Transfigured

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

Matthew 17: 1-8, NRSV-CE

Eight verses. That's the longest account of the Transfiguration in all the synoptic Gospels. The Gospel of John doesn't even record the event, and John was the only one of the four Evangelists who was actually present. The Transfiguration sounds pretty important on the surface. Christ's appearance changed? His clothes were dazzling white, and his face shone like the Sun? Figures who were as ancient to Christ as Christ is to us appeared at His sides? A voice booms down from a cloud? It seems like it's worth more than a few verses, but it's such a short story without any apparent effect on the narrative of the Scriptures...it's basically the Tom Bombadil of The Chosen, but if you ask me it's more like omitting Gandalf the White.

The Feast of the Transfiguration was this past Tuesday, and it's as applicable to us as it was in the Scriptures. It's easy to just skim over it and miss it entirely, but there's a point here that shouldn't be missed. We are supposed to be like Christ. Just as Christ's Baptism is meant to be an example for our Baptism, and His Resurrection is a foretaste of our own, His Transfiguration shows us a bit of our future: when we rise to new life, we will be purified and white as snow, we will stand beside the Saints and our fathers in faith, and our Heavenly Father will greet us - "This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased."