Sunday, January 13, 2013

What Happened on that Mountain?

What Happened on that Mountain?
Mark 9:2-13
            The transfiguration is a great story, but it’s a little confusing.  What’s the point?  Why does Jesus include the disciples?  What is their function?  Oh, I know, they were witnesses, but to what purpose?  Did Jesus bring them along to prove his divinity?  Shortly before this (Mark 8:27-30), Peter acknowledged Jesus as the Christ—the Messiah.  This confession came after the disciples had witnessed healing miracles and other demonstrations of his power—power unlike anyone who had appeared before.  What further proof did they need of his divinity?
            I’m not sure I can answer any of these questions, but they nag at me.  Like many people, I want to understand as much of the Bible as possible.  I know I’ll never understand it all—not in this lifetime; but I want to comprehend as much as the limits of my mind will allow.
Please don’t misunderstand.  I don’t want to challenge the biblical record.  While I am by no means a biblical literalist, I believe there has to be something behind these stories.  I know the Bible contains many confusing and even contradictory passages, but it is the record of God’s interaction with humankind, and at its heart is truth.  Something happened on that mountain, and three human beings were witnesses to it.  I want to try to understand what happened and why it happened.
Nor do I want to explain it away.  There are many who try to come up with a logical explanation for all of the Bible’s illogical passages.  They try to explain in human terms how something extraordinarily superhuman could have happened.  That’s not me.  I accept that God can do whatever God wants to do.  As C. S. Lewis said, Jesus Christ was exactly who he said he was (the Son of God), or he was a madman or a charlatan.  There’s no middle ground here.  Jesus either healed people or the gospels are a complete lie.  Jesus was transfigured on that mountain and talked with Moses and Elijah, or somehow, through some illusion, the three disciples were tricked into believing that’s what they saw—or they outright lied to enhance the reputation of their master.
Having said all this, what can we take away from this story?  What message does it have for us?  Those of us who call ourselves Christians accept Jesus’ divinity.  We don’t need more proof.  My main question is: why the witnesses?  Jesus could have begged off from his teaching and healing to be on his own if he needed to commune with his predecessors—or could he?  If he had gone off by himself, wouldn’t the people have followed him—at least some of them?  In previous chapters Mark tells us how they chased Jesus around Galilee.  Perhaps taking the three disciples with him protected him from having others follow, both his supporters and the crowds that always gathered round him.
But what did Jesus want Peter, James and John to see?  We are told by people who study the Bible that this occurrence connected Jesus to the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah), the two great strains of Jewish religious history.  Was this it?  Did God want to give Jesus complete legitimacy in the eyes of his followers?  “This is my Son.  He not only has my backing, but he is in direct line with the great teachings of Israel’s past.  Listen to what he says.”  Then why did Jesus tell them to keep it to themselves until after his resurrection? 
Perhaps this was not for the disciples at all.  Perhaps this was for future generations, who would not have the opportunity to experience Jesus in the flesh and come under the direct power of his teaching.  Perhaps God was saying to us:  “This is my beloved Son.  Although he stands in the long line of Jewish tradition, he is One who is more than anyone I’ve sent before.  Hear what he has to say.  Listen, and follow him.”

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