The Transfiguration
Today we rejoice in the Feast of The Transfiguration of the Lord.
By Eric Hanna
Today is the feast of the Transfiguration - when Jesus, alone with Peter, James and John ascended a mountain-side and as he prayed the glory cloud of God descended upon them with Elijah - Israel’s greatest Prophet, and Moses, Israel’s greatest leader in its midst both talking with Jesus. Jesus himself is changed, his face and clothes shine and for a brief time the Apostles catch a glimpse of Jesus in heaven. The Apostles Ss Peter, James and John are so obviously confounded (who wouldn’t be) Peter says in Mark’s Gospel:
“Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
Then to top it off a voice from Heaven - ‘This is my beloved Son, listen to Him’. It is here the three Apostles catch a glimpse of what the author to the Hebrews would write later concerning Jesus:
..in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.. Hebrews 1:2-3
This small portion of Scripture is packed with significance - here are three things to take away from it.
1) The Salvation History of God
Moses
The apperance of Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus about what was to come was a sign that the plans of God’s salvation for all peoples was coming now to it’s final move. Moses prophesied in Deuteronomy 18:15
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.
At the stage Moses was talking we do not come across the idea of a Messiah just yet, we also need to be careful about how we think of Prophets. Moses was indeed a Prophet for God spoke through him - but unlike later Prophets (Elijah or Isaiah) they are not national leaders. Moses was the leader of the people, Israel’s greatest. We then find Jesus in the Gospels being challenged on his leadership credentials for in John 6 we read:
So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Jesus was pointing out what was obvious - God gave the Manna and God is giving the true Manna now - Jesus himself. Moses brought the law, but it was God who wrote it. Now Jesus brings the new law - this one is written on the hearts of all who name Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Moses represents the Old Covenant that brought death - Jesus is the new covenant that brings life. (2 Corinthians 3: 7-11)
Going back to the verse in Deuteronomy 18:15 we see a parallel. For Moses commanded the people to listen to the prophet who would be like Moses and here we find God telling the Apostles to listen to Jesus. The significance of having Moses beside Jesus as this was spoken would not have been missed by our Galilean forebears!
Elijah
Elijah is the preemminent Prophet of the Jews - the figure who heralds the Messanic age. As Rabbi Ellot Goldberg states:
In Jewish tradition, Elijah is the one who will announce the coming of the messiah and the redemption of Israel, a fact celebrated in a song traditionally sung during the Havdalah service at the close of Shabbat, which prays for Elijah’s return “speedily in our time.” Some also sing this song during the Passover Seder, as they invite Elijah into their homes to drink from a cup of wine poured just for him, and during ritual circumcisions, as a newborn male is brought into the covenant between God and the Jewish people.
It is why when Jesus asked his disciples who people say he is, they reply;..’some say you are Elijah’.. It is also why the people wondered if John the Baptist was Elijah, which was actually confirmed by Jesus. Elijah was a prophet during a period when the people of Israel were straying into Baal worship culminating in the incident on Mt Carmel. The Priests of Baal called down fire on the Mountain top wailing and cutting themselves all day, but to no avail. Then it is Elijah’s turn, saying a very simple prayer which resulted in fire from heaven burning the sacrifice, the altar and all the water away. He then slaughtered the Priests of Baal. The Queen of Israel Jezebel was quite unhappy with Elijah and sought his head forcing Elijah to run.
The Baptist has some similarities with Elijah. His ministry called out those in power, in particular publicly criticising Herod for taking his brothers wife which embarrassed her. Then in what amounts to be a strange party, Herods wife tells their daughter to ask for Johns head on a platter. John, who had been in Prison for this for a time, prior to his death was himself getting a bit morose, wondering if God had really sent the Messiah. But Jesus sent word, consoling him confirming it to him.
Therefore for Peter, James and John seeing Elijah speaking with Jesus was a confirmation that the Kingdom of God - the Messianic age, had begun. They did not neccessarily at this moment understand John the Baptist’s role but they could not have failed to see that God painted them a picture of the law and prophets coming together and looking forward to what Jesus was about to do.
2) The Voice of God
How can one describe the voice of God and why does God even speak? Whenever the audible voice of God is heard in the Bible, it is always a significant moment. Whether it was when Moses was commissioned to go and lead the Hebrews out of Egypt to when Elijah was requiring some encouragement to continue his mission as a Prophet - the well known ‘small still voice’ was the one that Elijah heard (1 Kings 19). Jesus also had two moments in His ministry when the audible voice of God was heard - at his commissioning in the Jordan and at the transfiguration. What does all this tell us?
When Jesus was baptised and commissioned at the Jordan - some heard God’s voice say - ‘this is my Son in whom I am well pleased’. Others heard thunder. When Ss Peter, James and John witnessed the transfiguration they heard the voice of God. When Elijah heard that voice, it didnt seem to encourage him very much. God had revealed more of Himself to Elijah yet Elijah still spoke out in fear for his life and so God allowed Elijah to pass on the prophetic baton to Elisha. On Mount Sinai the people were so afraid when they heard God speak, they asked Moses to go and be the intermediary. It was then Moses who saw the back of the Glory of God (Exodus 33). Yet Moses did not enter the promised land for all this and neither did many of the Hebrews who followed the glory cloud day and night through the wilderness.
I often marvel at the stiff-neckedness of the people in the Bible, humanity in general and me especially. We can have these mountain top experiences, we can hear that still small voice and yet quite often, just like Elijah, Moses, St Peter and most of Jesus’ followers fail at the moment of test. When I am feeling particularly mean I say to myself at least Peter saw Jesus in the flesh! Then, it hits me - if Peter could see the transfiguration and all the miracles and yet turn away from Jesus would I make a better job of it? Thankfully we can join St Paul in Romans 7: 21 -25
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
We can hear the voice of God today, some have/had hear audible manifestations of God, but mostly we hear Him in the Mass, through the Church and Sacred Scripture. He also works through the world He made and other people. There are many ways in fact we can hear God, it is whether we are open and willing hear what He has to say.
The Transfiguration…Now and Not Yet
Jesus said that through this event we would see the Kingdom of God coming in power. We catch a glimpse of heaven and we see Jesus in glory. Yet this episode only lasted a short time - they came down that mountain and not long after that Jesus ascended another mount - Calvary. How different those experiences would have been! Two thousand years later we are living in the age of the kingdom of God yet the world is nowhere near perfect or just. The lion does not lie down with the lamb and no one has beaten their weapons into tools for farming or manufacturing. The most common response I have when I ask people why they do not believe in God is the problem of evil. But we know that God’s plan for the world is to bring it into perfect unity with His Son and that the time will come when there will be no tears or sadness. As Christians we look forward to that time, but in the meantime as we walk through those deep vales we can accompany our family and friends through, them because we can see the Mountain above us. The New Jerusalem which we are all pilgrimaging to and where there will be no Sun or Moon but will be illuminated by the Light of God Himself.
On the 3rd we remembered St Walthen.
God Bless