Transfigured Not Transformed
Mark 9:2-9
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, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
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Main Idea: The Transfiguration of Jesus was a dangerous, radical, and eye-opening event that draws our attention to the divine. It's also a reminder to the disciples and those of us reading this passage today that our identity is found in the life-giving breath of God. From the dust, the ashes of the earth, we were made and given the gift of life. This notion of coming to grasp with Jesus' and our identities especially fits with Ash Wednesday and the upcoming season of Lent.
Before we tackle the question of identity, we should be clear about the words we use in describing the type of divine events we are referring to in today's readings. In this instance, possessing a clear sense of our vocabulary will help tear away the veil that has been shrouding our vision. So let’s make a distinction between transformation and transfiguration.
Transform: Make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of.
What are a few examples of transformation? Wood breaking down into wood ash, a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, and sunlight converted into plant food are all examples of transformation. All these things are examples of dramatic change in form, appearance, and character.
Transfigure: To change the outward form or appearance of.
What are some examples of transfiguration? Someone who exercises to get in shape, someone who puts on makeup or dresses up, and a painting that has been restored might be some examples of transfiguration.
Jesus undergoes a Transfiguration, not a transformation. The divinity of Christ is on full display for the disciples on the mountain top. Nothing has changed in regards to the nature or character of Christ. Simply put, the disciples who traveled with him are seeing Jesus for who he truly is.
Standing in front of Jesus as he genuinely existed must have been a wonderful yet terrifying sight. Wonderful, because they were one of the few who experienced Jesus in his purest form, terrifying because the dazzling blaze of Jesus' appearance carried with it a hint of danger and risk.
It is an awe-inspiring feeling to be in the presence of God. We look for those moments where the mundane and the sacred intersect to reveal a glimpse of the gleaming light the disciples witnessed on the mountain top.
We are looking for hints of God in the world around us. We are looking for the extraordinary in a field of ordinary things. Moments like the one described in the Gospel of Mark are not that common. Yet perhaps they do exist more often than we realize in the mundane areas of our lives. It might only require more preparation of our hearts and minds to see these moments.
Yet, it is also a frightening experience. Why? Because it is a reminder of our mortality, our frailty. It is a reminder that from the dust we came and to dust we shall return. Apparently, the level of terror or fright was just enough that it was also dramatic and captivating enough that the disciples wanted to preserve the moment in perpetuity.
This awe-inspiring experience is not the be-all-and-end-all of our faith or walk with God. It can never serve as our final stop but instead is a reaffirmation or spurring on in our ongoing work as disciples of Christ. Jesus, who would take up the cross, died, became last in order to be first, and turned away from the ways of sin and death. In this, we find our own identity and call to accompany Jesus in his ongoing service to all creation.
The key lies in the very last word of this passage from the Gospel of Mark. Jesus came as God incarnate to conquer death, death which lays claim on our lives that were formed from the dust of the earth until God breathed life into every fiber of our being. This passage reminds us that we cannot spend our moments here on earth in stasis but in ongoing formation and reformation.
The Transfiguration of Jesus prepared the disciples and us as the church to better grasp our humility, our dusty origins, and our complete dependence on God. As we are about to embark on another Lenten journey, we should set out with hope for what is to come, hope that God is making new things, and hope that even in the dark corners of our lives, God brings us light that shines warmth and love.
“This suggests that the Transfiguration was an anticipation of the resurrection that would not be understood until the resurrection had taken place. Its purpose is to show that even before his resurrection, Jesus was who he revealed himself to be by his resurrection.” (Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics III.2)
Conclusion: As a church, as a people of faith, we must listen. Listen to the voice of God that is always calling out to us. And in our hearing, may we follow. Follow Christ, who we know to be God, and follow knowing that though we are dust, we no ordinary dust. We are people who have had the breath of God breathed into us, a breath that has set us free from the death the evil one held over us. In this season of Lent, may we hear, may we work towards loosening the chains of oppression we have wrapped around others and those who we have neglected. May we live as people who have also been transfigured, as ones who have been claimed and sealed in the love of God that is life-altering and life-changing. Amen.