The Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, 2023
Luke 9,28-36
Rev. Neli Miranda
The
Feast of the Transfiguration is a major feast celebrated by various Christian
traditions. It began in Eastern Christianity and was gradually introduced into
the Western church and was declared a universal feast by Pope Callixtus III in
1457. Its institution was linked to an event of war: “the victory” of Christian
troops against the Turks in the battle of Belgrade on August 6, 1457. And its
observance was fixed as a thank offering for that “victory”. Surely, Jesus
would not have wanted his glorious transfiguration to be connected to an event
of war and death! In our Anglican tradition, this feast was included as a
lesser feast in the English Prayer Book of 1561. However, it later was changed
to a major feast in the American Book of 1892 remaining so to the present day.
Why
do we continue celebrating this feast today, and as Christians in the XXI
century, how do we read and interpret the transfiguration of Jesus?
Today’s
Gospel begins by telling us that Jesus went up on a mountain to pray. In Jewish tradition mountains had a spiritual
meaning. A mountain was a place to meet with God and ascending it meant an encounter
with God who very early was known as El Shadday, the “God of the
mountain”. When God appeared to Moses
for the first time, it was on Mount Sinai known as the “Mountain of God”, where
he was called to lead the liberation of his people from Egypt. It was also at Sinai
where Moses received the Law from God. And, when he came down, his face shone
as we read in the first lesson, “the
skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God (Exodus 34, 29). What would the world be like if we all had a
daily encounter with God? We would find radiant faces in the streets, in
offices, in schools, in churches...!
The prophet Elijah also encountered God on the
mountain. While he was going through a big crisis, he walked to the mountain of
God and there he experienced God who strengthened him to continue his prophetic
mission among the people of Israel. Both Moses and Elijah encountered God on
the mountain, and they would later flank Jesus on the mount of the
transfiguration.
Jesus went up on the mountain several times,
especially to pray. His transfiguration on the mountain takes place on the way
to Jerusalem, at a crucial moment in the Gospels. It is preceded by his first announcement
of his forthcoming suffering in Jerusalem and his resurrection. Luke keeps
silent about the disciples’ response to Jesus’ shocking announcement, but Matthew
and Mark tell us of a scandalized Peter who tries to dissuade Jesus to take the
path of the cross. Jesus calls Peter Satan for trying to take him away from the
path of God, and then, he calls the crowd with his disciples and says, “take
up your cross and follow me”.
Some days later, Jesus went up on the mountain
taking with him three of his disciples: Peter, the most scandalized by the
announcement of the cross, and John and James who very likely were scandalized,
too. Perhaps they were going through a crisis of faith after Jesus’
announcement, so Jesus takes them to the mountain to pray, to find an answer. On the mountain, as Jesus was praying, Luke
says that “The appearance of his face changed,
and his clothes became dazzling white (9,29). Jesus’
closeness
to God, his commitment and his fervent prayer change his appearance, and the
disciples witness a glimpse of the glory of the risen Jesus. These images reveal
in advance the upcoming victorious resurrection of Jesus.
On
the mountain, Moses and Elijah come to stand beside Jesus; they assist him and speak
about his coming departure, the new exodus, which
he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. This exodus recalls the
liberation of the Israelites from Egypt led by Moses. Jesus is now leading the
new exodus that will liberate humanity from the yoke of death. Also, he
is going to die as a prophet in Jerusalem because of his message. He is going
to fulfill both roles, Moses’ and Elijah’s by bringing to completion the divine
plan.
While all this is happening, Luke tells us that
the three disciples, “were weighed
down with sleep” (9,32). A similar situation
is described by Luke when Jesus prays in the garden just before his arrest. He
is in the company of the same three disciples, and “When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them
sleeping because of grief” (22,45).
One notes that the experience of these disciples reveals the human nature that
avoids pain. They do not want Jesus to go to the cross, and they do not want to
take up their crosses and follow him. However, in his transfiguration, Jesus reveals
to them that the end of the way of the cross is not death but a glorious
resurrection.
While experiencing this glorious moment, Peter attempts to freeze it
and offers to make three dwellings: one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for
Elijah. Perhaps, once again, Peter is tempting Jesus to avoid the cross, but he
gets no answer and while he is speaking, the glory of God overshadows them, and
a voice from the cloud says, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”
Listen to him! This is the
answer the disciples heard on the mountain in their encounter with God.
Dear sisters and brothers, there are many voices in our midst
today. Who do we listen to? Although there are many voices, only one tells us
“Take your cross and follow me”. Are we willing to commit ourselves to follow
Jesus? Are we willing to follow him to Jerusalem to confront the oppressive
powers?
Sisters and brothers, we continue to celebrate the Feast of the
Transfiguration because as disciples of Jesus, it invites us to go up on the
mountain for an encounter with God, to revitalize our faith, to reaffirm our
commitment by witnessing the glory of the risen Jesus, and it invites us to
hear the divine voice that tells us “This is my Son, my Chosen; LISTEN TO
HIM!” Amen.
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