Jenna Lindley

Mark 9:2-12 (NIV)
2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

11 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first? 

12 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”

Reflection:
As an art history major, when I read about Christ’s Transfiguration my mind’s eye recalls Raphael’s masterpiece. The Transfiguration was the last work created by the storied Renaissance painter. During its era, it was said to be the most famous oil painting in the world. The rich and vibrant colors entrance the viewer, pulling them into the awesome scene. Jesus, in all his glory, floats in the center above the hill flanked by Moses and Elijah. The Son of God radiates across the sky shining down on the bedazzled onlookers below. It’s a vivid portrayal of human emotion and glorification of Christ’s human body.

As described in the Gospels, Jesus takes his disciples Peter, James, and John to the mount and he is transformed before their eyes. This event is a major event in the earthly life of Jesus, some others being baptism, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.

At the time of the Transfiguration, Jesus’s earthly ministry was nearing an end. He had acknowledged that he was the Messiah and predicted his death and resurrection. Now, with this holy spectacle, he revealed to a select few his divine glory. Rafael’s painting is certainly a wonder to behold, but imagine seeing the real deal: Christ in his full glory yet bound in flesh like you and me. The transfiguration not only proclaims the identity of Jesus as the Son of God, but the statement “listen to him”, identifies him as God’s messenger and mouthpiece, as one who has the power to save God’s people. Jesus acts as a bridge between heaven and earth, connecting human nature to the divine. And the transfiguration illustrates that God is not “the God of the dead, but of the living.” 

I’m transfixed by art because it can transcend the monotony of the everyday. It offers a connection to the human spirit and alludes to something greater than me. Life isn’t always as beautiful as a painting, but with Christ, my life is transfigured. My anxieties are cast away and I let go of my own will and pray for God’s will for me and others. I know Jesus, in all his brilliant glory, is with me in all I do. And that offers me peace.

Prayer*:
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Christ.
May your salvation, Lord, be ever with us. 

*Christ Be With Me, St. Patrick