Mark: The Transfiguration

It was a steep climb. The three of us were puffing and panting long before we reached the summit. Fishermen aren’t built for mountaineering. Jesus seemed fine though, if a little preoccupied. He hadn’t told us why we were climbing this mountain, or why the others had been left at the bottom. Privately, the three of us all felt rather proud that we had been chosen to accompany him, even if we didn’t know why.

The view from the top almost made the climb worthwhile, seeing our homeland spread out below us. The land Moses had led the Israelite people out of Egypt to settle. The land Elijah and the other prophets had warned would be overthrown and destroyed because of the disobedience of the Israelite people and their leaders. The prophets were right, of course. We were subject now to the Romans and to Herod, their puppet king, the last in a long line of conquerors. Was Jesus going to be the one to overthrow them, and lead us into freedom? Some of our number thought so. In whispers while he wasn’t listening they said Jesus must be the promised Messiah, the one who would bring freedom from our oppressors. They were hoping he would start a violent rebellion, overthrow the Romans, and establish a just and free nation. All the signs were there, they said. He was doing everything the prophets said the Messiah would. Surely, soon, he would declare himself.

Peter made a funny noise in his throat, and pointed at Jesus. As we looked, something happened to Jesus, something impossible to describe. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than any bleach could make them. It was like he shone.

And the four of us were no longer alone. Two figures had appeared beside Jesus. Moses and Elijah. I don’t know how we knew who they were, but we did.

All we could do was stare open-mouthed in fear and wonder. Moses, the man who had led the Israelites out of slavery, who had received the Law from God and taught it to the Israelites. And Elijah, the great prophet who had confronted the people and their leaders about their disobedience to God’s law. Two of the greatest leaders in Israel’s history, legendary figures. Moses had died long ago, before the people entered the Promised Land he had led them to. Elijah had been taken up to heaven before his apprentice Elisha's eyes.’ And yet here they were- standing on a mountain top, talking to Jesus.

Peter had to go and open his mouth, as usual, and babbled something about building shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. I mean, shelters? This was a miracle happening right in front of us, why did he think that if Moses and Elijah needed shelters they would need us to build them? Was he thinking that they’d come to stay and needed somewhere to live?

Suddenly the sky darkened, and a voice came from out of the cloud- just like it had for the Israelites when God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai and gave him the Ten Commandments. The three of us cowered in fear.

“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

The cloud lifted, and the light came back. When we dared to look up, Jesus was standing there, alone, normal. It was as if nothing had happened.

As we went down the mountain Jesus told us not to tell anyone what had happened until “the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” We didn’t have a clue what that meant, but after what we had just seen we weren’t going to object. Jesus talked about suffering, reminded us that Elijah had had his share of tough times because he did what God told him to. He was trying to warn us that he would suffer too. Death, suffering- it didn’t sound much like the victorious messiah the other disciples talked about. But the voice from the cloud had called him Son. What did it all mean?