Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John 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 dazzling white. 3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4Then 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.’ 5While 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!’6When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ 8And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
9 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.’
Translation: And after six days, Jesus takes alongside Peter and James and his brother John with him and brings them up into a high mountain by themselves. And he was transformed before them and his face shone like the sun, and his garment became white as the light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking together with him. But Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you desire, I will make three tents here--to you, one, to Moses, one, and to Elijah, one. Yet, while he was speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This one is my son, the beloved, in whom I am well-pleased. Hear him." And when the disciples heard, they fell upon their face, and they were struck with great fear. And Jesus came and touched him, saying, "Be raised up and do not be afraid." And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. And as they were coming down out of the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "You may not speak of the vision to anyone until the son of humanity has been raised out of death."
Background and situation: The primary source is Mark--the parallels are Mark 9: 2-9 and Luke 9: 28-36. Both Matthew and Luke follow Mark fairly closely, but with some "tweaks" and changes. As in Mark, Matthew's account of the Transfiguration follows Jesus' remarks about suffering and cross.
Prior to that, Mark has Peter's confession--"You are the Messiah"--and his subsequent rebuke for not understanding the theology of the cross. Matthew has a similar scene, including a rebuke, but over-all makes Peter look much better than Mark does.
In fact, in Matthew, Jesus gets rather gushy about Peter. Right after Peter makes his confession that Jesus is the "Messiah, the son of the living God," (16:16) Jesus says, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!...you are Peter, and on this rock,I will build my church...I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven..." (Mt 16: 17-19)
The Metamorphosis: "And he was transformed before them and his face shone like the sun, and his garment became white as the light." Our vision is clouded. "Now we see through a glass darkly," said St. Paul. In the "transfiguration", however, the veil is pulled back for a glimpse of the universe's essential spiritual reality, the centrality of Jesus in the world of light.
Continue reading "Lectionary blogging: Transfiguration: Matthew 17: 1-9" »