Luke 9:28-36 (GNT)
28 About a week after he had said these things, Jesus took Peter, John, and James with him and went up a hill to pray.
29 While he was praying, his face changed its appearance, and his clothes became dazzling white.
30 Suddenly two men were there talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah,
31 who appeared in heavenly glory and talked with Jesus about the way in which he would soon fulfill God's purpose by dying in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and his companions were sound asleep, but they woke up and saw Jesus' glory and the two men who were standing with him.
33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
34 While he was still speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow; and the disciples were afraid as the cloud came over them. 35 A voice said from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen—listen to him!”
Mark 4:35-41 (NRSV)
35 On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.”
36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took Jesus with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.
37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.
38 But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
39 Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.
40 Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”
41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
36 When the voice stopped, there was Jesus all alone. The disciples kept quiet about all this and told no one at that time anything they had seen.
28 About a week after he had said these things, Jesus took Peter, John, and James with him and went up a hill to pray.
29 While he was praying, his face changed its appearance, and his clothes became dazzling white.
30 Suddenly two men were there talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah,
31 who appeared in heavenly glory and talked with Jesus about the way in which he would soon fulfill God's purpose by dying in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and his companions were sound asleep, but they woke up and saw Jesus' glory and the two men who were standing with him.
33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
34 While he was still speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow; and the disciples were afraid as the cloud came over them. 35 A voice said from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen—listen to him!”
Mark 4:35-41 (NRSV)
35 On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.”
36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took Jesus with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.
37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.
38 But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
39 Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.
40 Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”
41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
36 When the voice stopped, there was Jesus all alone. The disciples kept quiet about all this and told no one at that time anything they had seen.
Reflection : The Transfiguration
You have to wonder about the Transfiguration; so much happens in these 8 verses. And I have so many questions: What really happened?, What is the significance of Moses and Elijah especially in light that Jesus went away from this mountaintop experience and said nothing to anyone?, not even the other disciples? Why wouldn’t Jesus (and God) want to mark the spot where God entered the earthly realm?
But maybe we just take it for granted, another story on Jesus’ way to the crucifixion! Like Jesus is baptized and God speaks, Jesus is transfigured and God speaks. OK onto the next story; Jesus is Jesus, after all
But transfiguration: Jesus’ face changes, his clothes turn dazzling white and I’m guessing he has a holy aura about him, Moses and Elijah figure into the picture – it all tells me there is something big going on here – Jesus is changed!
Moses who went up Mt Sinai / sometimes referred to as Mt Horeb and talked to God for 46 days and came down with the 10 commandments, that same Moses who was not allowed to enter the Land of milk and honey after 40 years of wandering and leading them through the desert.
Elijah who went up Mt Carmel to challenge the prophets of Ba’al and is the only remaining prophet of Yahweh at that point – by the way he wins but Jezebel puts a contract out on his life (another story for another time) later he spends 40 days and nights making his way to Mt Sinai or Horeb. There Elijah faces wind, earthquake and fire, but God is not to be found within those powerful forces. Finally, in the quiet aftermath, Elijah hears the small voice of God’s whisper.
Moses, the leader who brings the Law to the people of Yahweh and Jesus the harbinger the Law of the New Covenant, Elijah the prophet confers with Jesus the prophet, both from whom Jesus learns his future. Their lives are testaments to the enormous odds facing people who strive to do God’s will.
So the momentous occasion is tempered by the shadow of the future, and when the disciples wake and see Moses and Elijah and Jesus all together – it’s like Hanukkah and your birthday and the birth of your first child all in one – not what any Jew would expect but hoped for anyway; no wonder Peter misconstrued the situation. How could this be anything but good news! Wouldn’t you have to celebrate such an occurrence; we have to mark this as a sacred place, a sacred event, and a holy day!
But Jesus had just been told that his fears about going to Jerusalem and coming up against the powers of the temple are a fulfillment of God’s will for his life. It is part and parcel of his following Yahweh.
Do we really wonder that a dark shadow suddenly fills the whole place and God’s voice affirms not the fate of Jesus but saying: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” And then Jesus and the disciples are alone and going back down the mountain and they did not say anything more about what had happened.
You know as Christians, we somehow expect that things will work out for the best, that God is on our side, that right wins, that love overcomes, that…. I don’t know; that somehow we will be spared, at least, some of the pain that life brings. But it seems that Christianity doesn’t work that way at all. Christians are spared none of the life’s disappointments or worries. We have all experienced loss, grief, and fear in our lives.
Maybe this juncture between baptism and crucifixion is the point at which Jesus could turn back, could come down from the mountain into the valley, back to the real life and just melt into the crowd and out of history.
Maybe but he doesn’t. “ This is my Son, whom I have chosen, listen to him!”
With great strength, courage and determination Jesus and the disciples go down the mountain, with great faith Jesus continues on his journey and mission.
This is a faith I think we can barely comprehend, at least, I can barely comprehend it even as I admire and desire to emulate it. Jesus’ faith, Paul’s faith, St Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu… there are so many people who embody this faith, whose strength and perseverance, whose footsteps followed their hope and God’s will for their lives.
The kind of faith that Jesus calls forth when he stills the wind in our second reading from Mark. That scripture passage is a good metaphor for life, for the times when all is upheaval around us, when we’ve heard the worst news in our lives again, when things are not in our control, when we don’t know what to do and there is nothing we can do.
And that is what it was like for the disciples that day. Jesus had spent the whole day teaching to a large crowd by the lakeshore, he’s exhausted. He asks the disciples to sail over the other side of the lake, to get away from the crowds and maybe spend some time alone with his disciples. When they get in the boat Jesus goes to sleep.
The disciples are not only fearful in the storm that whips up suddenly – out of the blue with no warning –
they know what this storm means – they have seen disaster on the water before, they are scared for themselves and the other boats. When they go to wake Jesus they can’t believe that he hasn’t woken up in all the turmoil, the wind and the waves and the shouting. Doesn’t he see what is going on around him?, doesn’t see what danger they are in? Apparently not, but he wakes up and rebukes the wind! He rebukes the wind telling it to be still!
Let me tell you there are times when I would like to rebuke the wind – and maybe you would too. What would you say to Putin today? – rebuking the wind; you see. All those things and people and institutions that are not in our control and are too big and wild for us even to think we could influence them.
But Jesus just stands there and brings peace to the region, the wind is stilled, the waves are calm and Jesus turns to the disciples and says “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”
Yes I know the disciples are amazed, and maybe even start to look at Jesus differently: after all he stopped the storm. But what intrigues me is that he makes it a matter of faith. Have you still no faith? In Luke 8:25; Jesus says: “Where is your faith?”, in Matthew 8:26 Jesus replies to their plea for help with: “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”.
In times of trouble, of turmoil, of upheaval where is our faith? Does Jesus turn to us and say “Have you still no faith?” Is that an invitation from Jesus for us to notice that we do have faith, maybe lots of faith that we don’t even consider acknowledging, - we have faith we don’t even know we have.
At those times in our lives when we pray because it is the only thing we can do, those times when we don’t even know what to pray for or what words to use and yet we pray. We have faith that we will get through our personal storms, that we will ride out the wind and the waves; and the winds will cease sometime and the waves will be calm sometime and we will still be standing and praying.
And God will be us through it all: economic hardship, illness to be overcome or lived with somehow, relationships breaking down or starting up or reviving, loss of a parent or a sibling or child, the death of dear friends, times that we think will kill us: that our hearts will be broken and never mended, that our spirits will be broken and never lift up again, that our COVID days will never end, that wars will begin and never end.
And yet things do change, we change, events and people change us, Jesus went up on a mountain to pray and came back changed. When he came down that mountain it wasn’t to an easy life and a happy fairy tale ending, Moses and Elijah didn’t come to celebrate the day,
they came to bring him an idea of what lay ahead of him, they came to give him solace and courage and strength because they, too, had walked the path that followed the will of God for their lives.
Faith joined these three sons of God together, faith joined
the disciples together and faith joins us together today: the faith that whatever happens in our lives, whatever storms we face, whatever crisis erupts in the world; our God is a loving God who cares about and for his creation. Our God did not allow the crucifixion to be the last word in Jesus journey, and we believe in faith and in truth that God is with us, we are not alone.
May it be so. Amen
You have to wonder about the Transfiguration; so much happens in these 8 verses. And I have so many questions: What really happened?, What is the significance of Moses and Elijah especially in light that Jesus went away from this mountaintop experience and said nothing to anyone?, not even the other disciples? Why wouldn’t Jesus (and God) want to mark the spot where God entered the earthly realm?
But maybe we just take it for granted, another story on Jesus’ way to the crucifixion! Like Jesus is baptized and God speaks, Jesus is transfigured and God speaks. OK onto the next story; Jesus is Jesus, after all
But transfiguration: Jesus’ face changes, his clothes turn dazzling white and I’m guessing he has a holy aura about him, Moses and Elijah figure into the picture – it all tells me there is something big going on here – Jesus is changed!
Moses who went up Mt Sinai / sometimes referred to as Mt Horeb and talked to God for 46 days and came down with the 10 commandments, that same Moses who was not allowed to enter the Land of milk and honey after 40 years of wandering and leading them through the desert.
Elijah who went up Mt Carmel to challenge the prophets of Ba’al and is the only remaining prophet of Yahweh at that point – by the way he wins but Jezebel puts a contract out on his life (another story for another time) later he spends 40 days and nights making his way to Mt Sinai or Horeb. There Elijah faces wind, earthquake and fire, but God is not to be found within those powerful forces. Finally, in the quiet aftermath, Elijah hears the small voice of God’s whisper.
Moses, the leader who brings the Law to the people of Yahweh and Jesus the harbinger the Law of the New Covenant, Elijah the prophet confers with Jesus the prophet, both from whom Jesus learns his future. Their lives are testaments to the enormous odds facing people who strive to do God’s will.
So the momentous occasion is tempered by the shadow of the future, and when the disciples wake and see Moses and Elijah and Jesus all together – it’s like Hanukkah and your birthday and the birth of your first child all in one – not what any Jew would expect but hoped for anyway; no wonder Peter misconstrued the situation. How could this be anything but good news! Wouldn’t you have to celebrate such an occurrence; we have to mark this as a sacred place, a sacred event, and a holy day!
But Jesus had just been told that his fears about going to Jerusalem and coming up against the powers of the temple are a fulfillment of God’s will for his life. It is part and parcel of his following Yahweh.
Do we really wonder that a dark shadow suddenly fills the whole place and God’s voice affirms not the fate of Jesus but saying: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” And then Jesus and the disciples are alone and going back down the mountain and they did not say anything more about what had happened.
You know as Christians, we somehow expect that things will work out for the best, that God is on our side, that right wins, that love overcomes, that…. I don’t know; that somehow we will be spared, at least, some of the pain that life brings. But it seems that Christianity doesn’t work that way at all. Christians are spared none of the life’s disappointments or worries. We have all experienced loss, grief, and fear in our lives.
Maybe this juncture between baptism and crucifixion is the point at which Jesus could turn back, could come down from the mountain into the valley, back to the real life and just melt into the crowd and out of history.
Maybe but he doesn’t. “ This is my Son, whom I have chosen, listen to him!”
With great strength, courage and determination Jesus and the disciples go down the mountain, with great faith Jesus continues on his journey and mission.
This is a faith I think we can barely comprehend, at least, I can barely comprehend it even as I admire and desire to emulate it. Jesus’ faith, Paul’s faith, St Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu… there are so many people who embody this faith, whose strength and perseverance, whose footsteps followed their hope and God’s will for their lives.
The kind of faith that Jesus calls forth when he stills the wind in our second reading from Mark. That scripture passage is a good metaphor for life, for the times when all is upheaval around us, when we’ve heard the worst news in our lives again, when things are not in our control, when we don’t know what to do and there is nothing we can do.
And that is what it was like for the disciples that day. Jesus had spent the whole day teaching to a large crowd by the lakeshore, he’s exhausted. He asks the disciples to sail over the other side of the lake, to get away from the crowds and maybe spend some time alone with his disciples. When they get in the boat Jesus goes to sleep.
The disciples are not only fearful in the storm that whips up suddenly – out of the blue with no warning –
they know what this storm means – they have seen disaster on the water before, they are scared for themselves and the other boats. When they go to wake Jesus they can’t believe that he hasn’t woken up in all the turmoil, the wind and the waves and the shouting. Doesn’t he see what is going on around him?, doesn’t see what danger they are in? Apparently not, but he wakes up and rebukes the wind! He rebukes the wind telling it to be still!
Let me tell you there are times when I would like to rebuke the wind – and maybe you would too. What would you say to Putin today? – rebuking the wind; you see. All those things and people and institutions that are not in our control and are too big and wild for us even to think we could influence them.
But Jesus just stands there and brings peace to the region, the wind is stilled, the waves are calm and Jesus turns to the disciples and says “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”
Yes I know the disciples are amazed, and maybe even start to look at Jesus differently: after all he stopped the storm. But what intrigues me is that he makes it a matter of faith. Have you still no faith? In Luke 8:25; Jesus says: “Where is your faith?”, in Matthew 8:26 Jesus replies to their plea for help with: “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”.
In times of trouble, of turmoil, of upheaval where is our faith? Does Jesus turn to us and say “Have you still no faith?” Is that an invitation from Jesus for us to notice that we do have faith, maybe lots of faith that we don’t even consider acknowledging, - we have faith we don’t even know we have.
At those times in our lives when we pray because it is the only thing we can do, those times when we don’t even know what to pray for or what words to use and yet we pray. We have faith that we will get through our personal storms, that we will ride out the wind and the waves; and the winds will cease sometime and the waves will be calm sometime and we will still be standing and praying.
And God will be us through it all: economic hardship, illness to be overcome or lived with somehow, relationships breaking down or starting up or reviving, loss of a parent or a sibling or child, the death of dear friends, times that we think will kill us: that our hearts will be broken and never mended, that our spirits will be broken and never lift up again, that our COVID days will never end, that wars will begin and never end.
And yet things do change, we change, events and people change us, Jesus went up on a mountain to pray and came back changed. When he came down that mountain it wasn’t to an easy life and a happy fairy tale ending, Moses and Elijah didn’t come to celebrate the day,
they came to bring him an idea of what lay ahead of him, they came to give him solace and courage and strength because they, too, had walked the path that followed the will of God for their lives.
Faith joined these three sons of God together, faith joined
the disciples together and faith joins us together today: the faith that whatever happens in our lives, whatever storms we face, whatever crisis erupts in the world; our God is a loving God who cares about and for his creation. Our God did not allow the crucifixion to be the last word in Jesus journey, and we believe in faith and in truth that God is with us, we are not alone.
May it be so. Amen
