Notes on the Transfiguration

Icon of the Transfiguration, attributed to Theophanes the Greek
(15th c., Moscow) (Tretyakov Gallery)

"…and on the mountain he flashes like lightning, and becomes more luminous than the sun, revealing the mystery of the future"—Gregory of Nazianzus, Third Theological Oration (Oration 29), 19

I

While praying on the mountain, the Lord Jesus was transfigured before Peter and John and James.  They saw his glory when “his face shone like the sun” (Mt. 17:2) and his clothing became radiant white, flashing out like lightning (Lk. 9:29).  Although “Peter and his companions were weighed down by sleep,” they stayed awake and saw his glory and Moses and Elijah talking with him (9:32).  Did the disciples hear what was said?  Did they comprehend what was said of the Jesus’ departure?  Or were they like infants listening to the speech of adults?

When Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus of his departure, did they speak of what they and all the prophets had declared concerning him?  Did they speak of how it was necessary that the Messiah should suffer betrayal and death before entering into his glory?  (Lk. 24:25–27)  Did speaking with them strengthen Jesus as the days drew near for his departure?  Did they strengthen him now as he set his face toward Jerusalem as the angel would at his agony in the garden?  (9:51; 22:43)

Yet the voice from heaven—”This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”—spoke for the benefit of Peter and his companions, confirming Peter’s confession of Jesus as “the Messiah of God” and commanding they heed what he says (Lk. 9:35, 20).  For what Jesus had said recently was not easy to hear.  Only a week ago he had told them he must suffer and die and afterwards told them, “If any want to be my followers, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross daily and follow me” (9:22, 23).

II

St. Thomas Aquinas on the transfiguration:

“After having foretold his Passion to his disciples, our Lord had persuaded them to follow the path of his Passion.  Now in order for someone to go straight along the way, he must have some foreknowledge of the end; just as an archer will not shoot the arrow straight unless he has first seen the target he is aiming at. […] And this is especially necessary when the way is rough and difficult, the journey wearisome, but the end delightful.  Now Christ underwent the Passion in order to obtain glory […]; according to Luke, Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?  To which glory he leads those who follow in the footsteps of his Passion; according to Acts, We have to endure many hardships before we enter the kingdom of God.  And so it was fitting for him to manifest his glorious splendour (which is to be transfigured), according to which he will configure those who belong to him; as it is written, He will configure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body.  For this reason Bede says, By his loving foresight he prepared them to endure adversity bravely by allowing them to taste for a short time the contemplation of everlasting joy.”*

III

Peter sees the manifestation of the glory of the resurrection and finds it desirable, so he proposes staying on the mountain with Moses and Elijah.  But he spoke, “not knowing what he said” (Lk. 9:34), for his proposal entailed Jesus not going to suffering and death in Jerusalem.  In other words, Peter’s proposal is effectively the same as his rebuke of Jesus predicting his Passion, to which Jesus responded:  “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Mt. 16:23).  Accordingly, Origen speculates that Peter was unwittingly playing into the hands of the Tempter, who sought to turn Jesus aside “from the dispensation whose characteristic was suffering that brought salvation to men” and “to draw away Jesus, as if calling upon him no longer to condescend to men, and come to them, and undergo death for them, but to abide on the high mountain with Moses and Elijah.”**

Following a similar line of thought, Augustine says that Peter did not understand that he would receive the rest he sought on the mountain through the work of love.  To remain with Christ is reserved for Peter after death, but he should come down from the mountain to follow his Lord in the way of suffering: “Come down, Peter…For now, Jesus says: "Go down to toil on earth, to serve on earth, to be scorned and crucified on earth. Life goes down to be killed; Bread goes down to suffer hunger; the Way goes down to be exhausted on his journey; the Spring goes down to suffer thirst; and you refuse to suffer?’”***

IV

The voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; Listen to him!”  The Son, that is, who commands, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (Jn. 13:34).

* Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, 3a, 45, 1, co. [Blackfriars edition quoted.  Link to Benzinger edition here.]

** Origen, Commentary on Matthew 7.40.

*** Augustine, Sermon 78.6.