εὐαγγελίζω (euaggelizo)
“to announce the Good News of victory in battle”
“to announce the Good News of victory in battle”
“Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And He was transfigured (μετεμορφώθη, metemorphothe) before them, and His clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.”
Mark 9:9-10
Second Sunday of Lent
Second Sunday of Lent
θεωρέω (theoreo)
(“to perceive, discover, ponder a deeper meaning”)
(“to perceive, discover, ponder a deeper meaning”)
As with many episodes of Jesus’ Public Ministry that are proclaimed each Sunday, it helps to know what preceded a particular event to provide a context. Such is the case in Seasons such as Lent when Gospel proclamations are not sequential from week to week.
Many scholars note Mark 8:22 through 10:52 as a particular unit within the Gospel. It opens in 8:22 with the healing of a blind man and closes in 10:52 with sight restored to another blind man, suggesting a lesson about disciples learning to see properly. Many key and challenging teachings of Jesus regarding Kingdom living are sounded in this part of the Gospel, not the least of which are three specific teachings on Jesus’ impending passion, death and resurrection. These teachings elicit various responses from disciples who, at this point in their lives, apparently are blind to Kingdom living. Just before the transfiguring events atop a high mountain, Jesus taught his disciples at Caesarea Philippi: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-37) After this, 3 of the 12: Peter, James and John are led apart to follow Jesus up a high mountain.
Against this backdrop, Jesus’ Transfiguration is a glimpse of glory. Jesus’ “changed form (μεταμορφόω, meta [change, go beyond] and morphe [form, shape])” gave Peter, James and John a foretaste or a preview of the Cross’ purpose. The Cross is the necessary path to Kingdom glory. Why? For one reason, the Cross is the definitive antidote to selfishness that lies at the heart of all sin. ‘Missing the mark (the literal meaning of the Hebrew hatta which eventually is translated into English as sin)’ is all about the 3 most disordered persons in the universe: me, myself and I. The addiction to the self is powerful and goes back to the Garden when we were bold enough to attempt grasping at being God.
This is one reason why today’s celebration of the Penitential Rite for those entering the Church this Easter is so appropriate. In the Rite, we pray that the Candidates (and all of us!) may come to know those areas of life that need to be transfigured by the Lord’s grace. It is not easy. We like the attachment to ourselves yet when we get of glimpse of the glory that lies ahead, the penitential work of Lent takes on a whole new meaning.
Many scholars note Mark 8:22 through 10:52 as a particular unit within the Gospel. It opens in 8:22 with the healing of a blind man and closes in 10:52 with sight restored to another blind man, suggesting a lesson about disciples learning to see properly. Many key and challenging teachings of Jesus regarding Kingdom living are sounded in this part of the Gospel, not the least of which are three specific teachings on Jesus’ impending passion, death and resurrection. These teachings elicit various responses from disciples who, at this point in their lives, apparently are blind to Kingdom living. Just before the transfiguring events atop a high mountain, Jesus taught his disciples at Caesarea Philippi: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-37) After this, 3 of the 12: Peter, James and John are led apart to follow Jesus up a high mountain.
Against this backdrop, Jesus’ Transfiguration is a glimpse of glory. Jesus’ “changed form (μεταμορφόω, meta [change, go beyond] and morphe [form, shape])” gave Peter, James and John a foretaste or a preview of the Cross’ purpose. The Cross is the necessary path to Kingdom glory. Why? For one reason, the Cross is the definitive antidote to selfishness that lies at the heart of all sin. ‘Missing the mark (the literal meaning of the Hebrew hatta which eventually is translated into English as sin)’ is all about the 3 most disordered persons in the universe: me, myself and I. The addiction to the self is powerful and goes back to the Garden when we were bold enough to attempt grasping at being God.
This is one reason why today’s celebration of the Penitential Rite for those entering the Church this Easter is so appropriate. In the Rite, we pray that the Candidates (and all of us!) may come to know those areas of life that need to be transfigured by the Lord’s grace. It is not easy. We like the attachment to ourselves yet when we get of glimpse of the glory that lies ahead, the penitential work of Lent takes on a whole new meaning.
