Lent 2011 Week 2

Lent week 2 year A

Matthew 7:1- 8 Transfiguration of Jesus

"1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said,"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." 6When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." 8And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

 9And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead." 10And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" 11He answered, "Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased.So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands." 13Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist."

Mountains in the Jewish and Greek traditions are often associated with divine encounters. Abraham encounters the Angel of the Lord while offering Isaac as a sacrifice, Moses meets the Lord for the first time on the mountain and receives the Law on Mount Sinai. The Greek gods lived on Mount Olympus and came down to socialise with humans. The tradition is particularly relevant for Matthew, writing to Jewish Christians who are trying to understand ways to reconcile the Jewish laws and customs and the loving gift of the grace and freedom offered by a God of love, not sacrifices! Matthew is keen to present Jesus as a prophet, a new Moses, a Jewish Messiah coming to fulfil the law, not replace it.

Something happens during this prayer time! While Jesus is praying, “the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white.” Again, remember that Matthew is trying to present Jesus as the new Moses. When Moses comes down the mountain after being in God’s presence he was unconscious of his radiance with the divine presence. So much did the radiant glory of the Lord transfigure Moses’ face that he had to wear a veil. Jesus doesn't need a veil because he is the living radiance of God and the story is showing is a prefiguring of the glory of the resurrection to come. Jesus tells the disciples not to reveal this until he is raised from the dead. They probably didn't understand all that happened at the time but the light of the resurrection would make sense of the event. At the time though they are just bowled over!

Here though, with Peter and the disciples we are put face to face with awe, mystery and power. The divine presence evokes such feelings. Peter and James and John were terrified and filled with awe. Peter is doing his usual blustering for example. We wouldn't react much differently would we? Personally I'd be like Jonah, running a mile in the opposite direction.There’s the problem. The disciples, like us at times, are out of sync with God. No wonder after Jesus plainly told His disciples that He would suffer, be killed, and be raised to life He took Peter, James and John up a mountain to pray. Prayer helps see things in a different light. Jesus takes Peter as well as James and John, the two hotheads, and climbs the mountain to pray. We all live in that tension between what we see and want from God and what God sees and wants from us. Our natural instinct is no different from Peter’s, to filter life through the lens of self-interest. “God, forbid it, Lord!” Peter replies when he first hears about Jesus's death. What praying does is redirect the focus from us, to God. Jesus knows that. And so up the mountain they go. Lifted out of ourselves into the presence of God their and our perspective changes. The disciples will learn gradually, as we do in our relationship with God, who Jesus really is. At times we too have experiences that frighten us, that dazzle us, that leave us speechless with the power and wonder of God and of his creation. At the time they may not make sense but later on when we reflect on God's presence in our lives, grace can reveal itself to us.

Appearing suddenly with Jesus are Moses and Elijah. Both were taken up into heaven and both are associated with the Messiahship in Jewish tradition. Moses is connected to the law and Elijah to the prophets. Theologically, both the law and prophets testify to Jesus messiahship. The Old Testament points to Jesus and the New Testament confirms and validates the Old. This is Matthew's message to his Jewish- Christan audience. Jesus is the Messiah. Two witnesses were needed in Jewish law to valudate a claim and they had to be reputable witnesses, and Moses and Elijah were certainly in that category! Each of the synoptics has this episode in their Gospel. All have a slightly different perspective and emphasis. Its importance is shown in all three Gospels retaining this tradition.

Peter, not knowing what he was saying and being very fearful, offered to put up three shelters for them. This is undoubtedly a reference to the booths that were used to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, when the Israelites dwelt in booths for 7 days (Lev. 23:34–42). Peter was expressing a wish to stay in that place. he probably felt safe and sheltered from what was to come. We all adopt the ostrich head in the sand position at times! Life is so much comfortable when we have our duvet over us isn't it? Undoubtedly, the purpose of the transfiguration of Christ into at least a part of His heavenly glory was so that the “inner circle” of His disciples could gain a greater understanding of who Jesus was. Christ underwent a dramatic change in appearance in order that the disciples could behold Him in His glory. The disciples, who had only known Him in His human body, now had a greater realization of the nature of Christ, though they could not fully comprehend it. That gave them the reassurance they needed after hearing the shocking news of His coming death.

It too should give us assurance in Lent and throughout our lives in fact,that when the going gets tough, and we find the Gospel challenge to repent difficult, if not impossible, like the disciples found out, things will be transformed and trangsfigured in the end. What a sight we have to look forward to. When we come down the mountain and yearn for easier times, we are reminded that " Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." Rise up then when you fall this Lent and have no fear!

5 weeks to Easter...