Matthew 17:1-9

 SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT – YEAR A 

Commentary of Fr. Fernando Armellini

A good Sunday to all. 

Every year, on the second Sunday of Lent, we are offered the story of the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain. What was it about? Perhaps it was a miracle of Jesus to show some hint of paradise to three of his disciples —not to everyone—only three privileged ones? 

If this were the case, today's Gospel text wouldn't have much to tell us except to arouse envy with Peter, James, and John. The narration of the intense, disturbing spiritual experience that the three disciples of Jesus had is not about this. 

These three were probably the most prepared to understand and internalize what the Master wanted to show about his identity. Jesus was not the Messiah that they expected, and to comprehend the Messiah of God was not easy for them. Only these three perhaps began to intuit something more about Jesus than the others in the spiritual experience Jesus introduced them to. 

To describe it, the evangelist uses biblical images, which must be remembered; otherwise, the message is lost. We will try to discover the meaning of these images. Matthew has written this page not to tell another episode of Jesus' life. NO. He wanted to offer us the opportunity today to have the experience that these three disciples had on the mountain. 

If we fail to contemplate the transfigured face of Jesus, we will not succeed in giving him the ability to be his disciple. We will not have the courage to translate his life proposal into practice. We must make this experience of the transfiguration of Jesus. 

In today's text, the evangelist wants to introduce us to this experience. 

Let's listen to the narration: 

“Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” 

The text begins with a date indication: "Six days later." The gospel stories are placed next to each other without indicating time. Why is it mentioned here: ‘Six days later’? It is a clear invitation to find out what happened six days before. 

The group of disciples, along with the Master, were in Caesarea Philippi, and it was there that Jesus put this question to them: "Who am I to you?" And Peter had replied: "You are the Messiah." Jesus approved Peter's answer, and then he continued presenting, for the first time, what his destiny would be. He would go to Jerusalem, and there, the elders, the chief priests, and scribes would judge and kill him, but this would not be the end. His death would be for a glorious destiny: the resurrection. 

Peter completely disliked this first announcement of Jesus’ passion, and taking Jesus aside began to rebuke him. The verb used by the evangelist is ‘epitimao,’ which is the verb that Jesus uses when he expels demons. Peter is exorcizing Jesus ...  ‘what do you say, Jesus?’.

In the Old Testament, it is not said that the Messiah of God will be under the protection of the Lord and that he will be a glorious victor. And Jesus will rebuke Peter and say: ‘You are Satan,’ that is, ‘you want to hinder the path that the Father has set for me. Go behind me... don't stand in front to show me the way, go behind me, Satan, because you think according to the criteria of the world, not according to God. You follow people's reasoning. But you must get away from this reasoning and then be part of the new world group I'm starting to form.

The ancient world was one where the law was that of the strongest, who prevailed, dominated, and abused others. So, Jesus is forming this little group that must present an alternative world to the old one. It will not be the world of dominators but of those who serve, and Peter doesn't want to accept it. 

What does Jesus do? Take a group of his disciples, probably the most prepared to accept the novelty, and take them to the mountain. And here begins the presentation of the necessary conditions if we want to be introduced to this experience of the discovery of the glorious face of Jesus, that is, of his transfiguration. 

And the first condition is to be accompanied by him to go to the mountain. The mountain is not a hill; the text says it is a high mountain, that is, it reaches heaven, reaches God. In the Bible, the mountain indicates the world of God. If you want to find the Lord, if you're going to accept his thinking, his way of evaluating, of judging, it is necessary to disconnect with the plain, where all the people are, where certain kinds of speeches circulate, of reasoning that has nothing to do with God's way of thinking. 

Peter thinks according to the ordinary people because he is in the plain. That's why Jesus now accompanies him, along with James and John, to the mountain, to introduce him to the way of seeing Jesus's face according to the light of God. Jesus moves away from the plain. And we also need to make this experience... If we do not see this transfigured face, today's Gospel text is useless. We must make this experience. Therefore, let Jesus accompany us to the mountain; let's get away from how people judge. 

The second condition: Jesus takes them apart. And this is what we are invited to do. If we want to experience the thoughts of the Lord, we must create a space where we isolate ourselves from noise, confusion, and even the important worries of everyday life. We must enter moments of silence and solitude to think about the essentials of life. 

When we are totally absorbed by the problems of material life, agitation, and stress, we no longer have time to reflect and think. Let us now listen to what happens to those who maintain these moments of intimacy with the Lord; they depart from the people's way of thinking and get involved in the thoughts of God. “And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.” 

What happens on the mountain? The three disciples see Jesus transfigured. The verb "metamorphómai" means they have attended a metamorphosis of Jesus. We know what metamorphosis is. The worm appears despicable and disgusting, but that is not its identity. It is a butterfly, therefore beautiful and lovely. 

In his announcement of the destiny that awaited him, Jesus appeared as a failure in the eyes of those in the plain who qualify as successful people according to their criteria. According to the criteria of this world, Jesus was not particularly attractive. He had introduced himself as the servant of the Lord, mentioned by the prophet Isaiah: despised, rejected by the people, a man of pain who knows to suffer; one that before his presence people cover their faces because they are frightened when they look at him, despised, he has no appreciation—and judged as an executed, as punished by God. He is not a person to admire according to the criteria of this world. 

What happens on the mountain? Judgments and evaluations change, and they turn around. There, you see the true identity of Jesus. This is what the disciples discovered. Jesus had to go through what people see as a failure to show them his true glory: the glory of the one who loves. Here, two biblical images present this metamorphosis, which they have witnessed: "His face shone like the sun." The sun is the image of the glory of God for the fullness of light it has and, especially, for its incorruptibility. Galileo discovered sunspots, but before, it was believed that the sun was perfect and incorruptible. 

This is the image as the authentic face of Jesus is presented, like that of God, who is the sun, as Psalm 86 says. And wrapped in light like a mantle, says Psalm 104. Then, the white garment: "His clothes turned white as light." The white color is characteristic of the world of God because it always refers to light. Clothing is the outward manifestation of a person's identity and, therefore, his doing. 

And what is transparent about Jesus, about his clothes, what is he wearing? Light. This light is nothing else than the love of God that manifests as light through Jesus. And in no one like in Jesus has this light of God's love manifested. These images of light also appear at Easter: the angel of the Lord who descends from heaven, rolls the stone, and sits on it, and its appearance is brilliant, and his snow-white clothes. This light is the sign of God's presence, and God's presence in Jesus is perfect... it was the same God who manifested himself in all his glory. 

The glory of God is not a human success; it is the manifestation of his love. Now, the evangelist brings two Old Testament characters to the scene: Moses and Elijah. Why do these characters appear in the story of the transfiguration? Because both have climbed the mountain, as the disciples have done. And they went up the mountain to see the glory of God, but they did not see it. They intuited something, but they did not know the glory of God because the glory of God is only seen on the mountain when one finds Jesus. In him, the glory of God shines in fullness. 

Moses had asked the Lord: ‘Show me your glory.’ And the Lord answered him: ‘You cannot see my face because no one can see my face and live.’ And Moses enters the cave, and God puts his hand on his face and says: ‘You'll see me when it's happened; you'll see my back, but you can't see my face. You cannot contemplate the glory of God.’ 

It is also the case of Elijah. Because he had killed the priests of Baal, he fled and was persecuted by Jezebel. He thought he had done a good thing because his image of God was that of the triumphant God, showing his power. Then, he escaped to the desert and was disgusted with God because God was not on his side against Jezebel. This was the image of God that Elijah had in mind. He had not seen the true face of God, of that God who manifests his glory in love, not in the dejection of the enemies as he thought. And he climbs the mountain; there is the conversion of Elijah. The conversion of the image of God that he had cultivated: the earthquake, the manifestation through force, and thus imagined the strength of God. NO. God was not in the earthquake; God was not in the fire; God was not in the impetuous wind that lifts the stones. Then a gentle breeze appeared, and Elijah covered his face because the glory of God that he still could not see was passing. 

Only on the mountain is there dialogue; they come face to face with Jesus. The image that the apostles had of God should be confronted with a true revelation of the glory of God that is not that of power but that of love. It is a strange glory, not expected. It is not what people expected: the image of a terrible God with sinners, a legislating and righteous God, a God who wants to be obeyed and be served. NO. It is the God of love. The God who has taken the form of a slave to serve people. And this glory had not been seen by Moses and Elijah. That is why they must also confront the glory they imagined with the glory that shines on the face of Jesus. 

If we do not do this metamorphosis experience and don't realize that the glory is in loving and giving life as Jesus did, then we will not have the courage to give our adhesion to this proposal of life Jesus asks of us. Let us now listen to Peter's reaction to this revelation that he did not expect, facing this metamorphosis of the slave that is now presented, in the light of God, as the Lord: “Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, and then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Peter exclaims: "Lord, it is good that we are here.” He has been delighted with beauty. What beauty is it? First of all, the beauty of the face of God. 

The God we see in Jesus is ‘beautiful’. A certain image of God presented in catechesis was not "beautiful" and some still maintain it. It means they have not had the experience of contemplating the face of God in Jesus. Peter discovered it. We are invited to see the beauty of this face by going up the mountain and separating ourselves from that image of God that we have manufactured to be able to contemplate the face of God we see in Jesus. Peter has understood that the beauty of the true man is the person who loves and donates their life. 

So, is contemplating this beauty enough, or must it be translated into action? That is, return to the world in concrete life and put on this beauty and light, becoming transparent of the beauty we have contemplated in Christ. If we understand that the meaning of life is to donate, we must start serving the brother and sister. Peter says, "If you wish, I will make three tents here." 

He who builds a tent means he wants to stay there. Contemplating this beauty is not enough; it is necessary to come down the mountain, return to everyday life, leave the church, and start loving. Return to work, to one's social responsibilities; develop the profession one has but in a different way from how it is done in the plain. 

The profession is exercised to serve, not to emerge, to seek the boastfulness of this world. Our Sunday liturgy should be covered with this perspective to be authentic and beautiful. Return to the world clothed in the light of Christ. Recall also that Moses had a lighted face when he came down from the mountain. 

Also, the Christian: if he has been on the mountain and contemplated Christ's beauty, he returns covered with this light. It is what Jesus says: 'You are the light of the world.' Not our light, but the light that reflects that of God and Christ. 

“While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them." It is another biblical image. It is the cloud that accompanied the people on the desert road. The cloud is like a caress. The cloud of God indicates the presence of God that envelops those who have understood this beauty of Christ, and going down the mountain, you should have this feeling that is the truth: always feel involved in the tenderness of God that accompanies you in the concreteness of life. Then there is the voice of heaven. When this image is used in the rabbinic world, they want to present God's vision of what is happening. And this voice presents Jesus as the ‘beloved son.’ 

In the Semitic culture, ‘son’ is the one that resembles the father and is presented here as the perfect image of the Father. In him, the Father of heaven is pleased; he resembles the Father perfectly. This voice of God appears twice in the gospel. The first is baptism when the heavens separate and the voice from heaven says: "This is my son, my beloved, the favorite in which I am pleased." It does not say, "Listen to him," because he has not yet spoken, and he has not shown his face yet; it is at the beginning of the public life of Jesus. 

And the second time this voice is heard is in the transfiguration and adds: "Listen to him." Listening to him refers, first, to the proposal he has made: ‘If you want to come after me, give up thinking about yourself’; choose to be a servant to whom everyone can give orders; offer your life for love; listen to him if you too want to be sons and daughters of the Father of heaven. If you want this beauty also to appear, that shines on the face of Jesus. And this ‘listen to him’ is more than a mandate; it is almost a plea born from the tenderness of the Father's love that seems to tell us: ‘I suggest you; I beg you, I recommend you, listen to him if you don't want to make a mistake in life.' It is a strong proposal. 

Let's hear now what the reaction of the disciples is: 

“When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, ‘Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’” 

"The disciples fell prostrate and were very much afraid." They were very scared because they understood what it meant to welcome the beauty they had seen in Jesus in their own lives. It means donating one's life. 

If someone is not afraid, it means that they have not understood. Perhaps they think that to be a disciple, it is enough to follow some religious practice... And with religious practices, one doesn’t get scared. However, one gets worried when it is understood that one's life must be donated. Our instinct leads us to defend our existence and, therefore, to use all the surrounding reality, things, and people to protect ourselves and live our lives. 

Jesus asks for self-renunciation. The ideal person in the world lacks nothing and uses everything and everyone to be well and enjoy life. This is not the "beautiful" man we find in Jesus. He makes another proposal of man: a realization of life that is paradoxical because it is beyond what can be verified, of what man can control, afraid that in the end, one repents of not having enjoyed life as everyone does. 

Not in serving others but in serving oneself. It is the fear of throwing the seed in the ground. And this is what Jesus says: ‘If the seed that falls on the ground does not die, remains alone, if instead it gives its life, then it bears much fruit.’ They're scared. "Jesus came over, touched them, and said: “Rise, and do not be afraid.” Rising up means standing up. It is the verb of the resurrection. ‘Don't be an old man but a resurrected man to this new life that you have contemplated in me.’ "When the disciples looked up, they only saw Jesus." 

Here is the invitation that Jesus also gives us: Raise our eyes to contemplate only Jesus’ beauty and not to be enchanted by any other appearance of beauty that is the reality of man's ideals in this world. 

I wish everyone a good Sunday and a good week.