Today's Gospel reading, Mark 9: 2-13, presents the transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up to Mount Tabor, where He is transfigured before them. His "clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them alone with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus....Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over... [Peter, James and John]; then from the cloud came a voice, 'This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.' Suddenly,..., looking around, the disciples no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them."
Imagine being one of the three disciples. You have been following Jesus for three years. You know Him intimately as a human being. It was revealed to Peter prior to this experience, however, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who came down from heaven, taking on human form. Then this! Wow: clothing "dazzling white"--the glorified Jesus! Furthermore, they see Jesus speaking with the prophet Elijah and Moses, who had been chosen by God to be His instrument in freeing the Chosen People from slavery in Egypt.
Scripture scholars tell us that Jesus, Elijah and Moses were discussing Jesus' upcoming death and resurrection--Jesus would be returning to the glory He left when becoming incarnate. This was part of Jesus' preparation for that event of death having no power over Him (nor over us)! The transfiguration was also preparation time for the three disciples who would accompany Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus' agony was so great that He sweat blood and where He said to the three disciples: "I am sorrowful even to the point of death" (Mark 14: 34)! On Mount Tabor, the disciple's faith in Jesus is reinforced by both the vision and the voice of the Father saying: This is my beloved son; listen to Him."
The crucifixion, without the resurrection or belief in the resurrection, would have been overwhelmingly crushing! So, too, in our future deaths. We know death has no power over us. As with Jesus, we, too, following our deaths, will rise to new life, a life with no end, no more suffering, no more pain, a life of glory. We will arise to a life of eternal bliss, as planned by God from the beginning of the world. Nothing will become between us and God's love and mercy!
This is my belief! What is yours?
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