2nd SUNDAY OF LENT (Cycle B)

Faith and Obedience Through Trials

(Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13; Psalm 116:10, 15-19; Romans 8:31-34; Mark 9:2-10)

Our Lenten season began with the significant narrative of Satan testing Jesus in the barren wilderness, where He endured temptation and emerged victorious. This Sunday, we delve deeper into the theme of testing through another profound story in the First Reading, in which God put Abraham’s faith and obedience to the ultimate test in a covenant ordeal that would forever shape humanity's understanding of the divine relationship.
In this account, God commands Abraham to build an altar at a specific mountain and to sacrifice his “beloved son,” Isaac. This command is recorded in Genesis 22:1-2, where the gravity of God's instructions weighs heavily on Abraham. Despite the emotional turmoil such a request would undoubtedly evoke, Abraham demonstrates unwavering faith. His belief that God would fulfil His promise of numerous descendants through Isaac, as previously stated in Genesis 17:19, reflects profound trust in God's character and faithfulness. Abraham understood that for God's promises to be fulfilled, Isaac must live, and he held the hope that God could even resurrect his son from the dead to ensure the fulfilment of this promise, as illustrated in Hebrews 11:17-19.
The Church throughout the ages has interpreted Abraham’s poignant story of testing and unwavering faith as foreshadowing a greater sacrifice, that of God Himself. Just as Abraham did not withhold his beloved son from the altar, God did not spare His own beloved Son, Jesus, from the cross. This act was central to God's redemptive plan, as Jesus laid down His life for all the beloved sons and daughters of the human family, revealing the depth of God’s love for the world.
In the Gospel, Jesus is revealed as the true and ultimate Son whom Abraham rejoiced to see, as noted in John 8:56 and Matthew 1:1. He is the beloved Son of God, sent to endure suffering and sacrifice for the atonement of our sins, in line with the prophetic words in Isaiah 53:3. Through Jesus’s sacrificial death, His glorious Resurrection, and Ascension into Heaven, believers are granted hope and strength as they confront their own tests of faith throughout their earthly journeys, ultimately aspiring towards eternal salvation.
The Responsorial Psalm echoes this theme, with the psalmist expressing deep confidence in God's watchful care over the lives of the righteous. Each life, and even the moment of death, holds significant importance in God’s eyes, as He views the deaths of the faithful as precious and accepts them as sacrificial offerings. In singing our response, we affirm our shared belief in God’s promise to raise us from physical death, proclaiming: “I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.”
In the Second Reading, Saint Paul offers further assurance that God is steadfastly on our side in the face of trials. He writes with conviction that God did not withhold His own Son but willingly offered Jesus as a sacrificial lamb on the cross to redeem humanity from the chains of sin and the inevitability of death. Saint Paul then conveys a message of hope and victory, declaring that the elect, those chosen by God, will emerge triumphant despite the many adversities and sufferings encountered in life.
Moreover, through the Sacrament of Baptism, believers participate in the profound mystery of dying with Christ, enabling them to be raised with Him to a new spiritual life. This sacrament symbolises the promise of Heaven upon death and the future hope of a bodily resurrection at the end of time. Thus, the Lenten journey invites us to reflect on these deep truths, encouraging us to foster a life anchored in faith as we traverse the path laid out before us.
In the Gospel Reading, a profound moment unfolds at the Transfiguration, where God calls Jesus His “beloved Son.” This term echoes Genesis 22:2, where Isaac is also called Abraham's “beloved son.” However, the narratives diverge at this point: while God intervened to spare Abraham’s beloved son from sacrifice, He did not spare His own “beloved Son,” Jesus, who ultimately died as a sacrificial offering on the altar of the Cross to atone for the sins of humanity.
The experience on the Mount of Transfiguration is a revelatory moment, revealing the New Covenant Kingdom of the Messiah to three of Jesus’s closest Apostles: Peter, James, and John. This extraordinary event is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew (17:1-8) and Luke (9:28-36), both of which recount it with striking detail.
Following Jesus’s first prediction of His death, as recorded in Mark 8:31-33 (also referenced in Matthew and Luke), the disciples likely felt fear and discouragement. They were grappling with the weight of His prophetic words about suffering and sacrifice. To give them a vision, a glimpse of hope, during this troubling time, Jesus led Peter, James, and John up a “high mountain.” This ascent was not merely a physical journey; it was a means for them to witness a spectacular manifestation of His divine glory. This revelatory experience would instil in them the understanding that Jesus is indeed the Son of God and affirm their faith that He would return in glory when all His predictions came to fruition.
The significance of the event taking place on a mountain cannot be overlooked. In salvation history, numerous mighty works and revelations from God have occurred on mountains, including the awe-inspiring Theophany on Mount Sinai. Instances such as those in Genesis (22:2, 11), Exodus (19:16-20), the events involving Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:19-39), and God’s appearance to Elijah (1 Kings 19:11-18) underscore this important tradition. Furthermore, the power of these moments is reflected in Jesus’s role as the new Moses, who ascends a mountain to reveal the divine, not in search of God as Moses did, but to manifest God the Son to His three Apostles in His full glory.
As the Transfiguration unfolds, Jesus is transfigured before His disciples, and “his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.” In the original Greek, the term for transfigured is “metamorphoo,” which gives rise to the concept of metamorphosis. Moreover, the Gospels of Matthew and Luke emphasise an extraordinary transformation: Jesus’s face radiates with brilliance, akin to the sun itself (Matthew 17:2; Luke 9:29). This radiant visage recalls the biblical account of Moses, whose face shone after encountering the presence of God (Exodus 34:29-35). The dazzling white garments worn by Jesus align with the vision described by the prophet Daniel, who sees someone “like a son of man” with a face that shines with an otherworldly light, reminiscent of the pre-Incarnate Christ (Daniel 10:5-6).
Accompanying Jesus during this miraculous event are Moses and Elijah, who symbolise the Law and the Prophets of the Sinai Covenant. Luke’s account highlights that both Moses and Elijah appeared in glory, engaging in a profound discussion with Jesus about the forthcoming “exodus,” signifying His impending departure and Passion in Jerusalem (Luke 9:30-31). While the Apostles were familiar with Jesus's earthly life, this moment on Mount Tabor revealed His divine essence in extraordinary splendour.
This epiphany at the Transfiguration marks a significant convergence of the Old and New Covenants, with Jesus as the fulcrum of divine revelation, the beginning and the end. Moses and Elijah, representing the Old Covenant and Israel’s prophetic tradition, stand alongside Peter, James, and John, who embody the new Israel of the New Covenant. This trio of Apostles not only signifies the leadership of the new Israel but also lays the foundation for the Church, the community of believers on Earth, destined for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Ultimately, the Transfiguration equips the Apostles with the divine insight and strength to persevere through the trials they would face in the climactic final year of Jesus's ministry, thereby solidifying their roles as witnesses to the extraordinary intersection of God’s promises, as revealed through both the Law and the prophetic voices of old, and seamlessly ushered in by the revelation of Christ.
In verse 5 of the Gospels, St. Peter addresses Jesus as “Teacher” and makes a somewhat perplexing request to build tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. At first glance, this request may seem odd or even misplaced. However, understanding the context of the seven holy feast days established in the Old Covenant can shed light on Peter’s intentions. Notably, Jesus does not rebuke Peter for this suggestion, which suggests that there may be merit in what Peter is proposing.
Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, St. John's Gospel does not recount the Transfiguration. John often refrains from reiterating details he finds adequately covered by the other three Gospels. Nonetheless, he records that during the second year of Jesus’s ministry, He travelled to Jerusalem to observe the pilgrim feast of Sukkoth, known in English as the Feast of Booths, Shelters, or Tabernacles (John 7:1-2, 10). The specific covenant obligations associated with this festival are outlined in Leviticus 23:33-43. In verse 42, God commands, “During this week, every native Israelite among you shall dwell in booths, so that your descendants may realise that when I led the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, I made them dwell in booths; I, the LORD, am your God.”
Given the timing of the festival, Peter’s proposal to construct booths or tents on the mountain where the Transfiguration occurred was quite reasonable. Peter likely recognised that the covenantal practices of the old order were no longer obligatory for worship, and that strict adherence to the traditions of pilgrimage to the Jerusalem Temple was not required. Instead, the very essence of worship could be fulfilled in the presence of God the Son on that mountain. If this was indeed Peter’s line of thought, it suggests that the Transfiguration may have taken place in the early autumn, coinciding with the seven-day observance of the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles). The Gospel of John further supports this timeframe by confirming that Jesus travelled to Jerusalem for this very feast in the second year of His ministry, as detailed in chapters 7-8.
In verse 7 of the Transfiguration accounts, the cloud is a prominent manifestation of God. Throughout Scripture, the cloud frequently serves as a vehicle for God’s presence (Exodus 16:10; 19:9; 24:15-16; 33:9; 34:5; 40:34; Daniel 7:13; 2 Maccabees 2:8; Acts 1:9; Revelation 11:12; 14:14). Specific examples illustrate this theme:
1. A Pillar of Cloud guided the Israelites during their Exodus journey from Egypt (Exodus 13:21-22).
2. The overshadowing cloud infused the Tabernacle in the desert, as well as the Ark of the Covenant, signifying God's presence among His people (Exodus 40:34).
3. A cloud filled the newly dedicated Temple in Jerusalem, marking a significant moment of divine visitation (1 Kings 8:10-14; 2 Chronicles 5:13-14).
4. Daniel’s vision includes one like a “son of man” being brought to God in heaven, carried on a cloud (Daniel 7:13).
5. The cloud-like “shadow” of the Holy Spirit enveloped the Virgin Mary at the Incarnation of Jesus (Luke 1:35).
These numerous scriptural references to clouds enrich our understanding of the divine presence at pivotal moments in biblical history, culminating in the profound Transfiguration, where Jesus, alongside Moses and Elijah, is revealed in His divine glory.
In Mark 9:7, the Greek term for the “shadow of the cloud” that enveloped the disciples is “episkiazo.” This significant word carries deep theological implications, as it appears again in the narrative of the Annunciation in Luke 1:35, where the Holy Spirit is said to have overshadowed the Virgin Mary during the Incarnation. Additionally, this term is found in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) in Exodus 40:34, where it describes how God’s Spirit overshadowed the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant, signifying God's presence among His people.
Verse 7 features a voice from Heaven, echoing the divine proclamation heard at Jesus's baptism, as recorded in Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, and Luke 3:22. This moment marked the first visible manifestation of the Holy Trinity: God the Father’s voice resonated from Heaven, God the Son stood before the people in His radiant glory, and the overshadowing cloud symbolised God the Holy Spirit. The voice from Heaven declared, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.” This statement is not merely an affirmation; it is a substantial endorsement of Peter’s acknowledgement of Jesus as the “Messiah and the Son of the Living God” in Matthew 16:16, with parallel accounts in Mark 8:29 and Luke 9:20. It also foreshadows the impending Passion of Christ, as articulated in Matthew 16:21-23, Mark 8:31-33, and Luke 9:22.
The Divine Voice’s directive, “Listen to Him,” emphasises Jesus’s role as the prophet like Moses whom God promised to the covenant people in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. This moment mirrors the Israelites’ experience of hearing God’s voice in the Theophany at Sinai, as described in Exodus 20:18, and parallels the prophet Daniel’s encounters with the divine presence in Daniel 9:15-18 and 10:7-9. Indeed, the three Apostles, Peter, James, and John, were left awestruck by what they witnessed. As noted in Luke 9:36b and Mark 9:9-10, they initially chose not to disclose their experience. However, their silence later gave way to testimony as they recounted their encounter. Peter, in a letter to the universal Church, emphasised this transformative event by stating, “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him for the majestic glory, ‘This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:16-18).
After descending the mountain following this profound Transfiguration, Jesus instructed the three Apostles not to disclose what they had witnessed about His true identity. It is crucial to note that Jesus did not ask them to remain silent indefinitely; rather, He requested their silence until after His death and resurrection. Naturally, the Apostles must have grappled with the meaning of “rising from the dead.” Did this indicate a mere return to daily life, similar to the resurrection of the Synagogue official’s daughter, as depicted in Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26; Mark 5:22, 35-43; and Luke 8:41, 49-56? Or did it imply a deeper, more profound form of resurrection? This question remained obscured until Jesus’s Resurrection, followed by His forty days of teaching the Church, and was ultimately clarified at His Ascension to the Father in Heaven.
In the First Reading, Abraham experienced the profound depth of God’s love and mercy after enduring a pivotal test of faith that likely felt like the darkest moment of his life. Meanwhile, the Psalmist, despite his own trials and afflictions, expressed a heartfelt connection to God, praising Him as a beloved son for His gracious intercession. In contrast, the Apostles Peter, James, and John were gripped by fear and doubt in response to Jesus's foretelling of His Passion and death. Yet, in a remarkable act of grace, their Lord allowed them to witness His glory in the Transfiguration, thereby confirming His divine nature. These divine experiences are not confined to biblical history; they can resonate within us today, especially when we embrace our identity as sons and daughters through the Sacrament of Baptism. With faith, we can “walk before the Lord” as we anticipate the hope of one day being in His presence “in the land of the living.” Indeed, as St. Paul encourages in the Second Reading, “If God is for us, who can be against us!”