While Jesus was praying, his face changed in appearance, and his clothing became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Luke 9: 28-36
Over the years, Scripture scholars have given their attention to trying to explain the meaning and significance of the event which we call the Transfiguration, and which is the focus of the gospel-reading of this Second Sunday of Lent. Some have called it another account of the Baptism of Jesus. Others have seen it as a divinely inspired resurrection story. Others, still, have regarded it as a clear affirmation of Jesus and his mission. Implied in his conversation with Moses and Elijah about his death – incidentally, normally not a topic of conversation – is Jesus’ belief that his impending death would be a penalty visited on him because of his unwavering commitment to his chosen mission. God’s plea to Peter, James and John to listen closely to Jesus was double endorsement of Jesus and his commitment. Scholars who have supported this view cite the conversation Jesus had with Moses and Elijah as evidence that the Transfiguration event marked a crisis point in Jesus’ life. for no other reason than that the prospect of his death (his exodus as Luke called it in verse 31) was very much on his mind. Yet, Jesus reiterated the firmness of his commitment to the mission that would take him to Jerusalem and death, by rejecting Peter’s suggestion that they all remain in the glory and comfort they had experienced on the mountain.
The two giants of the Jewish tradition who engaged with Jesus. – Moses the Law-Giver and scribe of the Covenant and Elijah, doyen of Prophets – broached with Jesus the topic of the death that would come his way. The moment of his glorification and affirmation by God offered Jesus an uplifting experience of respite from the thoughts of death that were haunting him. This was a much-needed moment in which Jesus was claimed by his Father as God’s own. And are there not moments in our lives when we need to be sustained by the confidence of knowing that we, too, are the beloved of God? We are all in need of little moments of graced transfiguration to sustain us through the experiences of trauma, loss and disappointment that shake our constancy, faith and perseverance. None will ever be as intense and uplifting as was the moment of Jesus’ transfiguration, but let’s not lose sight of the reality that we, the sisters and brothers of Jesus, are also the beloved of God. In imitation of Jesus, we, too, have to learn that the glory and affirmation that come our way in small doses will develop in us the calibre of faith we need to trust that God will ensure that our sacrifice and love will eventually triumph, as did the sacrifice and love of Jesus from which comes our inspiration.
The defining experience for Peter, James and John following the succession of happenings on the mountain was the call to them from God: “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him” (Luke 9: 35).
In this account of the Transfiguration of Jesus, Luke has intentionally introduced images and symbols from the Old/First Testament. His account is not simply a story of events that took place on a misty or foggy day. The cloud that enshrouded the mountain also covered Jesus, Peter, James and John as well as Moses and Elijah, and was reminiscent of the guiding presence of God experienced by the Hebrew people as God had guided them through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God had also been present to them in the form of a cloud which filled the Tent of Meeting (See Exodus 13: 21; Numbers 9: 16-20; 1Kings 8: 9-10). Moreover, the proclamation on the mountain, urging the three disciples to listen to Jesus not only echoed the voice from heaven at the time of Jesus’ baptism but effectively confirmed Jesus as being the utterly reliable voice of God. Luke was confirming that listening to the teaching of Jesus would open the way to liberation and life to everyone who heeded it. Responding to Luke’s appeal to listen to and ponder the teaching of Jesus is essential for the growth and development of everyone who would be a disciple. A listening heart is an essential tool for coming to resonate with the Gospel.
In the torrent of emotions coursing through the mind and heart of Jesus as he contemplated the suffering and death ahead of him, his decision to go to the mountain to commune with God in prayer was essential to ensure his composure. The intensity of what ensued demonstrated to the three disciples the depth of Jesus’ relationship with his Father and, more than likely, took him, too, by surprise.
The many stories in the Gospels, in which we see Jesus reaching out to address the sufferings of those in need, can lead us to conclude that Jesus was equal to every challenge that confronted him. The story of his need to take time in prayer on the mountainside illustrates that he, too, had needs that could not be ignored. Fully human himself, he, like us, had a need for comfort, encouragement and guidance and knew that those needs would somehow be met by the God with whom he had forged a close and personal relationship. His example is surely meant to show us where to turn in our times of struggle, distress and upset. Today’s gospel-reading underlines for us just who it is to whom we need to turn when we are down on our uppers. Pursuing a relationship with God in prayer is an indispensable activity for life.
