Second Sunday of Lent (C)

Readings:

1. Genesis 15.5-12, 17-18
   Psalm 27.1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14  Response:  “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
2. Philippians 3.17-4.1
3. Luke 9.28b-36

[Note:  Many parishes use the readings from Cycle A during Lent.  In that case, the gospel would be Matthew 17.1-9.]

Reflections on the Gospel Reading

The story of the transfiguration is found in three of the Gospels – Mark, Matthew, and Luke.  Each gospel writer handles the story in a slightly different way.  The differences are a key to understanding the message that each particular gospel writer is trying to convey to his readers and listeners.  Today we ask:  What is Luke trying to say to us in his account of the Transfiguration.

Unique to Luke’s Gospel is his arrangement of many stories about Jesus into a long journey from Galilee to Jerusalem.  This journey takes up ten of the twenty-four chapters of his Gospel (Luke 9.51-19.28).  Thus, the outline of Luke’s Gospel is:  1) a long introduction or overture; 2) the ministry in Galilee; 3) the journey to Jerusalem; 4) the ministry in Jerusalem; 5) the passion and resurrection.

Luke preceded his account of the Galilean ministry with the story of Jesus at prayer following his baptism.  The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, and a voice from heaven spoke to him:  “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3.22)

Similarly, just prior to setting out on his journey to Jerusalem, Luke portrays Jesus at prayer again, this time on the mountain with his three closest disciples.  However, the voice from heaven speaks to the disciples, not to Jesus:  “This is my chosen Son; listen to him!”  Obviously, for Luke the transfiguration has a message for the three disciples and for all of us who aspire to become disciples.

This message has many facets.  It relates to who Jesus is – God’s Son without qualification, God’s chosen one, God’s beloved.  We are asked to listen to Jesus and, by implication, to follow him in his journey.  Just a few verses previous to this incident in Luke’s Gospel (incidentally, once again after Jesus was praying) Jesus announced his passion and resurrection and stated bluntly:  “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?”  (Luke 9:23-24 NRSV)  This was not an easy teaching for the disciples to accept.  The voice from the cloud adds God’s authority to this difficult teaching of Jesus.

Another subtle but meaningful change occurs when Luke reverses the order of the names of the two men who appear with Jesus on the mountain.  Mark had Elijah first and then Moses.  Luke reverses the order.¹  Also, Luke is the only one of the three Gospel writers who says that the disciples saw Jesus’ glory.  What do these differences mean?

Elijah plays an important role in Luke’s Gospel.  For Matthew and Mark Elijah is a type of John the Baptist.  For Luke Elijah is a type of Jesus.  Both in his Gospel and the companion volume, the Acts of the Apostles, Luke hearkens back to the incident in the Second Book of Kings “when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind . . . .” (2 Kings 2.1)

Elijah travels from Gilgal west to Bethel then back east again to Jericho and across the Jordan River to the Plains of Moab, not far from where Moses had a glimpse of the Promised Land before he died.  His faithful disciple Elisha follows along and, in spite of several admonitions to stay at Bethel or Jericho, refuses to leave him.  Along the way companies of prophets warn Elisha that the Lord is about to take his master away, but Elisha tells them to keep silent.  (2 Kings 2.1-8)

Having arrived on the east side of the Jordan, Elijah said to his disciple Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.”  Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.”  Then Elijah said, ” . . . if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted to you . . . .”  Shortly thereafter Elisha looks on, as the horses and chariot of fire bear Elijah to heaven on a whirlwind.  (2 Kings 2.9-12)

According to the account in Second Kings, Elisha did see Elijah being taken up, and Elisha did receive the spirit of Elijah.  In the ensuing narrative, Elisha carries on Elijah’s prophetic ministry to the People of Israel.

Luke/Acts and the narrative of the transfiguration need to be seen against the background of the Elijah/Elisha story in Second Kings.  A few verses after his account of the Transfiguration, Luke introduces Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem with the words, “When the time for his being taken up was approaching, he deliberately set himself to travel to Jerusalem.” (Luke Timothy Johnson’s translation)  In the Greek version of the Second Book of Kings, the verbal form of “taking up” is used at the beginning of the story of Elijah’s ascension.  It is repeated three times in the narrative of Jesus’ ascension. (Acts 1.2, 11, 22)  In the Acts of the Apostles Luke’s narrative connects the giving of the Holy Spirit with the fact that the disciples saw Jesus ascending.  In fact, Luke uses three different Greek words for seeing to drive home the point:  “as they were watching;” “they were gazing up toward heaven;” and “why do you stand looking up toward heaven?”  (Acts 1.9-11)

Also, the criterion for replacing Judas among the apostles was that the candidate would be taken from among those “who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us–one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”  (Acts 1.21-22)

What, then, does this vision of Jesus’ glory and hearing the voice from the cloud mean for the three disciples?  It seems clear that it is a confirmation of Jesus’ unique status and authority.  He is greater than Moses and Elijah.  The disciples are called to listen to his teaching and follow him along the way, as Elisha followed Elijah.  They are not to prolong the moment of glory but to move on to the work of preaching and healing.  If they follow Jesus and see him being taken up, they will receive his Spirit and carry on his ministry.

What does this gospel narrative mean for us today?  It is important to remember that this reading takes place in the context of the liturgy of the Mass.  In the liturgy we enter into the prayer of Jesus and see his glory.  Eastern rite Christians seem to have a greater feel for the notion of glory in the liturgical celebration.  For example, in the Greek rite worshipers respond to the gospel reading with the four part chant:  “Doxa soi, Kyrie, doxa soi!” meaning “Glory to you, Lord, glory to you!”  For Eastern Rite Christians, both Orthodox and Catholic, in the divine liturgy we have a vision of Christ’s glory.

Nourishing and important as this vision is, it is not the whole story.  We also are called to follow Jesus back into the world and carry on his ministry.  As Terri Mifek observed, “such revelations aren’t meant to distract us from life but to empower us to love.”  (The Catholic Spirit, March 1, 2001, p. 11.)  Our vision of Jesus’ glory is meant to sustain us in lives of proclamation and service or, at least, of proclamation through service.  We are called to proclaim the nearness of God’s reign and to serve the poor, the ill, and the suffering.

In this season of Lent and Easter God calls each of us to renew this basic Christian commitment and practice.

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In preparing these reflections, in addition to the biblical texts, I consulted the following works:

Fitzmyer 1981 – Joseph A. Fitzmyer The Gospel According to Luke I-IX : Introduction, Translation, and Notes.  Anchor Bible Volume 28. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1981), pp. 791-804.

Johnson 1991 – Luke Timothy Johnson, The Gospel of Luke, Sacra Pagina Series Volume 3, A Michael Glazier Book (Collegeville, MN:  The Liturgical Press, 1991), pp. 150-162.

LaVerdier 1990 – Eugene LaVerdier, S.S.S., Luke.  New Testament Message, Volume 5.  A Michael Glazier Book  (Collegeville, MN:  The Liturgical Press, 1990), pp. 133-134.

Levine & Brettler 2011 – Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, Eds., The Jewish Annotated New Testament, New Revised Standard Version Bible Translation (New York:  Oxford University Press, 2011), p. 120.

Malina & Rohrbaugh 1992 – Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels  (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1992), p.343.

Mitchell 2004 – Joan Mitchell, CSJ, “2nd Sunday of Lent,” Sunday by Sunday, Vol. 13, No.26, March 7, 2004, pp. 1-3.

Pilch 1997 – John J. Pilch, The Cultural World of Jesus, Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C .  A Liturgical Press Book (Collegeville, MN:  The Liturgical Press, 1997), pp. 52-54.

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