Friday, August 11, 2023  

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Today’s Scripture Reading 
Mark 9:2–13

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. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean. Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He said to them, “Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.” (NRSV)

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Reflection

The story of Jesus’ Transfiguration is a difficult one to wrap our minds around — although perhaps that challenge is part of its purpose. The setting of this scene is rich and layered, containing numerous allusions to other biblical passages: God appearing to Moses on Mount Sinai, Jesus standing alongside and yet above two of the most revered figures from Israel’s history (Moses – Law; Elijah – Prophets), and callbacks to Jesus’ baptism in God once again proclaiming that “this is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased”). The promises of past, present, and future intermingle in this scene, giving us a small sense of the wider arc of the story God is authoring while also blurring the lines between heaven and earth.

The Transfiguration is looked at as one of the major liminal events of the Gospels and in many church calendars it is placed at the conclusion of the Epiphany season as part of the continued revelation of Jesus’ mission and purpose. Connecting with this passage on a personal level might feel difficult, but it remains important for understanding who Jesus is — not just for its original audience, but for us as well.

Jesus has indeed come to blur the lines between human and the divine, enlisting the people of earth for the purposes of heaven. So as we seek to build the kingdom and kindom of God among us, may each of us grapple with the ways that we both strive for and fall short of that heavenly purpose — taking inspiration once more as we try to imitate Jesus’ example.

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Prayer
Holy God, it is humbling to know that you’ve called me to follow your holy way. Inspired by the life and ministry of Jesus — fully human and fully divine — may I strive to be ever closer to you. Amen.

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Written by Matt Helms, Associate Pastor for Children, Family, and Welcoming Ministries

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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