 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 entire Old Testament.  Their presence also is a manifestation of the reality of the communion of the saints (Hebrews 12:1).  Both are immediately recognizable by the disciples, 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."    The Feast of Tabernacles commemorated the time that Israel wandered in the desert following Moses to the promised land, living in temporary structures (tents, or "tabernacles").  It is also called the Feast of the Coming Kingdom.   In Peter's mind he has put together an understanding of the manifestation of the Kingdom there present with Christ, Moses, and Elijah, in which he and the other apostles also able to participate at this moment.

 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!"  God the Father bears witness from heaven to the identity of Christ as Son.  My study bible points out that the Father does not say, "This has become My beloved Son," but "This is My beloved Son."  It is a revelation of what has always been, an unveiling of spiritual reality for human perception.  As Christians, we affirm in the Creed that Christ fully shares in the essence of the Father, the Son is "true God of true God."   This bright cloud, my study bible reminds us, recalls temple worship and the cloud that went before the Israelites in the wilderness, the "visible sign of God being extraordinarily present."  This is what Peter has seen to signal that the Kingdom has come when he makes his statement about building tabernacles for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.  At the Feast of Tabernacles, such booths or tabernacles or tents were built to serve as symbols of God dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  This verse is also the full expression of Theophany, as the Trinity is revealed here:  Christ is transfigured and revealed as Son, the Father speaks to testify of Christ's sonship, and the Spirit is present in the dazzling light that both surrounds Christ and overshadowed the entire mountain.

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.   These verses speak to us about the experience of spiritual revelation.  It might be only momentary, but it is eternal in its dimensions and also unforgettable, sparking deep feeling and response.  Christ's words, "do not be afraid"  are those spoken on many occasions by Himself or by divine messengers to the faithful in the Gospels and the entire New Testament.  To open their eyes and see Jesus only is once again a reaffirmation that "It is I; do not be afraid" (14:27).

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.   After this taste of eternal reality, and their ability to understand Elijah and Moses speaking with Christ and alive in the communion of saints, the disciples are now able to understand Jesus' words that Elijah has come already.  They perceive that He's speaking to them of John the Baptist and that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6) refers to one who comes "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17), rather than Elijah himself.

Have you ever had a "mountaintop" experience?  Jesus has led the apostles on a high mountain for this experience of the Transfiguration, just as He spoke upon a mountain when He delivered the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  These are experiences of closeness to God; perhaps we could say "touching God" in the sense of getting a taste of heaven or the heavenly life.  We might find those moments in our own prayer, or read about them in the experience in the lives of the saints.  We might find glimmers or lights of understanding as we browse through the Gospels, and suddenly a light is cast on a difficult situation in our personal life, helping us perhaps to make a decision we could not make before.  These are moments of clarity, in which the light from heaven can shine in our own lives and illuminate our minds, giving us an understanding to take us forward in life.  Without them we are depleted of our real inheritance, for we are taught by Jesus that we, too, are "sons of God" although not in the same ways that He is.  Nevertheless, this is our inheritance we are given as heirs of the Kingdom.  It is the bounty and the beauty bestowed upon us by Christ in His mission into the world, incarnate as Jesus, and living with us -- even dwelling among us as did God in the Old Testament time of the wilderness when Israel followed Moses.  In fact, there is another allusion made in the Gospels to this time and to the festival that still commemorates it for the Jews, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).  John 1:14 tells us that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."  In the Greek, the word "dwelt" means literally "tented" (or tabernacled).  At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus' final words to the disciples are "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (28:20).  The Transfiguration -- and the mountain top experiences we're given in the Gospels -- reveal to us a place of eternity, where there is no space or time.  John, Peter, and James understand Jesus speaking directly with Moses and Elijah.  Each understands immediately who the others are.  These moments of participation in Christ remain possible and available to us through this reality of Jesus still dwelling among us, and His promise that He is with us always.  In the icon above, as is traditional in many Transfiguration icons, the light around Christ appears in what is called a mandorla shape. This shape is an indication of the "space" of this mountain top experience, the place where we connect with the living Christ, where understanding comes and the presence of Christ lives for us.  This is the place where there is no space and time, and nothing bars us from Christ.  Let us take His word and invite it into our hearts to meet in the place where He dwells and is always with us.  This vivid experience, which will remain with the disciples through Christ's Passion and death on the Cross, is also shared with us through the Gospel.  When we see dismaying things in the world, let us keep it vividly in mind as well, so that we know and understand to whom we pray and with whom we also dwell.  Above all, let us remember the command of the Father to "Hear Him!"

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God

Baptism icon (Epiphany "Revelation" or Theophany "Revelation of God"), Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens, Greece

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You."
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.' "

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

- Mark 1:1-13

On Saturday, we read the last part of what is frequently called Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, which He prayed at the Last Supper (for the earlier part of the prayer, see first this reading and then this one).   Jesus prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.   During our readings in Lent, the lectionary goes through Mark's Gospel, the earliest of the Gospels to be written.  My study bible explains that gospel literally means "good news" or "good tidings" -- ευαγγελιον/evangelion in Greek, from which the English word "evangelist" is derived.  One could also call it "good message."  One notes the word "angel" as part of its root; that is because the Greek word for angel αγγελος/angelos means literally "messenger."   This good message or good news refers not to Mark's writings per se, my study bible says, but rather to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the good news of our salvation.  Beginning, it says, points to the opening events of Christ's public ministry, namely the preparation by His forerunner, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him.

 As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.' "  Mark quotes from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3, the words of the prophets who speak of the one sent as herald before the advent of the Christ.  These words speak of John the Baptist, also called Forerunner, and they tell us about his important place in the spiritual history of our faith, one who spans both the Old Testament and New, as the last and greatest of the prophets, and the one who prepares the people for the Christ.

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  St. John's baptism is one of repentance, in preparation for the Messiah.  This is John's message to the people:  to prepare the way of the Lord, and to make His paths straight.  It is achieved through this baptism, which is not Christian baptism, but rather one of repentance in preparation for the Christ (the Messiah).   Mark tells us just how successful and revered John was as a holy man, as all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all were baptized . . . confessing their sins.  It makes clear the levels of expectation that existed, and the impact of John's message of preparation.

 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  My study bible comments that John is clothed in a manner which is similar to that of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), which it says helps to show that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return (which Jesus affirms in Matthew 17:12, Mark 9:13).  Let us note John's role as prophet:  he prophesies the baptism that is to come through Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Noteworthy also is John's remarkable humility.  Although widely known and honored by all the people, John not only lives a radical poverty which shows his total devotion to the work of God which he is to do as prophet, but his words reveal that all things for him exist in relation to the Christ and the work he is to do to proclaim His coming.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Mark's Gospel takes us quickly through the events of the beginning of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This is the revelation of the Trinity through Christ's Baptism (called Epiphany or Theophany in the Eastern Churches), as it is a manifestation through the Father's voice ... from heaven revealing Christ as beloved Son, and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  Again, Mark's Gospel is succinct in its treatment of this beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  What is treated in much more detail in Matthew and Luke (Matthew 4:1-10, Luke 4:1-13) is given very quickly in Mark's Gospel.  It is noteworthy that in the original Greek, Mark uses a word that literally means "to throw" Jesus into the wilderness.  It emphasizes the abrupt and powerful action of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit's effective presence in Christ's ministry.

The work of the Spirit, in today's reading, is effective and swift.  Let us note that the descent upon Christ of the Holy Spirit is not meant to be a historical event, rather it is a revelation or manifestation of what always has been, just as the identity of the Son is a revelation of what always has been.  But what is "historical" -- that is, based in time -- is the beginning of the ministry of Christ, and that is why Mark writes that this is "the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."  We begin with Christ's Baptism by John the Baptist because this is truly the beginning of Christ's public ministry.  In the early Church, this Baptism and Christ's Nativity (Christmas) were celebrated on the same day (this remains the case in the Armenian Apostolic Church, which celebrates both Nativity and Baptism on January 6th).  This is precisely for the reason that the early followers of Christ understood very well that this, indeed, is the "birth" of Christ's ministry in the world, and it starts with this revelation or manifestation of the Trinity -- including Jesus' identity as "beloved Son" -- through the Baptism by John in the Jordan.   And just as at the physical birth of Jesus in the world, the Holy Spirit is present and at work, facilitating this ministry.   In the Creed, it is stated that the Son became human by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and therefore we have the Spirit present and at work both in the physical birth of Christ and in the birth of Christ's public ministry, this beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is most important that we understand the power of the Spirit at work, and the hand of God in all things related to Christ, including the Church and those gathered to Christ in faith.  This is a consistent understanding, therefore, in our faith, just as Mark quite clearly states that the Spirit is actively at work "birthing" this ministry:  God the Spirit "threw" (in the Greek) or "drove" (in the English translation) Jesus into the wilderness to begin His forty-day preparation for His ministry.  For forty days He is both tempted by the devil, and ministered to by the angels, while He is together with the wild beasts.  Importantly, as we are currently in Lent, let us note that this is the model and inspiration for our own period of prayer and fasting.  It is a time when we are to face our own challenges and to wrestle with them, placing them firmly in the hands of God, while we also may be ministered to by our angels and accompanies by the Holy Spirit at work in us.  Let us prepare for our celebration of His Resurrection, and also for our own "ministries" as faithful, as each of us play our own role in faith in relationship to Him, just as John the Baptist understood about himself.