Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-9)

LECTIO DIVINA ON THE SECOND SUNDAY OF THE LENT

Context of the scene of transfiguration in Mark 9:

• Theophany event; Central page of the Gospel of Mark. 
• The turning point of Jesus’ ministry: Until now, teaching/healing Jesus, after this, he begins his journey to Jerusalem.
• The situation of disciples; misunderstanding the identity of the Master.

LECTIO: Mark 9:2-9 (NRSV), The Transfiguration

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling bright, such as no one on earth could brighten them. 

4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 

5 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us set up three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 

7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud, there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” 

8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, but only Jesus. 

9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 

Meaning of some of the Root words:

• Μεταμορφόω – a complete change (not a mere change, but a transformation), a caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly.
• Καλός – beautiful by appearance, uncertain beauty
• Σκηνή – tent or roof (in OT it referred to the Tabernacle, where dwelling presence of God)
• ἐπισκιάζω – overshadow (Mary was overshadowed by the power of the Holy Spirit)

Context: 

• Theophany event: god the father manifestation, Central page of the Gospel of Mark. 
• Immediately before the transfiguration, Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah (8:27-30), and Jesus foretold his death and resurrection which Peter expressed serious objection (8:31-33).
• The Transfiguration is the turning point of Jesus’ ministry: after this, Jesus is faster, Until now, Jesus has been teaching and healing. Now he will begin his journey to Jerusalem, where he will die.
• Situation of disciples; until now they have not understood the identity of Jesus, son of God and son of man, Peter confessed that he was the Messiah, but partially. They forbid that he should not suffer/die. For the disciples, this scene gives hope, encouragement and reason. 

Before and after this section there is a healing of a blind man (8:22-26; 10:46-52)—but the disciples remain blind throughout. They misunderstand throughout the gospel unless undergo the same journey in their life.

During the transfiguration itself (vv. 2-9), Jesus does not speak even one word. The transfiguration reaffirms Jesus’ identity, reveals his glory, and calls the disciples to listen to him. it is an anticipation of his glory, but not real, he starts his journey again going down. Jesus is the messiah—the Son of God.

“After six days” (v. 2a) is another way of saying “on the seventh day.” Sabbath day. God created the world and man for six days and he rested. They go to the mountain on that day. 

“Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and brought them up onto a high mountain privately by themselves” (v. 2b). Peter, James, and John constitute Jesus’ inner circle. Jesus chose them to accompany him at special occasions, such as the healing of Jairus’ daughter (5:37) Jesus’ apocalyptic prophecies (13:3), and Gethsemane (14:33). Mark double-emphasizes that, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus leads these three “apart, by themselves” (v. 2), their solitude signaling an event of great significance.

“up onto a high mountain” (v. 2b). The high mountain is more significant theologically than geographically. Mount Hermon or Mount Tabor are the possibilities, but Mark does not count it important to tell us its name. mountain is the place of God experience.

Figure of Moses: Is there anyone in OT, who met God face to face? His face was shining? This account closely parallels the story of Moses at Sinai (Ex 24, 34). Three men accompanied Moses (Ex 24:9; Mark 9:2). A cloud covered the mountain for six days, and God spoke from the cloud (Ex 24:16; Mark 9:2, 7). Moses saw, at least in part, God’s glory (Ex 33:17-23; Mark 9:3). When he came down from the mountain, the skin of Moses’ face shone dazzling bright (Ex 34:30; Mark 9:3), The people of Israel were afraid (Ex 34:30). On coming down from the mountain, Moses encountered faithless “disciples” (Ex 32:7-8; Mark 9:14-29).

Changed - “and he was changed into another form in front of them” (v. 2c). On this high mountain, Jesus is transfigured (metemorphothe—changed or transformed) before them. Metemorphothe is the Greek word from which we get our word metamorphosis, which we use to describe the process by which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly—a truly dramatic transformation.

Incarnation gave him another appearance, but now fully transformed, It simply reveals Jesus’ true identity—an identity that he had from the beginning (Luke 1:31-35; John 1:1-4). Suddenly, the disciples are suddenly able to see Jesus’ glory—glory that Jesus always possessed but that has been veiled until this moment.

Jesus’ clothing becomes dazzling white, like the snow-white clothing of the Ancient of days in Daniel 7:9. In that account we read: he saw the vision of four beasts, afterwards there is son of man, who clothed white as snow, dazzling white, it was prophesied by Daniel many years ago, the son of man was wearing white as snow, 

The glimpse of Christ’s glory at the transfiguration speaks more loudly than any words to promise these disciples that Jesus’ prediction of suffering and death is not the whole picture. Jesus will undergo suffering and death, as well his disciples, but their final destination will be glory.

“Elijah and Moses appeared to them, and they were talking with Jesus” (v. 4). The order of the names is the reverse of what we would expect. Moses came first chronologically, and was the more important of the two. It could be that Mark puts Elijah first because he is remembering God’s promise to send Elijah before the coming of the Day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5). Matthew and Luke, who both use Mark’s Gospel as one of their key sources, “correct” Mark’s order (Matthew 17:3; Luke 9:30), placing Moses’ name before Elijah’s.

It has oft been noted that Moses was the great lawgiver and Elijah the great prophet, so these two men embody the Law and the Prophets. However, if Mark intended them to embody the Law and Prophets, we would expect Moses’ name to appear first so that we would have the traditional order, Law and Prophets, rather than Prophets and Law.

Tent means tabernacle, such as those in which Jews dwell to observe the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:42-44), which commemorates the Ex and the wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness. Peter is suggesting to celebrate the Feast of Booths had taken on an eschatological flavor, promising Israel’s deliverance (Evans 242).

“A cloud came, overshadowing (episkiazousa) them” (v. 7a). Throughout scripture, clouds symbolize the presence of God, beginning with the pillar of cloud that led the Israelites through the wilderness by day (Ex 13:21). The most obvious parallel is the cloud that covered Mount Sinai when Moses ascended it (Ex 24:15ff), but clouds are associated with the presence of the Lord in both testaments (Ex 13:21-22; 16:10; 19:9; Daniel 7:13; Mark 9:7; 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; Revelation 1:7; 14:14-16).

It is the same verb that is used to describe the power of the Most High overshadowing Mary (Luke 1:35), which resulted in her conceiving the child who would be the Son of God/Son of Man.

“This is my beloved Son” (v. 7c). These are very nearly the same words that God spoke at Jesus’ baptism, except that at the baptism God addressed Jesus, while on this mountain God addresses the disciples.

“Listen to him!” The disciples need to hear that. Repetition of theophany at baptism. Jesus has told them that he will suffer and die (8:31-33), but they did not listen. Even after this voice from the cloud says, “Listen to him!” they will fail to hear Jesus when he speaks of suffering and death (9:31; 10:33-34). The path that Jesus will take is so different from their expectations that they cannot accept his words. It is interesting to note that, just before the transfiguration, Jesus healed a blind man (8:22-26). Shortly after the transfiguration, he will heal another blind man (10:46-52). The disciples, however, continue not to see—not to hear—not to listen. Only after the resurrection-Emmaus experience will they begin to understand that the way to glory is through suffering and sacrifice, while breaking bread, their eyes will be opened.

“Suddenly looking around, they saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus only” (v. 8). Suddenly Elijah and Moses disappeared. Only Jesus remains because only Jesus is needed. The disciples find themselves, not alone, but in the presence of the Beloved Son of God. Elijah and Moses were no longer needed.

V. 9a: They were coming down from the mountain. It becomes difficult for the disciples to come away from fantasy to reality, It is necessary to descend into the everyday world of work and responsibility and commerce and ordinary people. Transfiguration is a beautiful/overwhelming experience of only some time, spent in contemplation and glory. But it is not a reality. Coming down from the mountain, very soon Jesus will climb another mountain Golgotha, his garments streaming with white light, will be thrown. There will not be the voice of theophany from God, but there will be the silence from god. Disciples were pleased to be near him, they would escape from him. This is the paradox of two realities of life.  

“he commanded them that they should tell no one what things they had seen: In Mark's Gospel, Jesus always kept the messianic secrecy: Earlier, Jesus told the demons not to make him known (3:12). Disciples should not speak about the master until every thing is fulfilled through his death and resurrection. Only after that, the disciples should follow the life of their Master.