Homily One on the Transfiguration of the Lord
By St. John of Kronstadt
By St. John of Kronstadt
The Holy Church now celebrates – and we celebrate with Her – the radiant feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor and the glorification of our human nature in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. I will repeat in Russian the Gospel or the all-joyous Gospel of the Evangelist Matthew about the present day, which tells about the event of the Transfiguration.
"Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!' And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, 'Arise, and do not be afraid.' When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, 'Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead'” (Matthew 17:1-9).
Here is the end of the Gospel story. And so the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ consisted in the fact that during His prayer on Mount Tabor, as another Evangelist adds to this story, "His face suddenly shone like the sun, and His garments became white as snow" (Luke 9:29). At this time the disciples appeared: the ancient prophet and lawgiver of the Jewish people Moses and the Prophet Elijah, who was once taken alive to heaven in a chariot of fire and on horses of fire; they appeared in glory, i.e. in heavenly light, and conversed with the Lord about the coming sufferings and about His death on the cross in Jerusalem, as the Evangelist Luke supplements this story.
Why did the Lord show the Apostles His heavenly glory, the brightness of His Divinity, as much as they could contain, no more, because otherwise they would not have remained alive? "Man cannot see My face," God said to Moses in the Old Testament, "and remain alive" (Exodus 33:20). It was in order that He might show them again and again, after innumerable miracles, His Divinity and His consubstantiality with the Father, so that they might not be shaken in faith during His sufferings and death, but that they might understand that He suffered and died voluntarily, for the sins of the world, and with boldness preach about Him to people that He is truly the Only-begotten Son of God, eternal, the Creator of the visible and invisible world, or the angelic world.
Why did the prophets appear: Moses, who lived before Jesus Christ one and a half thousand years, and Elijah almost a thousand years? And why in glory? They appeared to testify to the Apostles that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah, the Savior of the world, foretold by the prophets of old, who has authority over the living and the dead, and to bring the disciples to their senses in the urgent need of His suffering and death for the redemption of the world. They appeared in glory in order to assure the disciples that the same or even greater glory awaited them for their exploits on earth, as the disciples and friends of Christ.
The prophets conversed with the Lord about the Lord's terrible sufferings for us in Jerusalem; but Peter, who did not know what he was saying, wanted to enjoy the blessedness on Tabor in the presence of the Lord: "It is good for us to be here," he said to the Lord, "let us make three tabernacles (i.e. tents of green branches), one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." No, Peter the Apostle, it is not the place or the time for you to be blessed here; but it is right for you to endure grievous sufferings and a most shameful death. Have you not heard what Moses and Elijah talked about with the Lord at His transfiguration? Not about blessedness, but about the suffering and death that He had to endure. But Peter himself, as it is said, from great joy and happiness, did not know what he was saying. It was necessary to admonish him and the other disciples from above, and before Peter had finished his words, a voice was heard from heaven: "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear Him" (Matt. 17:5); i.e. do not follow what pleases you, what is pleasant to you, but listen to Him, My beloved Son. And what did He say so recently? "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). This is where we must obey Him.
And we, brothers and sisters, should not seek joy and blessedness on earth: here is not a place or a time for blessedness, but a place and time for tearful repentance and purifying sorrows. Blessedness will be there, in heaven, forever and ever for all who truly believe and struggle here.
The disciples were afraid of the voice of God, because they were still imperfect and earthly. The Lord took away fear from them with His touch and the words: "Do not be afraid." Opening their eyes, they saw only the Lord and already in an ordinary form. When He came down from the mountain, He did not allow them to tell the people about this vision until He had risen from the dead. Why? Because the Lord had to suffer and die for the salvation of the world and of us, brethren, and He did not want His Divine glory to be glorified before suffering and the end of the work of redemption, and to give us an example of humility, so that we would not seek glory from people, but from God.
And so, brothers and sisters, let us not seek joy and blessedness, or vain glory on earth, but let us constantly change for the better by deep and genuine repentance, firm and unceasing, and by diligent work of good deeds. Let us endure with patience and hope the sorrows, misfortunes, and sufferings that are sent. If we live in this way, then a wondrous transfiguration will come for us, when the Lord will "transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to the glorious body of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:21), as the Scriptures say. This will be after the general resurrection of the dead. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.