Second Sunday Of Lent
MARK 9:2-10 (Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Ps. 116:10, 15,16-17,18-19; Romans 8:31b-34)
The Transfiguration of Jesus. There are three versions of Jesus’ transfiguration in the gospels and an abbreviated form of it in 2 Peter 1:17-18. Mark’s version seems to be first in time. Jesus took Simon Peter and the Zebedee brothers James and John with him onto a high mountain. Why these three and not the other nine also, all chosen as the Twelve in Mark 3:14-19? The glory of the transfiguration is the complete reverse of the humiliation of Jesus in Gethsemane. On the latter occasion Jesus also separated “the Big Three” from the other nine. These three witnessed Jesus falling flat on the ground, “greatly distressed and troubled,” begging his Father three times to escape the cross. There was no answer. The special privilege Jesus gave Simon Peter, James and John to see him in glory seems to have been intended to strengthen them for what they were to witness in Gethsemane. Their response at Gethsemane: they slept.
“He was transfigured before them.” The Greek verb Mark uses for “transfigured” is the origin of the English (Greek) word metamorphosis. The butterfly is a prime example of metamamorpho-sis, transfiguring from the unattractiveness of a worm into the glorious colors of the butterfly.
Thus the human nature of Jesus was transfigured into a glorious appearance even before his resurrection from the dead. The transfiguration was a preview of the resurrection. Mark attempts to describe Jesus’ appearance. “His clothes became dazzling white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them.” This is not a reference to the Fuller Brush Man. A “fuller” worked on newly shorn wool and new woolen cloth. First he cleanses it of natural oils, thickens and shrinks it, beats it, then bleaches it in the sun. White garments were used for religious festivals. These required a special cleansing (no soap in Old Testament times) with a boric acid solution.
Two visitors also appear in glory with Jesus, Moses and Elijah – the Lawgiver and the Prophet. Moses represents the Torah (the first five books of our Bible). Elijah, although not a writing prophet, represents all the Old Testament Prophets. There are three divisions of the Hebrew Bible: the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings (chief of these being the Psalms). Torah and Prophets were for Christians the prime sources for describing Jesus, his mission, his life and death. Their purpose on this occasion: they bear witness that what is about to happen to Jesus in Jerusalem, his suffering, death and resurrection, is in accordance with Torah and Prophets. Mark notes that the two visitors were conversing with Jesus. Luke expands this statement, and writes, “They spoke of his departure (exodus) which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Thus Luke established more clearly than Mark the connection between the transfiguration and Jesus’ suffer-ing, death, and resurrection.
Simon Peter, spokesperson for the apostolic group, always out front in any scene, (even in the courtyard of the high priest at Jesus’ trial), ever impulsive, says, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three shelters (booths), one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” The term he uses to address Jesus was not yet in vogue in Jesus’ time but began to be used forty years later when Mark composes his gospel. The three shelters (tents, booths) are a reference to the Feast of Tabernacles (Tents), a joyous feast celebrated at the end of the grape harvest. Originally it lasted seven days. Later an eighth day became a winding down day. Peter’s intention seems to be to prolong the experience of glory on the mountain (at least eight days), but this was not to be. Terrible events had to take place for Jesus and his disciples before glory was permanent.
Mark seldom misses an opportunity to depict the disciples and the family of Jesus in negative ways. He writes of Peter, “He hardly knew what to say, for they had become terrified.” Then “a cloud overshadowed them.” In the Old Testament a cloud is often a symbol of God’s presence, and so it was, “From the cloud came a voice, ‘This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.’” About what? In this scene the disciples are still in a moment of glory. Just before the transfiguration, Jesus had predicted his suffering and death. Peter took Jesus aside and “began to rebuke him.” Peter refused to hear anything about suffering and death for Jesus. He expected him to be the triumphal Messiah/King who would drive out the Romans and set up a kingdom. Peter got his comeuppance from Jesus on that occasion, in fact rather vehemently. This incident was followed by a sequence of Jesus’ sayings about the necessity of every Christian taking up the cross and following him. It took a divine revelation, “Listen to him,” to establish this teaching.
The glory of the transfiguration quickly faded – no eight days of celebration in tents as Peter had anticipated. The Big Three were even forbidden to talk about it, so commanded by Jesus. The command to silence was to last only “until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” A reference to the “Son of Man” would have puzzled them. Mark refers to the Old Testament Book of Daniel, chapter seven, where a human being, (Aramaic term “Son of Man”), carried along on clouds, comes to the Ancient of Days (God), and is given a kingdom and glory and power that will last forever. Early Christian theology saw Jesus as that Son of Man. Nor did the disciples understand resurrection from the dead. After a moment of glory, they were now in darkness. Mark ends the story, “They were questioning what rising from the dead meant.” They had much to learn.
