Gospel Notes by Michael Whelan SM
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead” (Matthew 17:1-9 – NRSV).
Introductory notes
General
See also Luke 9:28-36 for a similar account. Both Matthew and Luke are dependent on Mark 9:2-8. Peter also refers to this event – see 2 Peter 1:16-18.
These three – Peter, James and John – seem to form an inner circle. They were among the first disciples whom Jesus called (Matthew 4:18–22). All the Gospels “make it clear that the three formed something of a unit and that they were especially close to Jesus. In the Greek they are linked by a single definite article; Matthew regards them as in some sense a unity” (Leon Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, W.B. Eerdmans, 1992, 438). Jesus will take the three with him when he is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37).
Perhaps there is a connection with the Matthew 16:28: “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom”.
Specific
Six days later: This could be a reference to God’s self-revelation to Moses on Sinai: “The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days” (Exodus 24:16).
a high mountain: Theophanies usually occur on mountains. Sinai is perhaps the most significant such mountain in the tradition. Jesus has given the Beatitudes on the mountain (Matthew 5:1). After the resurrection the disciples gather at the mountain where Jesus had directed them (Matthew 28:16).
Transfigured: “There on the mountaintop Jesus was transfigured. There is a variety of translations; for example, GNB reads ‘a change came over Jesus’, and Cassirer, he ‘was transformed’. I have retained the conventional and somewhat obscure word transfigured because in fact we do not know exactly what happened, and this word at least brings before us the truth that Jesus underwent a unique transformation before the disciples. Matthew selects two features of this change, the first being that Jesus’ face shone like the sun. This is a detail we owe to Matthew; Mark says nothing about Jesus’ face, and Luke tells us that while Jesus was praying the appearance of his face ‘became other’ but he does not tell us in what way it was ‘other’; only Matthew speaks of it as shining. He goes on to say that Jesus’ clothing became white as the light. The shining of the face indicates unusual radiance. It is perhaps curious that his clothing became white as the light, for we do not normally regard light as being white (though we can use the expression ‘white light’). The meaning appears to be that even Jesus’ clothing became splendid in appearance. J. Behm understands this as the ‘transformation from an earthly form into a supraterrestrial’, and he explains further, ‘Before the eyes of His most intimate disciples the human appearance of Jesus was for a moment changed into that of a heavenly being in the transfigured world’.” (Leon Morris, op cit, 438-439.)
There are other references to “transformation” in the New Testament that, in their obvious difference to this event, show up its uniqueness. For example: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2) and “all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). In this event of Jesus’ “transfiguration” described by Matthew, the “the disciples receive a preview of glory that will belong to Jesus in the eschaton and the fullness of God’s kingdom” (Daniel J Harrington, The Gospel of Matthew, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2007, 253).
Moses and Elijah: There was a tradition among the Jews that, at the end of time, the great figures of Jewish history would re-appear. Moses is the great lawgiver, Elijah is the great prophet. This is the “end time” and Jesus stands at the centre of it: “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” This could also be a re-affirmation of Jesus claim that he has come to fulfill the law and the prophets – see Matthew 5:17.
Peter is gob smacked! In this state of stupefaction he makes an absurd suggestion: “Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’.” We are reminded of the theophany involving Isaiah: “The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’” (Isaiah 6:4-5) This lends a particular tenderness to Jesus’ response: “Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid’.”
bright cloud: The cloud, heralding God’s presence, is a common biblical image – see Exodus 16:10; 19:9; 24:15–16; 33:9. See also 2 Maccabees 2:8: “the glory of the Lord will be seen in the cloud.”
“Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead”: As the little group is “coming down the mountain” – and that is a highly symbolic note in the drama being described here – Jesus speaks of this event as part of the total saving event of his life, death and resurrection. In particular, they will remember this moment of glory when he rises from the dead.
Reflection – Alone
In today’s Gospel – Matthew 17:1-9 – we are told that, in the presence of Peter, James and John, Jesus is “transfigured … and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white”. We are also told that Moses and Elijah appear. Mark and Luke give similar accounts of this “experience”. Scholars believe Matthew and Luke drew on Mark for their accounts. Peter seems to be recalling this same “experience” in 2 Peter 1:16-18. We will never know for sure what did happen.
However, even if we do not know exactly what happened, all the accounts suggest something wonderful and beautiful and profound. That mood is quickly replaced by a contrasting mood. Matthew – together with Mark and Luke – uses a word that is ominous, resonant with foreboding. The word is monos. It means “alone” or “only”: “when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone”.
Jesus then turns to the three disciples and says: “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead”. “The experience ends abruptly. Before the eternal glory of Jesus can begin to take its permanent form, he must make his way to the Cross in Jerusalem” (Daniel J Harrington, The Gospel of Matthew, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2007, 254).
Jesus had to face the experience of alone-ness and the inevitability of loneliness. It is part of being human – a particularly uncomfortable part. But no one can live our alone-ness or loneliness for us. And that is just as well, because it is an essential part of our unique journey to becoming who we are. How else can we be unique? How else can we claim integrity as this person, made in the image and likeness of God? In fact, our experience of alone-ness and loneliness provides us with a precious opportunity to be at one with Jesus. He stood alone in the midst of the disciples and crowds who sought him out. Could it be that he felt most alone and lonely when he was being told how wonderful he was?
Escape is not possible, though our world offers us many avenues for escape and lots of encouragement to pursue one or other of those avenues. But attempted escape brings misery on ourselves and others. We cannot meet others when we have not met ourselves. Living what must be lived and facing what must be faced, is the birthplace of compassion.
Thomas Merton offers a wise reflection: “What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it all the rest are not only useless but disastrous. Proof: the great travellers and colonizers of the Renaissance … In subjugating Primitive worlds they only imposed on them, with the force of cannons, their own confusion and their own alienation” (Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert, New Directions, 1960, 11-12).
Fr Michael Whelan SM – Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent “Alone” – YouTube