Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
“Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
“Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
-Matthew 3:1-12
The Transfiguration Gospel Reflection
The story of the Transfiguration of Jesus is transfiguring for Peter, James, and John – and, hopefully, for us too!
I ask myself – if I were one of those three, what would I have thought about Jesus’ identity before ascending the mountain? I would have thought that Jesus is the Messiah, the man who Nathan prophesied to David about: “I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.” (2 SAM 7:12) The key here is that the Messiah was a man! Jesus appears to be a man like Peter, James, and John are men.
What happens to the appearance of the man, Jesus, after they ascend the mountain? Jesus’ appearance was transfigured: “His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light.” Not only that, but Moses and Elijah appear and converse with Jesus.
Peter offers to build tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Then: “A bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.”
This makes me think of Moses’ reaction when he heard God speaking to him from the burning bush: “Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” (EX 3:6) I think Peter, James, and John knew it was the voice of God coming from the cloud!
Next comes, for me, the key moment of insight in this reading: “But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and do not be afraid.’” I hear that fear of the Lord is natural for a sinful human being, but that if I rise and follow Jesus, I need not be afraid!
Not only was Jesus’ appearance transfigured on the mountain, but I believe that Peter, James, and John’s view of Jesus’ identity was being transfigured as well. God the Father revealed to them that Jesus is His Son. I don’t think they would fully understand the divinity of Jesus until sometime after the Resurrection. So, it made sense that, as they descended the mountain, Jesus told them: “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Come, Holy Spirit! Help me to continue transfiguring my life. When my spirit falls to the ground in fear and/or shame, help me to look up to Jesus – and then to rise, listen to Him, and follow where He leads me!
