ON MOUNT TABOR THE DISCIPLES RECEIVE THE REVELATION OF THE SON OF MAN IN A FORM TRANSFIGURED BY DIVINE LIGHT

In the evangelical narrative and in the Lenten journey, another framework is thus added which helps to answer the question we asked at the beginning: Who is he? Now it is the Father himself who reveals the profound identity of Jesus not only to those who witness it on the Mount of Transfiguration, but also to readers and believers in Christ: He is the Son. A theology very present in the Gospels that brings to mind what is written in the First Gospel, when Jesus says: “No one knows the Son except the Father”

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Embark on the Lenten journey it means asking ourselves again the fundamental question about Jesus: Who is he? In the same way as the disciples sitting on the boat tossed by the waves, figure of the Church in the post-Easter period, who woke up the sleeping Lord at the stern and when the storm was calmed they wondered: «So who is he?, that even the wind and the sea obey him?» (MC 4, 41). Mark's story of the Transfiguration that we read on this second Sunday of Lent seeks to answer this question.

"During that time, Jesus took Peter with him, James and John and led them to a high mountain, on the sidelines, them alone. He was transfigured before them and his clothes became dazzling, very white: no fuller on earth could make them so white. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Taking the floor, Peter said to Jesus: “Rabbi, it's nice for us to be here; let's make three huts, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah". In fact, he didn't know what to say, because they were scared. A cloud came and covered them with its shadow and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the beloved: listen!”. And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone, if not Jesus alone, with them. As they came down the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen, except after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. And they kept the matter between them, wondering what it meant to rise from the dead". (MC 9,2-10)

All three Synoptic Gospels they place the Transfiguration in the same context, that is, after Jesus' announcement of his passion. For the reader, a bridge is thus created between the public ministry of Jesus and the death that will take place in Jerusalem. But also a connection between today's proclamation of Jesus "Son of God", that is heard from the cloud, and two other similar ones. That of Baptism, When: «A voice was heard from heaven» saying «You are my beloved Son, I am pleased with you" (MC 1,11); and the other, which is found only in Mark, at the beginning of the Gospel, in the first verse of the first chapter: "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God".

It is very likely that the episode narrated, originally, it was a story of the appearance of the Risen One, that Marco, who excluded such stories from his narration, would have placed it at the center of the Gospel, immediately after Peter's messianic confession, to balance the announcement of the death destiny of the Son of man (MC 8, 31) with the proleptic vision of his glorification (MC 9, 2-13). A choice that would also have determined its placement in Matthew and Luke. Supporting this hypothesis is the fact that throughout the three stories the disciples' misunderstanding of Jesus remains intact., despite some having witnessed such a sensational event. While, placed after his death, the story takes on a crucial meaning. It's the turning point. The three disciples receive the revelation of the Son of man in a form transfigured by divine light. After his death, they have the vision of Jesus placed on the same level as Moses and Elijah, that is, of two biblical figures already raised to celestial glory, and they hear the proclamation of his divine election, the same one that resonates at the moment of baptism. Finally the disciples "know" who Jesus is, and it is in the light of this understanding that the historical and initial episode of baptism takes on its "true" meaning of divine investiture.

In the verse preceding the scene of the Transfiguration that today we read in the Liturgy Jesus says to his disciples: ' Verily I say: there are some present here, who will not die without seeing the kingdom of God come with power" (MC 9,1). Six days after this announcement Jesus brings Peter, James and John with him on a high mountain, in a secluded place, and is transfigured before them. The episode is not only described by all three Synoptic Gospels, but also from the Second Letter of Peter. There the Apostle recalls and writes that he was an eyewitness of the greatness of Jesus:

«He in fact received honor and glory from God the Father when this voice was addressed to him by the majestic glory: “This is my beloved Son, in which I am pleased". We heard this voice coming down from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain." (2PT 1,16-18).

Unlike Baptism, where the voice that proclaims Jesus "Son" seems to have been heard only by Him, in the Transfiguration the words are addressed to the disciples, who cannot ignore them: «Listen to him». It is in fact important that at the moment in which Jesus announces his passion the idea that God will not abandon his Son is reiterated, even if he will be handed over for crucifixion. This will not cloud the Father's faithfulness, so that even the harsh announcement of the passion and death are within the Gospel, they are the good news that the reader needs to be aware of, in the same way as the disciples who had that experience.

Pietro, together with his companions, he is the one who needs to listen to Jesus more than anyone. After the confession of Caesarea Philippi, he demanded to stand in front of him to avoid his pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This is why Jesus calls Peter "Satan" (MC 8,33), but then invites him to go up the mountain with him. In other words, here we are faced with the reaction of God to Peter's disbelief. Not only. If the disciples must prepare for the passion of their master, Jesus also needs instructions to undertake "his exodus", as he will specify Luke in 9,31: Moses had led the Jews out of Egypt, Elijah had retraced his steps, and now the Messiah, helped by those who have lived a similar experience of suffering and liberation, he will be able to go decisively towards Jerusalem.

The traditional interpretation of the presence of Moses and Elijah on the mountain he says, indeed, that they would represent the torah e i Propheti, that is, all Scripture before Jesus. But today we rather think that the meaning of their presence is important if it refers to what Jesus is experiencing at the moment he climbs that mountain. Moses and Elijah experienced events comparable to Peter's reaction to the announcement of Jesus' passion mentioned above. The analogy between the events is given by the way in which Jesus interprets Peter's refusal: like a new temptation, similar to those at the beginning of his ministry; thus Moses experienced the golden calf and Elijah experienced the flight towards Horeb. These two events took place right on a mountain, after a failure of the people of Israel who had, in the first case, built an idol and, in the second, supported the priests of Baal against whom Elijah had to fight. In the face of these two disappointments, both Moses and Elijah ask God to die (cf.. Is 32,32; 1Re 19,4), ma, in response, instead, both are granted the vision of God. Moses, scared, But, he hides in the cliff (Is 33,21-22), and Elijah covers his face (1Re 19,13). While then they did not see God, now they finally stand before Jesus, in his glory and no longer veil their faces; they are no longer afraid of him, because «Jesus, the "beloved Son" of the Father (MC 9,7), "the chosen one" (LC 9,35), he is himself the visibility of the Father: «Who saw me, he saw the Father" (GV 14,9). In him Moses and Elijah meet, they see Jesus in glory, and they bring him their comfort. At the end, the Father confirms to the three disciples, Peter included, the path that Jesus will have to take" (M. Gilbert).

In the evangelical narrative and in the Lenten journey thus another framework is added that helps to answer the question we asked at the beginning: Who is he? Now it is the Father himself who reveals the profound identity of Jesus not only to those who witness it on the Mount of Transfiguration, but also to readers and believers in Christ: He is the Son. A theology very present in the Gospels that brings to mind what is written in the First Gospel, when Jesus says: “No one knows the Son except the Father” (Mt 11,27).

From the Hermitage, 24 February 2024

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