Last week we heard how Jesus was tempted, something in his life which brings out the reality of his humanity, and can make us feel closer to him, as another human being.
Today we hear a story (Mk 9:2-10) which seems to take us in the opposite direction – how, on going up this mountain, Jesus was transformed into something not at all human. “He was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white”. I’m pretty certain no one else has had that happen to them.
So the sense of closeness that we had with Jesus, recognizing our shared bond of humanity, is broken. Once again we’re shown how we are really on different planes. It makes no sense that we should identify ourselves with Jesus.
In thinking this way we mirror the initial reaction of the three favored disciples. First Peter babbles away, scared out of his wits. Then they find it’s all over – whatever “it” may have been. Then they have no idea what Jesus is talking about when he refers to “rising from the dead”.
So Peter, James and John are shown to be pretty clueless. Given that fact, it maybe easier for us to admit that we can be pretty clueless too! The first mistake we make is thinking this story shows us how Jesus really isn’t like us, despite all the stuff about “he was like us in everything but sin”. But more important is how the gospel explains how or why that isn’t true. The key is in what Jesus says to the disciples as they come back down the mountain.
The apostles had to wait for the resurrection, and thus to be saved (resurrected), before this would make sense to them. Then they could start talking about it. So we too need to experience the reality of resurrection. When we truly have that experience, and know we are saved, then we know we are just like Jesus, in all respects. We are just like Jesus in that we are just like God. Our “god self” is revealed. We stand on the mountaintop, dazzling, talking with, learning from Moses and Elijah. Peter, James, and John, are there now also, gleaming white, and all those others that the Book of Revelation tells us are gathered around the throne and the lamb in their white robes (Rev 7:9).
Hard as it may be for us to understand and accept that Jesus was fully human and fully divine, it is even harder to accept that we also are divine. In the Transfiguration Jesus reveals not only his own future state, but ours as well. John spells it out in the final prayer that Jesus says before he goes off to die: “Father, I pray that they may be in us, as you are in me and I am in you” (Jn 17:21)