2nd
Sunday of Lent–March 16, 2025
Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:17 – 4:1; Luke
9:28b-36
Theme: The Lenten Season is a Journey
of Faith
A.
A
Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 9:28b-36
Like
Matthew and Mark, Luke situates the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration in the
context of Peter’s confession about Jesus being the Messiah, Jesus' prediction
of his Passion to his disciples for the first time, and Jesus’ teaching about
the conditions for discipleship. These stories immediately precede the account
of Jesus’ Transfiguration. Also, like for Matthew and Mark, the Transfiguration
of Jesus, for Luke, marks the beginning of the end of Jesus’ earthly life.
After Jesus’ Transfiguration and its connected stories (Lk 9:37-50), Luke
starts a long narrative about Jesus’ Journey to Jerusalem, covering the next
ten chapters (Luke 10-19). This journey will culminate in Jesus’s Passion,
Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. So, Jesus is about to start a crucial phase
of his earthly life (his journey to Jerusalem). Yet, his disciples are
perturbed, discouraged, and ready to give up their discipleship due to the
prediction of his Passion he announced to them previously. Hence, the story of
the Transfiguration of Jesus intends to strengthen the disciples’ faith so they
might not quit their discipleship but be ready to follow him on the road to
Jerusalem if they want to enjoy God’s glory one day like what they experienced
in this Transfiguration event.
2. Form,
Structure, and Movement
The
passage of Jesus's Transfiguration is a narrative story. V. 28 introduces the
account with the setting, showing Jesus and three of his disciples went to a
mountain to pray. The body of the text (vv. 29-35) can be divided into two
parts. The first part describes Jesus’ transfiguration and his conversation
with Moses and Elijah (vv. 29-31). The second part involves the three disciples
and God in the scene (vv. 32-35). V. 36 concludes the story with the narrator
depicting Jesus alone without Moses and Elijah at the end of the event and the
three disciples keeping silent, not telling anyone what they experienced.
V.
28. Luke opens his account by saying, About eight days after he said this,
he took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. “After [Jesus said this]” refers to the
first time Jesus announced his Passion to his friends (see Lk 9:22) and the
stories of Peter’s Confession about Jesus that comes before that (9:18-21) and
Jesus’ Teaching about the Condition of Discipleship that follows (9:23-27). So,
Luke reports that the Transfiguration occurred about eight days after these
three preceding stories that form its background. Was it precisely eight days?
It looks like Luke is not sure that is why he employs “about” next to “eight
days.” Matthew and Mark talked about six days instead (Mt 17:1; Mk 9:2). The
scholar Michael Patella sees a significant meaning in Luke’s use of the period of
eight days. He argues that throughout the Old Testament, this period of eight
days generally signifies a change or a new beginning. For instance, the Jews
circumcised infant boys on the eighth day (see Gen 17:12; Lev 12:3). Because of
all the blessings God has given to his servant David and his people Israel,
Salomon celebrates the temple dedication with a special blessing and dismissal
on the eighth day (see 1 Kgs 8:66). Patella states that by constructing the
transfiguration within this time frame of “eight days,” the evangelist uke is
emphasizing the glorification inherent in the resurrection, which the whole
event foreshadows.[1]
“Peter,
John, and James”: The Bible does not say why Jesus chose these three disciples
as his inner circle. Jesus made them witness special events such as the
resuscitation of Jairus’ daughter (Lk 8:49-56), the Transfiguration (Lk
9:28-36), and Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (Mt 26:36-38). “The mountain,” in the
biblical context, usually indicates the place of prayer and the encounter with
God. Tradition identifies the mountain of our text with the mountains Tabor or
Hermon, but Luke, Matthew, and Mark do not tell the name of this mountain. They
probably do not intend a specific mountain, which indicates that its meaning is
theological rather than geographical. If so, this mountain of the
Transfiguration’s story recalls Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex 24:12-18) and Elijah
on Horeb (1 Kgs 19:8-18). Horeb is another name of Sinai.[2] “To
pray”: Luke is the only synoptic evangelist who mentions prayer here. He
regularly portrays Jesus in prayer or encouraging his followers to pray (see
Luke 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 29; 11:1-4; 18:1; 21:36, and 22:32).
Vv.
29-31 describe the first part of the scene. The saying, While [Jesus] was
praying, means that the three disciples were not praying with Jesus. Maybe
because they were sleeping, as v.32 describes them, or because, at that time,
they did not know how to pray. Jesus taught all his disciples how to pray later
in Luke 11:1-4. Luke indicates that the transfiguration occurred “while Jesus
was praying.” This emphasizes the importance of prayer in Jesus’ life. Luke
does not clearly say that Jesus was transfigured, as Matthew and Mark do. He
simply signals that Jesus’ face changed in appearance, and his clothing became
dazzling white. Moses and Elijah joined Jesus in this glorious moment and
conversed with him. Luke is the only one who reveals the topic of the conversation
between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. The topic is Jesus’ exodus, which Jesus is
going to accomplish in Jerusalem. The word “exodus” alludes to the Jewish
Passover and signifies deliverance, life, and freedom. It also means “death”
based on the Greek term exodos used in Wisdom 3:2, which Luke utilizes
in the passion narrative. Thus, by mentioning the exodus that Jesus is going to
accomplish in Jerusalem as the topic of Jesus’ conversation with Moses and
Elijah, Luke informs his readers that there is a connection between God’s
primary act of salvation toward the Jews in the Old Covenant and Jesus’ act of
salvation through his death toward the whole world in the New Covenant. The
bond of these two acts of salvation (the Old and New Covenants) is strengthened
by the presence of Moses and Elijah, who represent the Law and Prophets,
respectively. [3]
Vv.
32-35 involve the three disciples and God in the scene. Peter and his
companions had been overcome by sleep. All disciples will act the same on
the Mount of Olives when Jesus instructs them to pray in order to avoid falling
into temptation (see Luke 22:39-46). Being overcome by sleep shows the
disciples’ failure as Jesus’ disciples. They saw his glory. God’s glory
is here attributed to Jesus. Peter’s request to make three tents, one for
Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, illustrates how they are overly happy
to remain in that glorious state for good. The narrator comments that Peter did
not know what he was saying. What did Peter do not know? (1) He did not know
that to enjoy this glorious moment, which alludes to the resurrection, they
must first accept to accompany Jesus on his way to the cross because Passion
and death precede Resurrection. (2) Peter did not know that the Transfiguration
experience was simply a foretaste of heavenly glory aiming to fortify their
discipleship commitment. God gets himself involved in this scene through the
presence of the cloud that casts a shadow over them. The three disciples became
frightened when they entered the cloud. In the Old Testament, the cloud
indicated God’s presence among his people (see Ex 40:34-35; 1 Kgs 8:10). In
this context, God’s presence enveloped these disciples and made them experience
the mystery of Jesus’ glorification.
From
the cloud came a voice. This is the voice of God. “This is
my chosen Son; listen to him.” At Jesus’ baptism, this “voice” identified
Jesus to be “my beloved Son; with you I am well please.” (Lk 3:22). The
difference is that the “voice in 3:22 spoke directly to Jesus in the second
person singular while here in 9:35, it refers to Jesus in the third person.
Another difference is the second-person plural imperative: “listen to him”
found here in 9:35 that is not in 3:22. “Listen to him” is an order addressed
to all disciples, through Peter, John, and James, to clear all the doubts,
shocks, and discouragements that arose in them due to Jesus’ announcement of
his Passion previously. The “voice” confirms to them that Jesus is “my chosen
Son” to convince them to listen to Jesus when he reveals to them that he is not
the “army conqueror Messiah as they expect him to be but the suffering Messiah.
V.
36 concludes the account with two comments. (1) At the end of the event, the
disciples found Jesus alone, meaning without Moses and Elijah. (2) At that
time, the disciples did not tell anyone about their Transfiguration experience.
“At that time” means before the resurrection.
- Synthesis
All
the disciples were disappointed, shocked, and ready to abandon their
discipleship when, in the previous stories, they heard Jesus predict his
Passion for the first time and tell them that self-denial and accepting one’s
cross are the conditions for being his disciples (see Lk 9:22-27). Then, in our
Gospel passage, Jesus used the experience of his Transfiguration to increase
their hope and trust in him and encourage them not to give up their
discipleship because the glory of the Transfiguration they experienced is
awaiting those who would follow him until the end. These three disciples heard
God’s voice confirming that Jesus was his beloved Son, with whom God is well
pleased. God’s voice also ordered them to listen to Jesus.
1.
Liturgical Context
Today
is the Second Sunday of our forty-day penitential journey called Lent. The
liturgy of the first Sunday reminded us that the Lenten Season is the time to
resist the devil with his temptations, who intends to prevent us from
celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord well in Easter and from entering
the kingdom of God at the end of the age. The liturgy of this second Sunday reminds us that the Lenten season is
our “journey of faith” toward Easter and heaven, as Jesus did toward Jerusalem
right after the Transfiguration event (Gospel) and as Abraham did toward the
promised land (first reading). From the Gospel, we learn that all the disciples
were disappointed, shocked, and ready to abandon their discipleship when, in
the previous stories, they heard Jesus predict his Passion for the first time
and tell them that self-denial and accepting one’s cross are the conditions for
being his disciples (see Lk 9:22-27). You and I sometimes act like these
disciples when we do not observe the three Lenten Works of Penance (Prayer,
Fasting, and Almsgiving). Then, in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus used the
experience of his Transfiguration to increase the disciples’ and our faith, hope,
and trust in him. It encourages them and us not to give up our discipleship
because the glory of the Transfiguration they experienced and that we, too,
experience at each Mass we attend awaits those who would follow him until the
end. Our journey of faith entails crosses that we should not avoid but carry
with courage. Let us stand firm in the Lord and put our faith in him as the first and second readings teach us.
2.
What the Church Teaches Us Today
Luke
begins his Gospel story by telling us that Jesus selects you and me to be in
his inner circle the way he chose Peter, John, and James. He leads us up to our
“mountain,” which is our local Churches and families, where we encounter God
for prayer (v. 28).
The
evangelist informs us that Jesus’s Transfiguration occurred while he was
praying (v. 29). Our souls transfigure when we pray to God, especially in the
Eucharistic celebration. Prayer is a special moment when our souls enter into
contact with their Creator God and experience the glory of heaven. Luke tells
us that Peter and his companions fell asleep while Jesus was praying (v.32).
This is because perhaps they did not know how to pray. We should overcome sleep
and other distractions that prevent us from experiencing the heavenly glory
through prayer. Let us imitate Jesus and put prayer in the center of our lives.
Peter enjoys the divine glory of Transfiguration. He
requests three tents be built there: one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for
Elijah. The narrator comments that Peter did not know what he was saying
(v.33). There are three interpretations here. (1) Through his request, Peter
desires to remain in this divine glory for good, meaning he wants to enjoy
Jesus’ glorification without passing through his Passion and Death. Many of
us sometimes act like Peter here. We like to celebrate Easter but do not
like Lent because we do not want to observe the works of repentance: prayer,
fasting, and almsgiving, which prepare and lead us to Easter. There is no
Easter without Good Friday. There is no glory in God’s kingdom without
accepting to die with Christ through our resolution to repent every time we
sin.
(2) Through his request to build three tents, Peter
expressed his desire to remain there because he enjoyed this glorious moment.
Since the Eucharistic celebration is the moment of the Transfiguration of our
souls, on the one hand, like Peter, we should enjoy every moment we spend with
Jesus at each Mass we attend. The Eucharistic liturgy is the mystical moment
when heaven and earth unite. When we sing with the choir, we join the angels of
heaven and praise God. When we listen to the Scripture readings, we listen to
God. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive Jesus. So, we experience the
Transfiguration at each Mass we attend. Thus, like Peter, we should enjoy that
experience and wish to stay here for good. On the other hand, however, we
cannot “build three tents in our Churches” and stay here for good, enjoying the
“Transfiguration moment” while many people are still in the darkness of this
world. Instead, Jesus expects us to go out at the end of each Mass to share our
experience of the Transfiguration with our brothers and sisters so that they,
too, follow Jesus and come to do the same experience.
(3) The narrator commented that Peter did not know
what he was saying. What do Peter and we do not know? First, we do not know, and now we should
know, that the Transfiguration experience, as a foretaste of heavenly glory,
aims to fortify our discipleship commitment so that we may not quit following
Jesus. Second, we do not know, and now we should know, that we cannot enjoy
Jesus’ Resurrection at Easter unless we first accept to accompany Jesus on his
way to the cross during this Lenten season because Jesus’ Passion and Death
precede his Resurrection. Third, we do not know, and now we should know that to
enjoy Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter and our “Transfiguration” at the end of the
age, we should start the works of penance (Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving)
now.
God gets himself involved in the scene of the
Transfiguration through the presence of the cloud that casts a shadow over the
three disciples. He first confirms that Jesus is his beloved Son, with whom he
is well pleased. Second, he orders them to listen to him (vv. 34-35). This part
of the Gospel teaches us that prayer, especially the liturgy of the Mass,
allows us to enter God's presence and experience the mystery of Jesus’
glorification. We hear God’s voice through the Sacred Scriptures and the homilies.
The Word of God tells us that Jesus is the Son of God and invites us to listen
to him.
Listening to Jesus means we should not abandon our faith in God, especially
when things do not go how we want. It means that we should not quit coming to
Church or stop serving the Church and our brothers and sisters when we
encounter obstacles. Listening to Jesus is to observe the Lenten works of
penance (Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.) It is following faithfully God’s
commandments and the Church’s teachings even when they challenge us. In
our second reading, Saint Paul calls those who do not listen to Jesus “the
enemies of the cross of Christ.” He says that their minds are occupied with
earthly things. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their
glory is their ‘shame.’ (Philippians 3:18-19). Let us listen to the chosen Son
of God.
Luke
ends our Gospel story with two comments: The disciples find Jesus alone,
meaning without Moses and Elijah, and they keep silent, not telling anyone
about their experience of the Transfiguration (v. 36). The Transfiguration
experience is over. Jesus is alone now. It is time to come down from the
mountain and accompany him on his “journey of faith” toward Jerusalem. Our
first reading tells us the story of the “journey of faith” of Abraham, which
started in chap. 12 of the Book of Genesis, when God called him to leave his
land and go to an unknown land that God himself would show him. He
promised to make Abraham’s descendants a great nation (Gn 12:1-3). Then, in our
first reading passage, God says again that Abraham’s descendants will be as
many as the stars of the sky. We, too, are on our “Lenten “Journey of Faith”
toward Easter, which prefigures our “Journey of Faith” toward our heavenly
home. Indeed, our citizenship is not in this world but in heaven, as Saint Paul
confirms in our second reading (Philippians 3:20). As we continue our “journey
of faith,” our first and second readings exhort us to stand firm in the Lord
and put our faith in him (Philippians 4:1; Gen 15:6).
The three disciples of our Gospel keep silent
because it is not time yet to share their experience with the people. The time
will come when their Lord resurrects from the dead with glory and when they are
empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; that time, they will proclaim what
they themselves have experienced. Let us strengthen our relationship with Jesus
during this Lenten “journey of faith” so that in Easter, we might share this
resurrection experience with our brothers and sisters.
May
the liturgy of this Mass enable us to become the men and women of prayer, to
listen to the Chosen Son of God, and to stand firm in the Lord so that at the
end of our Lenten “journey of faith,” we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord
well and at the end of our earthly “journey of faith,” we inherit the promised
land in God’s kingdom. Amen.
Fr. Leon Ngandu, SVD
Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS
&
SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator
[1]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the
Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1323.
[2]
See NABRE, note to Matthew 17:1.
[3]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the
Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1323.
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