A Time of Unveiling -- A Lectionary Reflection for Transfiguration Sunday
A Time of Unveiling
Transfiguration Sunday brings to a
close the journey we call Epiphany.
Throughout this season we have considered the ways in which God is
revealed to us in the person of Jesus.
That which is veiled is unveiled.
The Word is made flesh and dwells among us. The divine encounters the human and we are
drawn into the presence of God. Now is
the time of the unveiling, when at least for a moment we are allowed to see the
glory of God, and in this moment the world is transformed.
In this Transfiguration moment there is a passing of the
mantle and a bearing witness to this exchange.
Elijah passes the mantle of prophethood to Elisha, with the prophets of
the Jordan bearing witness. Then there’s
Moses and Elijah in conversation with Jesus, essentially passing the prophetic
mantle on to Jesus – as witnessed by three of disciples. And as Paul says to us we have been given the
“light of the knowledge of God’s glory” as revealed in the “face of Jesus
Christ.” How might we bear witness to
the work of God and in that moment be transformed?
There is a strong connection between this passage in 2 Kings
and the Transfiguration story in Mark 9.
In one Elijah goes into the heavens leaving behind Elisha to carry on
the work. In Mark Elijah and Moses both
appear and then leave behind Jesus to carry on the work. Elijah is the prototypical prophet. He speaks truth to power and causes great
angst in high places. He boldly speaks
the message of God, which means that he’s not all that popular. But those who are attuned to his message,
they are loyal. At least Elisha is
loyal.
The passage in 2 Kings begins with a summary statement – It’s
time for the LORD to take Elijah into heaven.
His work is done. It’s time for
another to pick it up. But when is the
right moment. Elijah is accompanied by
Elisha, and Elijah tells Elisha to stay behind, first at Gilgal, but Elisha
won’t stay behind. Instead Elisha
says: “As the LORD lives and as you
live, I won’t leave you.” The same
response is given at Bethel, after a group of prophets come out and tell Elisha
that God is going to take away his master.
That may be, but Elisha isn’t ready to talk about it. They go to Jericho, though Elijah again tells
his disciple to stay behind. Elisha isn’t
willing to abide this directive, because as long as God is alive and you are
alive, I’m with you. They go to the
Jordan and the same thing occurs; only this time there are fifty prophets who
come out to meet them. When Elisha again
refuses to stay behind, the prophets follow them to the river, though at a
distance. Once there, Elijah takes off his
coat, rolls it up, hits the water, dividing the river so that they can walk
across on dry land.
Elisha has been true to his word. He will not abandon his master. His loyalty is resolute, but now the time
comes when Elijah must depart. Now that
they’ve arrived at the river of departure, Elijah asks his disciple and
successor – what do you want from me – and Elisha responds: “Let me have twice your spirit.” This is a bold request. Is it brash?
Is it a sense of personal need for power? Or is it simply a voicing of a desire to
continue the prophetic work that he has witnessed? Elijah
tells his disciple – “If you can see me when I’m taken from you, then it will
be yours . . .” And when the fiery
chariot arrives to take Elijah away, Elisha doesn’t flinch, but keeps his focus
until he could no longer see Elijah and the chariot of heaven. Then he takes hold of his clothes and rends
them in two, as a sign of grief. Now it
is upon him. Something similar, it
seems, happens in Acts 1, when the disciples continue looking into the heavens
as Jesus ascends. The angels must snap
them out of their gaze, so that they can continue on the work. Elisha grieves, but he must also continue on
for he asked and shall receive the mantle of his master.
In Mark 9 we have Mark’s account of the Transfiguration. Together with Peter, James and John, Jesus
goes to a high mountain. He is “translated”
(CEB) or “transfigured before their eyes.
The clothes are as bleached white, dazzling them. And Moses the Lawgiver and Elijah the prophet
paramount appear and talk with Jesus. We’re
never told what their talking about. As
a baseball fan it has the appearance of a gathering at the mound for a strategy
session. Whatever is the case, Mark
wants us to realize that Jesus stands in important company. He is one who continues the ministries of
Moses and Elijah. Their appearance
serves to bear witness to his primacy.
Peter seems to understand this.
Like Elisha he is loyal and brash.
Yes, he will flee when the time of trouble arrives, but he will also
return and will take up the mantle.
In this setting, Peter feels the need to do something. He’s not sure what that should be so he
offers to build tents or shrines for the three figures. Does he expect Moses and Elijah to camp out
with them? Or is he seeking to create a
place of reverence and even worship? Is
he affirming Jesus’ place amongst the greats of Israel’s history? Does he understand Jesus to be the recipient
of this mantle, that Jesus is the fulfillment or climax of Israel’s
history? Mark says that Peter really
didn’t know how to respond, so this was his best effort.
While all of this is going on a cloud overshadows them, even
as a cloud overshadowed Moses and Elijah had disappeared into the clouds, and a
voice from the cloud declared: “This is
my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to
him!” At that moment Peter, James and
John find themselves alone with Jesus. Does
this mean that Jesus supersedes his predecessors? Some have taken it this way, and in doing so
have denigrated Judaism. Does this mean
that the witness of the Moses and Elijah has been sufficiently affirmed by God
that their work is done, and Jesus can no go forward? We must ponder these questions. Whatever the case, Jesus is not ready for
this revelation to be made known broadly.
Not until after the resurrection will they be free to share this
word. First things first!
I close with Paul, not because Paul supersedes these first
two texts, but in part because the Old Testament reading and the Gospel reading
fit together. But I think too that Paul
is on to something. There is a sense of
veiling and unveiling going on in these texts.
Elisha must keep watching if he is to receive the mantle – keep your
eyes on the prize. Peter must keep his
eyes on Jesus if he is to fulfill his calling.
They may not completely understand, but they have seen into the other
side. They have crossed the river and climbed
the mountain. They must process the
realities they have observed and experienced, but at the right time, they must
reveal what they have seen and heard. Now
Paul’s word about the road to destruction is off-putting. It seems to suggest a sort of “double
predestination” idea. God unveils the
truth to some and keeps it veiled to others who are on the road to
destruction. I would rather see this not
as God veiling our eyes, but as our unwillingness to see and hear. Elisha must keep focused. Some are willing to do so. Others get distracted and their lives end up
on a road to destruction. I believe that
even here God is able to redeem them, but are willing to hear the witness of
God and follow it?
For Paul Jesus is the image of God. Yes, we are all created in the image of God,
but Jesus is the full embodiment of that image.
For Paul, Jesus is the second Adam, the one who walks in obedience and
shows us the way to live. We have a
choice – do we follow the first Adam or the second Adam? To follow the second Adam, for Paul, involves
preaching not one’s self, but Christ as Lord.
To do so is to be a slave for the sake of Jesus. Slavery is, for us, a rather problematic
term. Our understanding of slavery is so
defined by American antebellum slavery, and how Paul was used to upholding it,
that we’re not comfortable with it. But,
can we walk boldly, but humbly, with Jesus?
Will we, like Elisha, stand firm, come what may? If so, then will we be the means by which the
light will shine in the darkness? Paul
closes with these words:
He is the One who shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
Are we willing to look at the face
of Jesus so that we might truly see God’s glory? I know that some of my co-religionists are
uncomfortable with emphasizing the uniqueness of Jesus. I know that in the context of religious
pluralism that this emphasis is problematic, but if you remove Jesus from the
center is there anything left? In our
conversation on Islam, my Islamic scholar friend answered the question of whether
Muslims consider the Qur’an to be inerrant.
This is, he said, an article of faith.
You remove it, and the religion collapses, even as removing the divinity
of Christ pulls the rug out from under Christianity.
So I wonder, with Paul and with Mark, are we ready to embrace
a robust understanding of the person of Christ.
When we look into his face, do we see the glory of God in a way that
actually transforms our lives? Are we
any different as a result of our confession?
This doesn’t have to be seen in some kind of haughty superiority with
regard to other faith traditions. The
point is, am I a transformed person as a result of my engagement with
Jesus? Or is this simply a game to play?
I close with a quote from venerable theologian John Cobb as
recorded by Philip Clayton and Steven Knapp:
The more progressive denominations on the whole have been
losing members and resources. There are
many reasons. But I think the deepest
one may be what we do and say does not seem to be terribly important. This is true with regard to our children whom
we bring upon the church. They may have
a positive attitude toward it, but they may not see any reason to give much, if
any, of their time and energy to its support. (Quoted in The Predicament of Belief: Science, Philosophy, and Faith
, p. 151).
, p. 151).
For Paul, Elijah, and Elisha, for
Moses, and for Jesus, this is rather important.
Is it true for us? Will it transfigure us as well?
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