We did not follow cleverly devised myths
when we made known to you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Peter was an eyewitness to the majesty of Jesus in particular when he saw the face of Jesus "changed in appearance and" when "his clothing became dazzling white." This was something similar to but greater than what happened to Moses when he received the law and "came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God" (see Exodus 34:29). Even more than Moses, whose face alone was changed, Jesus came to resemble the Ancient One from the prophecy of Daniel, whose "clothing was bright as snow and the hair on his head as white as wool". It is no wonder Peter felt that need to push back against the idea that he was speaking in mythical or symbolic language. It would have been easy to dismiss his words as mere allusions to the Old Testament. But he insisted that he, with James and John, "have been eyewitnesses", that they really saw with their own eyes what they described. With their own ears they really heard the voice of the Ancient One saying, "This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased". By this declaration the Ancient One, in effect, gave to Jesus "dominion, glory, and kingship" giving him a "dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away" and kingship that "shall not be destroyed". He thus fulfilled the promised made to Mary by the archangel Gabriel that "he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end" (see Luke 1:32-33). Peter was at pains to say that, yes, he was aware it was incredible, but it was real. John too was insistent that he was not talking about myths or symbols, but rather that "which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched" (see First John 1:1).
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah
Moses represented the law, Elijah the prophets, and together the bore witness to Jesus, just as Paul wrote, saying, "the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it" (see Romans 3:21). Elijah came in person on behalf of all of the prophets, to demonstrate that to "him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name" (see Acts 10:43).
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
The sight of the transfiguration was so intense as to overwhelm Peter, John, and James. It was as though to behold it used the entirety of their strength. It was indeed, in some sense, as though to see the face of God induced an experience very much like death (see Exodus 33:20). The girl Jesus raised he himself had described as only sleeping (see Matthew 9:24). So too when Stephen was martyred and surrendered his spirit it was said that "he fell asleep" (see Acts 7:60). In this sense, then, to become a witness of the transfiguration, to fall asleep and then become fully awake, was to share in advance in the resurrection. Thus the "two men standing with him" at the transfiguration pointed ahead to the resurrection when, "behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel" (see Luke 24:4). Thus it was all the more important for those who described it to ensure that no one thought this account of the transfiguration was only a myth, because doing so would also help to ensure that the solid historical fact of the resurrection would not be similarly dismissed.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
This was the cloud of Shekinah glory that filled the holy of holies, the power of the Most High that Gabriel promised would overshadow Mary (see Luke 1:35), the Holy Spirit himself. The voice who spoke was the Father, yet his message was only to defer to his Word, who was the summary of all that he had to say to the human race, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him".
So, then, this account was no myth. But what does it mean for us in our own day? Peter tells us, saying "we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts" (emphasis mine).
Our world is still to a great extent a dark place. We are still being led on the "exodus" from death and sin to life and righteousness. Even the voice of the Father calling Jesus his "chosen" reminds us of the suffering servant of Isaiah, "my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights" (see Isaiah 42:1). Following Jesus means that we don't get to stay on Mount Tabor. We must continue on to Jerusalem and to Calvary. At times things may become so difficult that we begin to wonder if maybe it was in fact all a cleverly devised myth after all. But if we stay attentive to the lamp of God's word, as Peter instructed, it can provide the light we need until we too partake of the glory of the resurrection and "the morning star rises in our hearts". It may not always look like it to an external observer, but it is meant to be the case that "we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (see Second Corinthians 3:18).
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment