Today ends the first week of LENT
Ashes. I was asked about the meaning of the ashes on Ash Wednesday. Among other things, they represent humility. Remember, in the 6th day, humans were formed out of the dirt. That is not a scientific statement; it’s just a humble reminder that we are of this earth like the animals and the rest of nature, not gods. We have no right get puffed up and look down on the rest of God’s creation, certainly not other humans. Yet humans often do this because we are attracted to Satan’s call, “You will be like God!” What makes us more than dirt was God’s breathing a spiritual nature into us. So we don’t get too full of ourselves, we have reminders like ashes.
The ashes come from the burned palms of last year’s Palm Sunday. These ashes then connect us to Jesus’ victorious arrival in Jerusalem and the resurrection. Kind of stunning: we are invited to go from a “life of dirt” to the “life of the Trinity” in one lifetime.
We often hear throughout Scripture and during Lent, “Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.” What do you see in these that relates to our last several weeks? The three responses to the three temptations of humans: physical desire, possessions, pride.
Remember, if you haven’t started anything for lent yet, you still can! There’s still get 40 days if you start tonight. And even if you don’t get 40 days, do 30 – a month! To this end, I found a couple of Lenten thoughts:
From anonymous: I am fasting from words so I can listen. Another: I am fasting from complaining. Another: …from impatience!
From a writer in the Christian Herald named Leticia Adams: Since 2017, I no longer spend my Lent pretending to suffer. I know suffering. Breathtaking suffering that sometimes makes me want to dig into the dirt of my son’s grave with my bare hands just to see his face again. What I do now for Lent is watch comedy specials. Because laughing is a sacrifice. Hearing joy escape my mouth when I want to be yelling at God is a sacrifice. Joy in the face of my son laying in a grave is a sacrifice.
Whoever said sacrifice couldn’t be meaningful or powerful? It’s as meaningful and powerful as we choose to make it.
Context of the Gospel (Mark 9:2-10) 7:20 – 8:35
Although last week we just finished Chapter 1 of Mark, that was “Ordinary Time.” We are now in the Easter Season so we won’t return to Mark Chapter 2 until the end of May after the Ascension.
Our reading today happens to be Mark Ch. 9. This is near the end of Jesus’ 3 years, and he has just informed the Apostles that he is going to be rejected by the Temple officials, suffer, die, and then rise after three days. He further tells them that anyone who wants to follow him must be willing to undergo the same thing.
This was totally unexpected as they were still hoping for an earthy messianic era. What about the rising after three days? It was assumed among the Jews that people’s souls didn’t rise until after 3 days when the body began to decompose, so Jesus’ comment about “rising after 3 days” did not help their confusion nor did it calm their fears. They did not understand and they are depressed. It was at this time that Jesus invites Peter, Andrew, and John to go up the mountain with him where they will witness his Transfiguration. The disciples are given a glimpse the inner glory of Jesus that is hidden beneath his human nature. This will help carry them through the trials that lie ahead.
To witness the appearance of the divine, or God, is called a theophany [Greek: theo=god + phaneia=appearance].
Mark 9:2-10
Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three booths: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
And a cloud came and overshadowed them; from the cloud came a voice saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!”
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them not to relate what they had seen to anyone until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning one another what rising from the dead meant.
Q: Where did the Transfiguration take place?
A mountain. Theophanies in the Bible happened on mountains. Famous mountains: Noah lands the Ark on Mt. Ararat; Abraham nearly sacrifices Isaac on Mt. Moriah which foreshadows Christ; Mt. Sinai is where God appears to Moses (and then Elijah 500 years later); The Temple in Jerusalem on Mt. Zion; and now the Transfiguration. St. Jerome thought the mountain was Mt Tabor, but more recent exegetes believe it was Mt. Hermon, just north of Caesarea Philippi, since that is where Jesus had just been.
Q: Why Moses and Elijah?
Because they represented all of Jewish salvation history up to this point. When wanting to refer to all OT scriptures, the Jews would use the reference, “Moses and the prophets.” Moses represented the first five books of the bible (the “Torah”) and “the Prophets” referred to all the writings of all the prophets. Here, Elijah is representing “the Prophets.”
Q: Why Elijah?
Three factors to consider: 1) Elijah is one of the most famous prophets in the OT; 2) Elijah was prophesied to return before the Messianic Age (considered to be John the Baptist); and, 3) Elijah and Moses both witnessed theophanies on mountains.
Q: How did Peter know that it was Moses and Elijah who Jesus was talking to?
It is assumed that divine/spiritual presence requires no introductions. You will know who is who automatically.
Q: What was Peter talking about when he said, “Let us make three booths?”
1) Booths, or small tents, and sometimes called “tabernacles,” were temporary dwelling places that people lived in during the 40 years of the Exodus. Jews currently celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (or Feast of Booths) for 7 days every fall to memorialize their days during Exodus. It is during the harvest season (the fall) and therefore a 7 day celebration. This celebration also anticipates the New Exodus at the end of the age when all people will be resurrected.
2) Peter is so excited at what he is seeing he hardly knows what to say. The suggestion of “booths” means a) this looks like a good place for us to stay – forever! And b) he is feeling kind of like he is now at the “end of the age!”
Q: What does the overshadowing of the cloud and the voice from the cloud remind you of?
Exodus. This is how God traveled (in a fiery cloud) with Moses and the Israelites in the desert.
Notice when the voice of God comes. Peter’s suggestion about the booths for the three of them seems to assume that Jesus, Moses, and Elijah are equals. God comes in the cloud and says, “This is my Son, listen to him!” God reveals who Jesus really is.
Q: Why did Jesus tell them not to tell anyone till after the resurrection?
Because the disciples don’t yet understand what Jesus still has to do, nor what it all means until he comes back to them after his crucifixion, so they are simply not capable of speaking about his mission fully. After this experience on the mountain, Jesus will begin his journey into Jerusalem, and he has much to do and to say still to prepare the disciples for what lies ahead (think of the Johannine discourses at the Last Supper alone!). It will not help to put the cart before the horse.
This vision and voice of God prepares the disciples to be able to understand the divine plan when it happens. Jesus must die the lowliest death possible, taking along the worlds sins, and yet still love and forgive to the last minute. The worst combination of evil in the world meets perfect love. The perfect storm. Needed to undo the fall.
Maranatha!
Ron
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