Transfiguration: Witness the Praying Jesus!

Luke’s Jesus was a praying man.  Read this passage which immediately precedes the Transfiguration.  Jesus is praying with the disciples as witness.  As he emerges from his time of prayer, he has challenging questions and strong words for his friends.

Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.”  He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”  Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

Can you imagine hearing your small group leader and best friend say … Some of you “will not taste death before [you] see the kingdom of God.”   OK, what does that mean?   Is that a good thing??  It sounds like a good thing ... I think, but you know Jesus.  If you don't, you should!  I think if the disciples were not slightly off balance before they started following Jesus, he worked at keeping them that way, questioning themselves … I think this makes me feel like I should always be a little off balance ... questioning myself about what I think I know about God!  This way of being invites me to be open to experiences that I might not understand on a human level but can grasp dimly on a deeper spiritual level ... ok, maybe I don’t really understand them at all, I just accept the reality that many people would think I am crazy if they knew my deepest thoughts about God and the things I think I’ve experienced.  I am fine with this.  How about you?

The Transfiguration was just such an experience for the disciples as they witnessed Jesus deep in prayer ... changed, transformed, clothed with glory before their very eyes.  I encourage you not to try to “understand” it … simply open yourself up to “experience” it.  Along with the disciples breath in the beauty of Jesus and imagine the beginning of the dawning reality of his incarnational identity!  Who is this Jesus?  Could he be ... the Messiah of God?

As you prepare your heart to read and pray the scriptures, remember the disciples, remember seekers and struggling believers, remember your own struggles.  Just sit with your "remembering" right now and breathe a gentle breath prayer.  Use this one or create your own (6-8 syllables the best)  

Breathe in … Praying Jesus  (pause) 
Breath out … Open my Eyes (pause)

When you are ready to move into the text, use these words from a popular song as a prayer:

Open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see You.
To see You high and lifted up, Shining in the light of Your glory.  Amen!

Now, read Luke 9:28-36  with the eyes “of your heart" using Lectio Divina, during which you will breathe and listen deeply to this beautiful mysterious experience of Jesus through the eyes of the disciple’s hearts.  Read the text slowly, savoring the experience in all of its beauty.

Reading 1.    Read the text slowly. Try to engage all of your senses and visualize the scene as it unfolds.   

Movement 1 (Lectio-Read) and simply sit with an image, word or phrase that captures your attention for a few minutes.  Let your soul be stirred in a way it has not been stirred before.   What image, word or phrase is most full of meaning for you where you are in your life right now?

About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray.  And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white.  Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus.  They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.  Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him.  As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.  Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.”  When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

2.    Read the text slowly again ... As you read, listen for the still small voice of the text whispering to you, “Here I am, where are you?”  Where is God calling your attention?  Sit inside the text with the gift God has for you … it can be words from the text OR it can be an image that has arisen from the text.  Take a deep breath and move on when you are ready ...

Movement 2 (Meditatio-Reflect) How does your image, word or phrase speak to your life right now?  Is there a message or a questions hidden within this gift from God?

3.    Read the text slowly again.  How do you offer your prayers and your life to God today?  Respond to God with prayers of light and love ... sing praises, whisper confessions, laugh gratitude, breathe in discernment, breathe out commitment ... or simply allow yourself to bask in the silence of your image.  Take a deep breath and move on when you are ready …

Movement 3 (Oratio-Respond) How do you offer your images, prayers and your life to God today?

4.    Rest in the gentle silence of God's presence.  Breathe in the light of God.  As you move on, breathe out the love of God upon the world!

Movement 4 (Contemplatio-Rest) Breathe … Breathe … Breathe … Amen

I invite you to close this time of praying with scripture by viewing this youtube video:Michael W. Smith sings Open the Eyes of my Heart, Lord.   The contributor set the music to beautiful nature photographs … Is it any wonder that Jesus took the disciples up on the top of a mountain to experience such glory.  Isn’t it true that as we gaze upon nature, we gaze upon the glory of the God who creates all things in our beautiful world?

Hood Canal Near Seattle, Washington in January 2013

Thank you 

Creator God

for the Beauty

in Nature!

Part 1: The Transfiguration

Luke 9:28-36   About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray.  And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white.  Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus.  They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.  Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him.  As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.  Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.”  When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

 

Photo of traditional site of Transfiguration of Jesus Christ (Mount Tabor)

The settlement on the plain in the background is Kfar Kish.  

Taken in Palestine 2005 by Bantosh who has released the phone to the public domain.

Context:  This mysterious episode in the Jesus story that we call "the Transfiguration" foreshadows (gives us a glimpse of what is to come) the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ with a "glorious" twist ... In that moment of transformation Jesus is revealed to Peter, James, and John.   Peter had already declared Jesus to be the "Messiah of God" just a short time before and in this passage he and his friends are being called to a deeper understanding of what that means for their lives.  In this strange story that evokes memories of the founding of the Jewish community, Moses and Elijah join Jesus. 

The transfiguration happens on a mountain, which is a traditional place of the meeting between God and people.  Moses encountered God on the mountaintop where he received the ten commandments.  He also led the "exodus" or the movement of the Israelite people through the wilderness following the "pillar of cloud" which was God.  He led the people up to the promised land although he died before crossing over into it.  After battling the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and falling into a deep depression, Elijah was cared for and encountered the "still small voice" of God on a mountain.   In Jewish tradition, both Moses and Elijah had been taken in to heaven.  This would give each one a direct relationship with God and they would have been expected to know the will of God. 

Going Deeper:  The transfiguration happens while Jesus is deep in prayer ... In the book of Luke, Jesus always prays during key transitions or situations.  Here we get a glimpse of the power of Jesus in prayer seeking the will of God.  What is the role of prayer in your life?  How aware of you of God's presence always with you?  

Pondering:  Perhaps the expression "mountaintop experience" emerges from this passage.  Have you ever had one of these experiences?  What was it like?  What did you learn about your faith journey?  What did you learn about Jesus?  Have you ever shared your mountaintop experience with others?  How was it received?   What sense of affirmation did you receive?  What negativity did you sense?

Transformation ... can it really happen in an instance ... on a mountain?  Or is it mostly slow step-by-step slow growth process?  Or is it a spiraling upward sometimes, downward sometimes dance with the divine?   Or perhaps it is all these things at different times in our journey ... what are the most transformative experiences you have had throughout your years? 

Praying:  Take the time to check out  Lord of the Mountaintop: A Prayer for Transfiguration Sunday by Safiyah Fosua.  There is also a Spanish version translated by Julio R. Vargas-Vidala called Señor de la cima.  Read the version that you are most comfortable with ... Let the words speak deeply to you ... is there is line of this prayer that you could take with you into your week that you could think deeply about?  How comfortable do you feel about this.