CAMINANDO WITH JESUS: The Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Last Sunday after the Epiphany | February 23, 2020

By the Rev. Daniel Robayo

CAMINANDO WITH JESUS is a series of reflections on the Sunday Gospel by clergy and laity from across the Diocese.

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Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

- Matthew 17:1-9

The Transfiguration of Jesus on a high mountain is always the theme of the Last Sunday after the Epiphany. The readings and the collect of the day point to the beatific vision of Peter, James, and John, who saw Jesus “transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white” (Matt. 17:2). The Transfiguration is a pivotal moment in all the narratives of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (also known as the synoptic gospels because of their many parallels).

The word transfiguration comes to us from the Latin, meaning a change of shape, that a form different than previously perceived is now revealed. Harry Potter fans will recognize the word, referring in that case to the magical power of shapeshifting, by which a wizard becomes, for example a kitty cat. I have had children ask me if it’s the same thing as what Jesus did!

In the New Testament context, the kind of shapeshifting that Jesus experiences is not that of appearing to be something he is not. Quite to the contrary, for a moment which is as fascinating as it is terrifying, the disciples get a glimpse of what the majestic glory of God is like in the Son from before the foundation of the world. For Peter, James, and John, the Transfiguration reveals Jesus as so much more than the wise, healing, and loving teacher from Nazareth. Jesus is shown as the eternal Word. The veil of the Incarnation is briefly lifted to show the eternal Word through whom and for whom all things were made.

This text, in the synoptic gospels, is rich with meaningful detail and imagery. Note that all three place the Transfiguration as the decisive point in the ministry of Jesus: he begins the hard journey to Jerusalem the moment he descends from the mountain. It is in the strength of the Transfiguration that Jesus sets his face to go to Jerusalem—not with expectations of conquest but in the full awareness that he goes there to die. Empowered by the divine declaration that he is the Beloved in whom God is well pleased, Jesus begins his journey toward suffering and death.

Knowing himself, to the very core of his being, as the Beloved, Jesus can carry out his mission.

The voice that the three disciples heard reinforces the vision they have seen. It echoes the words pronounced at the Baptism of Jesus: “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased.” And then it adds: “Listen to him!” The message is specifically for them. Walking with Jesus means paying attention to him, taking his words to heart, and striving to live them out in all that we do. Peter, James, and John receive the grace of peeking behind the veil of mortal flesh to see the eternal Word and they hear the voice’s words so that they may continue in the footsteps of Jesus—because what is coming ahead of them will test them to their last ounce of strength of heart and soul. Only in the strength of knowing the Beloved Son are they able to walk to Jerusalem, on the way to the cross.

When you know in your bones that you are Beloved, you can do anything!

The vision and message of the Transfiguration empower us to walk in the way of the cross. We see the Godhead, veiled and revealed in Jesus and we are then able to enter into the rough and tumble of our daily lives with a greater purpose, to participate in the struggles and confusion of our world knowing that its suffering and its injustice do not get to have the last word. We go out into the world filled with hope, sustained by faith and empowered by love.

The vision and the message are not given merely for our edification but to imbue our hearts with the love of God so that we might participate in God’s mission as agents and ambassadors of Christ’s redeeming work. By the gift of creation, you and I are beloved children of God. By the grace of baptism, we are joined to the Beloved. You and I are beloved! And by the power of the Spirit, we are called to become beloved community for the sake of the world and to the greater honor and glory of our loving, life-giving and liberating God.

The Rev. Daniel Robayo is the missioner for Latino/Hispanic ministry in the Diocese of North Carolina.