Three Saviors and a Neurotic
Beside Jesus glowing for a moment, what does the transfiguration transfigure?
Gospel Reading: Matthew 17:1-9
For Sunday, Mar. 6 , 2011: Year A – Transfiguration
“And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.”
That is not a strong entrance for something, seemingly so grand. All of a sudden, they’re just up there, talking with Jesus. What could Elijah and Moses and Jesus have to talk about that is so important that it can’t wait till after the transfiguration?
What are they talking about?
Are they catching up?
Like, “Jesus, we haven’t seen you since the incarnation, how’s it going down here?” And Jesus is like, “well pretty good — I’m not gonna say there aren’t some problems…but over all not bad.” Or are they doing official business? Is there something that Elijah and Moses know, that Jesus really needs to know so they have to run down to earth and tell him right quick?
The Rabbis talk about Moses and Elijah as The Great Saviors of Israel. Moses was the first savior. He saved Israel from Pharaoh delivered the nation out of Egypt and brought the law. And Elijah is supposed to be the last savior — it is written that he will come at the end of time to save the people and put everything it it’s right order.
So is it kind of a savior-to-savior talk?
It could just be to impress Peter, James and John — it’s not just that Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus — Jesus actually knows them. Jesus is saying to Moses, “Are they looking? Are they looking? OK, pretend you’re talking to me like we’re old pals and I just said something really funny.” And Elijah and Moses go, “ha, ha, ha, ha,” and slap Jesus on the back give him a playful punch in the shoulder.
Or maybe they’re complimenting him: “Jesus, those clothes are whiter then anyone on earth could bleach them — what is your laundry secret?”
And then what happens next is kind of unbelievable. Here you have Moses and Elijah, the two great figures in history together, representing the Law and the Prophets, appearing out of nowhere and they are talking to Jesus and then Peter interrupts them! I mean where do you get that kind of nerve?
“Uh excuse me, uh Jesus.”
The text then adds, by way of explanation, Peter did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Well, yeah, that is understandable — it could be a very frightening situation — but if you’re scared and you don’t know what to say, keep your mouth shut. No one was really expecting Peter to have really anything to add to a conversation between Elijah, Moses and Jesus.
But, Peter’s like, “Uh excuse me, uh Jesus…” — Peter is like the George Costanza of first century Palestine — “Rabbi,” he says, “It is really good for us to be here, lemme tell you what I think we should do: Why don’t we make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah? — then you can sit down relax — be a little bit more comfortable while you’re talking.”
Jesus just looks at him; doesn’t say a thing.
Shut up and Listen
God does. Just then the cloud overshadows them and the voice says, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him.” I don’t know if this is in direct response to Peter’s babbling interruption. But you know when God tells you to shut up and listen — you really should.
And that’s it. That’s the end of the transfiguration — the cloud clears away. Just Jesus is left — Elijah and Moses are gone — and they head down the mountain.
The Hardest Question
The appearance of the Moses and Elijah seems so out of place, as does this moment of transfiguring, there is really nothing like it in the rest of the text. It is not referred to, and seems to have no effect on the narrative. Beside Jesus glowing for a moment, what does the transfiguration transfigure?
Russell Rathbun is a preacher at House of Mercy in St. Paul, Minnesota, the author of Midrash on the Juanitos (Cathedral Hill Press, 2010) and the curator of The Hardest Question.
I think it’s funny that in one moment, Peter says the experience is “good,” and then in another moment, he’s flat on his face on the ground in fear. It’s God’s voice that speaks in between those two moments, and God says to listen to Jesus. What’s so scary about that? Why should we be terrified to listen to Jesus?
March 2nd, 2011 at 10:41 amWe have been so focused through Christmas and Epiphany on the humanity of Jesus, that I sometimes think that we need this wake up call going into Lent. Jesus was fully human, yes, but not in a “Jesus is my homee” sort of way. The divinity of Christ is as much a part of Jesus as the humanity, and in the Transfiguration, we get a powerful glimpse of the “otherness” of God made flesh. It is God himself that is marching to Calvary over the next 40 days. Now is the time for us to “Shut up and pay attention.”
March 2nd, 2011 at 11:50 amI’ve always wondered the same thing!! And I think it’s the God thing . . . having been so focused on his humanity, we forget he’s Son of God.
March 2nd, 2011 at 12:22 pmI was intrigued by both the post and video. I forwarded it to the pastor (RCA) of my ELCA congregation. I received the following reply:
“To the question, “How do we transfigure the transfiguration?”
I reply that that is the wrong question. Christ was transfigured
to demonstrate that He is God. That’s it. End of story. There is
nothing for us to transfigure. Just figure it out!”
Is it me? Are the days of free discourse about texts past? Frankly, I am perplexed.
March 2nd, 2011 at 3:49 pmGreat question! My hardest question is why in all these years have I never seriously asked it of myself or my congregation. Right now I am thinking in terms of those shimmery images that would come in a box of crackerjacks. You know, where you see one thing, and then you tilt the picture and it looks like something else. So here the human Jesus is tilted and showing his “God Face”. I am also thinking about “uncreated light” which is also known as tabor light.
March 3rd, 2011 at 6:55 pmAND for the whimsical among us here is a link to an image of the chalk board from Harry Potter’s transfiguration class. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.britta.com/hogwarts/prep/chalkboard.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.britta.com/hogwarts/prep/index.
You had me at Harry Potter. I have been thinking about this text more and studying more and I have this obvious question. So Peter, James and John see Jesus with Moses and Elijah–Do they say, “Look! it’s Moses and Elijah!” How do they know what Moses and Elijah look like? There are no pictures, it is just Jesus and two other dudes.
Secondly, I have been counting. Jesus goes up a mountian 7 times in Matthew. The book ends on a mountian top. the great commission is issued on a mountian top. What is up with that?
March 3rd, 2011 at 10:34 pmLiked what Brian and Beverly had to say. I think it transfigures Jesus Son of God, semi-regular guy (the homee thing) into Jesus Sacrifice of God – God himself – bent on going to Jerusalem to die for all creation. It is the turning point from teacher/healer/prophet to sacrifice/savior
I don ‘t think Peter and the others were scared by the command but by the voice of God itself. If God said anything to me directly I think I would faint dead away. Or just die outright – consumed by the light, power purity and joy of God.
March 5th, 2011 at 5:06 pmIn my commentaries they only thing of significance anyone says (and they all agree) is that it’s NOT about Jesus’ divinity! I like what you are teasing out with the connection between Moses and Elijah being Israel’s saviors. So I’m curious about Jesus as the new Moses leading a new Exodus. If Jesus is a better Moses and a better Elijah where is he leading us? How is he going to save us? What is he saving us from? I might dance with the difference between liberation theology and Western evangelical theology. It seems like those in physical/social/economic bondage read this in very concrete terms. The new Exodus is just like the old one. Those with freedom and material wealth tend to read this as a spiritual exodus (Jesus will rid us of guilt and shame and make us happy just like a new car). We fight about which perspective is right, but perhaps they are both right and shouldn’t be either/or but both/and? The law of Moses is good, but the law is also weak. It can’t transform the human heart. Is it possible that Jesus comes to free us, not from the law of Moses, but to the Law of Moses? (as in the Law is written on our hearts and now we can actually do this stuff – not to earn our salvation or prove our worth, but so that others can experience life). Not sure of that makes sense. I’m going to give it a shot and see of I can get some of the wiser members of the congregation to join me in a dialog about this.
March 5th, 2011 at 5:15 pmGreat ideas. I can’ wait to use the George Costanza line! Thnaks for stirring the pot on this text.
March 6th, 2011 at 6:00 amI like the idea of Moses and Elijah representing the Law and the Prophets — basically the whole of scripture to that point. That connection is pretty obvious. What I didn’t connect until today’s sermon by Daniel Harrell was that the Law required two witnesses in any testimony. As the God side of Jesus was uncovered, revealed, the two persons representing the Law and the Prophets stood as witnesses to vouch for His being the true Son of God. And poor Peter, thinking that the Kingdom must have arrived, wants to build three tabernacles for the three saviors — only to be disappointed when they suddenly leave and Jesus for the first time explicitly refers to His rising from the dead.
March 6th, 2011 at 10:36 pmCanada Goose Jackor was one of the many species described. Canada Goose Jacka belongs to the Banta genus of geese. The specific epithet Canada Goose Expedition is a New Latin word meaning "from Canada". The first citation for the ‘ Canada …
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