Mark 8:34 – 9:13
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
You know a big thing is going to happen when a mountain is introduced. Abraham and Isaac, Moses and the 10 commandments, Elijah and the prophets of Baal, Jesus’ temptation…
This moment becomes another defining one for the 3 disciples. Jesus has taken Peter, James, and John up to this mountain top and they witness the most amazing thing. Jesus transfigures. His clothes become “a dazzling white”, Mark tells us. Matthew’s account describes His face shining as well, much like Moses’ did when he spoke with God on the mountain. Can you imagine what must have been going through the minds of the disciples, as they watched their Teacher speaking with Elijah and Moses?
Then a cloud appears. In scriptural imagery, the cloud speaks of the presence of God. Consider the cloud that covered Moses on the mountain as he conversed with God and the pillar of cloud that accompanied the Israelites through the desert. From within the cloud comes the voice of God: “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.” And then, everything is suddenly over and they see “only Jesus”. The Jesus of everyday life, looking similar to anyone else.
Peter wants to build 3 tents so that everything can stay just as it was. Sometimes, after we have a “mountain top experience”, we want to stay in that moment. But life doesn’t happen there, life happens in the valleys.
This moment on the mountain gets us to look forward – either to the resurrection of Jesus or the glory of the second coming. Peter’s reaction also gets us to look forward to life with God, so that we will say in eternity, ‘It is good for us to be here’.
In prayer we can rest at times and just be glad, happy, and content to be with Jesus, in his presence and in his love. The transfiguration was for the benefit of the disciples, for their faith and confidence in the lasting glory of Jesus at bad times. It can be the same of each of us in prayer, still today.
Joyfully Yours 