36. Mark 9:2-7: Transfiguration
Peter, James, and John are among those
mentioned by Jesus in the previous verse who would live to see the kingdom of
God present in power. These three are the first of those. They see the kingdom
present in power proleptically, in advance in Jesus’ transfiguration. The six
days, the mountain, and the revelation alludes backs to Ex.24:15ff. where Moses
is summoned to the mountain to receive revelation from God. We have the same
elements here. Six days later three disciples are taken up on a mountain by
Jesus to receive a revelation. So revelation is the point of this episode. But
what is revealed?
Hurtado, like many commentators,
believes the whole scene evokes a theophany – a vision of a divine visitation
revealing Jesus as more than messiah but rather as clothed in a divine form.[1] Wright
takes a different, and in my view preferable, tack in understanding what this
revelation is about.
People are often
fuzzy about what this means. It isn’t a revelation of Jesus’
divinity; if it were, that would make Elijah and Moses divine too, which
Mark certainly doesn’t want us to think. Once again, Mark believes in Jesus’
divinity, but hasn’t yet told us why. Rather, as the similar experiences of
mystics in various ages and cultures would suggest, this is a sign of Jesus
being entirely caught up with, bathed in, the love, power and kingdom
of God, so that it transforms
his whole being with light, in the way that music transforms
words that are sung. This is the sign that Jesus is not just indulging
in fantasies about God’s kingdom, but that he is speaking and doing
the truth. It’s the sign that he is indeed the true prophet, the true Messiah.[2]
That
this experience is a divine confirmation that Jesus Messiah’s New Exodus movement
is indeed what he claims it to be makes good sense in light of the call to
discipleship he just issued with all its uncommon and radical implications!
Moses
and Elijah prepared the way for this New Exodus through the Law and the
Prophets, Jesus Messiah fulfills it. This trio of disciples sees ahead of time
the true meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection. They don’t get it, not
surprisingly. Peter wants to “freeze” the revelation here at the moment of
glory rather than let it inform his experience of what is happening with Jesus as
he makes his way to the cross. It cannot be frozen here, however. Jesus makes
the cryptic comment in the next paragraph that Elijah (John the Baptist) has
come (9:13). Therefore Jesus has more to do. His story is not yet over. There
is more to come. It cannot, must not, be frozen on the mountain!
For a
second time, the divine voice affirms Jesus (1:11): “This
is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Here sacrificial imagery (“the Beloved,”
Gen.22:1ff.) interfaces with prophetic imagery (see Dt.18:5 where Moses
promises the people a prophet like himself to whom they must listen). As Jesus
makes his way to Jerusalem, to the cross (sacrifice), it becomes more and more
imperative to listen carefully to what he has to say. For Peter and his crew
and for us!
We often want to “freeze” Jesus is our churches. In
stained glass. In our worship services. In our programs and rituals. Nice,
neat, clean, respectable. Just like Peter -a triumphant Jesus clothed in
dazzling white! But that’s to falsify Jesus and the New Exodus movement he led.
And it’s to falsify the church as well. Pope Francis got it right when he said,
"I prefer a
church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the
streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from
clinging to its own security. I do not want a church concerned with being at
the center and then ends up by being caught up in a web of obsessions and
procedures."
So does Jesus. He makes that clear in the next section of Mark’s story.
Comments
Post a Comment