2408AFC022324 – What do we see? ← 😊 PODCAST LINK
The Road to Jerusalem Series #2
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Genesis 22:1 – After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” (← This is like saying, “Behold! It’s me!” This link will show you a bunch of translations. My favorite – not shown here – is “READY!”
Psalm 116:9 – 9 I walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
Romans 8:31 b-32 – If God is for us, (↔ Music Link) who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?
Mark 9:9-10 – 9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean.
Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Today we continue our series on The Road to Jerusalem. We will stray a bit from the assigned Sunday readings – especially in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent – so that we can draw from other passages in the synoptic Gospels that show different episodes of this salvific journey. We will see, along the way, how Jesus referred to his Passion and death, and no one seemed to catch on that he was talking about something that would completely change the World. Just a short way up the page from our Gospel Key Verse – in V. 2 – we read that Jesus was transfigured before them. This word is μετεμορφώθη (metemorphōthē) and it means to be completely changed in outward appearance whilst still remaining unchanged in identity. This word is related to our English word metamorphosis. If you’ve seen a kernel of corn grow into a tall corn stalk or seen a caterpillar morph into a butterfly, you have witnessed metamorphosis. Transfiguration caries a deeper sense of glorification into a divine form, in this instance perceptible to others.
Jesus, of course, knew what was coming, but I can only imagine how the three Apostles must have reacted. In chapter 8 of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus and the Apostles are near Cæsarea Philippi. A very impressive mountain is nearby, Mount Herman, and is usually designated as the site of the Transfiguration of Christ. At an altitude of 9,230 feet, it is nearly three times higher than any other mountain in the region. Our Scripture says that they “went up a high mountain,” so perhaps not all the way to the top. Nonetheless, you can see that it must have been a long and steep hike! I used to think this took place at night, but it would be all the more difficult then. We can speculate, perhaps, that the Transfiguration and the hike back occurred after dusk, but there’s no way of truly knowing. We do know that it was at or near Cæsarea Philippi that Jesus asked the Apostles, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” There follows the astounding profession of faith from The Apostle Peter, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” We see this in Matthew 16:13-20, and that passage also ends in Jesus telling them not to disclose his identity as the Christ of God just as he had told them not to tell others about his Transfiguration. You can find an interesting comparison of the three Synoptic Gospel account at this location (↔ Click Link)
It is also at this point in the Gospels that Jesus begins to inform the Apostles that “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, 
and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” This is stated in Mark 8:31, 9:30-31, and 10:32–34. Please take a moment and read each of these as each is slightly different and more detailed. In Luke 24:5-7 and Matthew 17:22–23 there are additional testaments to Jesus’ awareness of what would happen to him in Jerusalem. Seeing Jesus portrayed as clueless about his Passion, as in “Jesus Christ, Superstar,” is utterly false. At this point in the road to Jerusalem, Jesus leaves the area of Capernaum in Galilee and travels northward with the Apostles to Cæsarea Philippi, a city in part of the region which was predominately Gentile territory. The Gospels do not say exactly why he made this journey but I see two reasons that may have prompted this decision.
First, this was shortly after the death of John the Baptizer. Although they were cousins, it appears they grew up quite separately as each does not know the other. Secondly, that region was less-densely populated, and would foster better opportunities to spend time together with way fewer interruptions. Jesus’ Miracles had generated quite a buzz in the towns of Galilee, and everywhere he went, everyone was looking for him to see what sort of amazing things he would do. They had relocated to Bethsaida right after the murder of John the Baptizer, but huge crowds followed him there so they withdrew to a “quieter” spot and spent some time together. I think of this time with Jesus as precious to him who, knowing what was coming, had this time to bond even closer with those he had sent out (See Matthew 10 and Luke 9).
Reflecting further on the conversation between Jesus and his Apostles there in Cæsarea Philippi, we also recall that Simon’s name שִׁמְעוֹן Shimoun Bar Younah – Simon son of Jonah – was renamed Peter, or Πέτρος, Petros ( made-up masculinized for Petra “Rock” ) in Greek and in Aramaic the name כיפה (pronounced “keifa”) also, of course, means Rock. This is truly the beginning of the Church, for Jesus has just named the head of his Church, when Jesus said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” At this point in the Journey to Jerusalem, Jesus kept building on his instructions to the Apostles. Each day a little more was added, and each addition was – at the time – overwhelming, even confusing. Several times we read that the Apostles did not understand what Jesus meant, for example, “what rising from the dead meant.” When we look at that from our 21st Century lens, we might wonder how they could be so dense; however, remember that everything in Jesus’ ministry was NEW – no one had ever heard or even dared to think of calling God “Father.” No one could understand how a man could be tortured to death and then rise from the dead three days later … no one but Jesus, that is.
We must now return to the title of this segment and ask “What do we see?” We see someone we know and love as Jesus the Christ of God traveling with cherished companions whom he sent out as Apostles (“Apostle” means one sent). We see an astonishing vision of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah discoursing together about Jesus’ “Exodus” – his coming Passion, death, and Resurrection – on a high mountain. We see a cloud overshadowing three Apostles and three Prophets of God, one of whom is God’s Only Begotten Son. We see the Prophets attentively listening and the Apostles fearfully prostrating themselves as this vision comes to a close. And God the Father’s Voice booms out “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Then we see The Apostle Peter, so shook up that he figures Moses and Elijah must be there to celebrate The Feast of Booths (↔ Learning Link) that he blurts out “‘Tis Good, Lord, To Be Here! (↔ Music Link) Let’s build tents for each of you!” Then, in a wink, just the four earthlings are standing on the mountain top. In my mind’s eye, I see Jesus picking his way among the brush and rocks going downhill to the villages below, and the three faithful followers whispering among themselves trying to fathom what had just happened and what Jesus could have possibly meant by telling them , again, that he was going to Jerusalem to die.
Belovéd even after 2000+ years, we still wonder at the Wonder of God’s Only Begotten Son willingly going to his death, a death so horrific that only Jesus could have chosen it. 
Jesus was and is The Perfect SACRIFICE. (↔ Music Link) We know that Golgotha was followed by Resurrection Day, but Jesus’ contemporaries did not, could not, would not have believed that. Even after they saw him in his Glorified Body they scarcely could take it in. We recall Thomas who said, in essence, “Seeing is believing,” and we see Mary Magdalene running back to the Cenacle with the news, the Good News, “He’s alive! I saw him, ALIVE!” But, ʻŌmea, all of that is farther down the road. We’ll pick up more of this Journey to Jerusalem next time when we ask, “What do we do?” All y’all come back, y’heah?” A hui hou! As we look toward living out these 40 days of lent, let our prayer be Transfigure us O Lord (↔ Music Link) Perhaps Jesus will invite us to stand with him and sing Let the Heaven light shine on me. (↔ Music Link)
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
