Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
Luke 9:28-36
One of two options for the Gospel reading this Sunday, this is the account of what’s called the Transfiguration of Christ. The story is told in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) with some subtle variations between them. For example, the change in appearance of Jesus’ face and garments is in all of them, but only Luke tells us that this happened while Jesus was praying. (There’s quite a lot about prayer in Luke’s Gospel.) Jesus is joined by key figures from his history – Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the prophets).
It’s clear Peter, James, and John don’t quite know what to do with this sudden manifestation of divine glory around Jesus – well, who would?! Peter’s suggestion that they make three dwellings there is often taken as a wish to linger in this extraordinary moment on the summit instead of going back down the mountain to ordinary life. There’s probably something in that, for who doesn’t want to prolong a special moment? At the top of a mountain, and with only a few other companions there, everything seems simple; the familiar routines and frustratingly difficult people we encounter on normal days are another thing entirely.
What are we to make of this? Two main possibilities have been suggested: either this is a sudden revelation, to those three key disciples, of the divinity of Christ, or it’s a post resurrection appearance being read back to a time just after Jesus has predicted his forthcoming death (eight days earlier). Both remind us that Jesus isn’t just a wandering teacher, but God incarnate, God come to share our earthly life, with all the power and glory that goes along with that. What’s challenging about this is the instruction the voice from heaven gives to the disciples: ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ How well are we listening to Jesus?
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