His Clothes Became Dazzling White

His Clothes Became Dazzling White

Second Sunday of Lent

February 25, 2018

Today is the second Sunday of Lent. Our Gospel reading is about the transfiguration. This is about Jesus who, together with three of his disciples, went up on a mountain, and there was transfigured in such an incredible way right before his disciples’ eyes. The gospel narrates:"his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them.” Then as Jesus was transfigured, Moses and Elijah appeared to be speaking with him.

This imagery of a radiant being on top of a mountain is similar to Israel’s description of how God appeared to them at Sinai. In the book of Exodus, the people described how they saw God this way : “the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on top of the mountain” (Exodus 24: 17). Since the people could not see the face of God but could only see the devouring fire that emanated from his face, they used the term “the glory of the Lord” to describe God’s presence. What the three disciples saw on that mountain was Jesus who was transfigured into “the glory of the Lord.” Clearly, the gospel is telling us that the transfigured Jesus is the image of God himself.

This imagery of divine radiance continues further with Moses and Elijah. In the book of Exodus, Moses had to put a veil on his face after speaking to Yahweh since his face emitted such a bright and blinding light when he spoke to the people (Exodus 34). In the second book of Kings, Elijah was taken up to the heavens by a blazing chariot of fire, a dazzling fiery sight as it streaked through the heavens ( 2 Kgs 2). People, like Moses and Elijah looked transfigured themselves, as they encountered the divine in their lives.

The disciples of Jesus, after having witnessed this indescribable apparition, could no longer remain logical. The Gospel suggests that they were all terrified. The sight of Jesus in dazzling splendor would have created such an unforgettable impression on the three disciples as they  saw their Master transfigured into the likeness of God himself.

But what happens next becomes puzzling to the disciples and to every reader of this gospel passage. Knowing how overwhelmed his disciples were after witnessing his transfiguration, Jesus gave them a stern warning not to tell anyone about what they saw until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. The gospel tells us that the disciples were perplexed at what “rising from the dead” meant. But equally perplexing is the command of Jesus for them to remain silent about the whole thing.  So why did Jesus command them to be silent then?

Bible scholars believe that the command of Jesus for people to remain silent about his miracles or great deeds is a literary style used by the evangelist Mark to highlight an important point about Jesus. For Mark, the revelation of who Jesus really is, is not fully disclosed through his miracles or his great deeds but only when he dies on the cross. In using this literary style, Mark tells us that we do not know Jesus completely until we see him dying on the cross.  This is supported by the fact that it is only after Jesus dies and breathes his last on the cross is his identity fully revealed when a centurion, who stood facing the dead Jesus on the cross said:  “Truly this man was God’s Son” ( Mark 15:39).

The transfiguration shows us the Lord’s divine nature revealed to us in all its radiance, splendor and glory.  But it also tells us that the glory and splendor of his divinity cannot be fully understood if it is taken away from the reality of his suffering and death on the cross. It might be easier for us to accept a Jesus who is all powerful and clothed in majesty and splendor. But it is much harder for us to understand and accept a Jesus who is helplessly hanging on a cross, a Jesus who was finding it hard to breathe as he was dying alone and abandoned. Indeed, it is very difficult for us to accept the idea of a suffering and helpless God. 

During the transfiguration, a cloud covered the mountain and a voice was heard saying: “ This is my beloved Son, listen to him!” Those words of the Father should make us think for a while. Jesus was God’s beloved one. Yet this beloved one was not spared from suffering and dying.  This makes us wonder why the Father did not spare his only Son from dying on the cross but instead freely and willfully gave him up to die for our sake.  The act of the Father giving up Jesus for our sake should lead us to reassess how each one of us is valued by God.

This Gospel episode, on one hand, makes us realize that as followers of Jesus, it gives us much joy to know that one day, we too are destined to share his glory and splendor. But it should also make us realize on the other hand, that embracing the difficulties and burdens we carry in our daily lives gives us a clearer picture and definition of who we are as followers of Christ. Glory and sacrifice are two sides of the same coin for a follower of Christ.  One is inseparable from the other. And one cannot understand one without the other.

But if there is one important thing that this gospel episode has revealed to us is the reality that we are indeed so much loved by God. We are so much valued and loved by the Father because he did not spare his own beloved one for our sake so that we may live our lives free from fear and anxiety, knowing that we are truly loved by him. Amen.