Being Transformed on the Mountain

But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.

Luke 9:32 NKJV

Jesus took Peter, John, and James up the mountain to pray with him, in an act that does not appear to be unusual. This time, however, something happens that is indecipherable to our minds. While Jesus was praying, Moses and Elijah appeared. The former represents the Law; we know that he was buried by God, but the location of his burial is unknown, as his body was never found. Elijah is the prophet par excellence in Israel. Scripture states that he was taken up in a chariot of fire and that, therefore, his body was not buried. The three disciples, in addition to being presented with the vision of two figures from the past, were spectators of another extraordinary event: they saw Jesus' face change and his clothes become dazzling white. With human words, the evangelist tried to describe something beyond our reach. The attempt, however, highlights our human limitations when we relate to the supernatural. The participation of men in the flesh, with all their carnal limitations, would suggest their total involvement, even though Luke is merciless in reporting that the three were weighed down and overcome by sleep. We have no knowledge of the time that elapsed between the arrival and the manifestation. When they were fully awake, they saw what was being revealed: the glory of God and two “men” in the company of Jesus.

In a retrospective re-reading, we can deduce that, in the presence of the Law and the Prophets, Jesus came to be their fulfillment. The law of Moses and the proclamation of the prophets found their fulfillment in the manifestation of the Son of God. Jesus came to show God's work to humanity, which based its expectations on the law of Moses and the texts of the prophets. He did not come to deny either of them, which is why Moses is on one side and Elijah on the other, summarizing Scripture, because whatever part of it we read, the ultimate goal is Christ glorified. The experience granted to the three disciples is the discovery that behind the humanity of the son of the carpenter Joseph there is God. They realized that Jesus is the Son of God; they had the experience of those who see something that cannot be put into words, of those called to proclaim not only the law and the prophets, but Jesus the Christ. Let us focus more on praying with Him. Those who want to serve the Lord must have an attitude and readiness to pray, which is not an attempt to escape from the world or evade problems, but a constant search for God's help. Jesus himself used to withdraw into prayer at the end of the day to seek the Father's help (Mark 1:35).

All the more so for us. Doing so testifies to a responsibility towards our calling and a sensitivity towards those entrusted to us. At the same time, this episode reminds us that time with God is also the place of our possible change, because prayer pushes us to be made more conformed to the image of Jesus. The alternative would be to be transformed by all that evil against which we no longer fight and which is part of ordinary action. Prayer in the presence of the Word (Law and Prophets) is not a virtuous action to be performed for vain display, but an act of protection to prevent evil from deforming our souls, making us indifferent or demotivated. Like the three, I too want to be taken by Jesus and led up the mountain (v. 28). Here I will begin to fight against that laziness that gradually leads to temptation and allows you to be enveloped by it. Above all, I will resist the slumber of time that wants to extinguish hope and atrophy the will to love; I will rise from the weariness that makes me distrust others. There were three of them to help and encourage each other. Let us do the same. Let us strive not to be overcome by sleep, but let us rest our limbs in prayer.

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Weekly Bible Reading Plan #08

February 16, Leviticus 19-20; Matthew 27:51-66

February 17, Leviticus 21-22; Matthew 28

February 18, Leviticus 23-24; Mark 1:1-22

February 19, Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23-45

February 20, Leviticus 26-27; Mark 2

February 21, Numbers 1-2; Mark 3:1-19

February 22, Numbers 3-4; Mark 3:20-35