Instruction on the Transfiguration of the Lord

The holy Church celebrates today—and we celebrate with her—the most 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. Let me repeat in Russian speech the Gospel, or the all-joyous good tidings, of the Evangelist Matthew concerning this day, telling of the event of the Transfiguration. «At that time, Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them: His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, speaking with Him. Then Peter said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tents, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said: This is My beloved Son, in whom I delight; listen to Him. And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, telling them: rise, and do not be afraid. And lifting up their eyes, they saw nothing except Jesus alone. And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying: tell no one of this vision, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead» (Mt 17:1-9). Here the Gospel account ends. And so the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ consisted in this: that during His prayer on Mount Tabor, as another evangelist adds to this account, His face suddenly shone like the sun, and His garments became white as snow (Lk 9:29). At this time there appeared to the disciples the ancient prophet and lawgiver of the Jewish people, Moses, and the prophet Elijah, once taken up alive into heaven on a fiery chariot and fiery horses; they appeared in glory, that is, in heavenly light, and spoke with the Lord about His approaching sufferings and His death on the cross in Jerusalem, as the Evangelist Luke adds to this account. Why did the Lord show the Apostles His heavenly glory, the brightness of His Godhead, only to the extent that they could bear it, and no more—because otherwise they would not have remained alive? A man cannot see My face, God said in the Old Testament to Moses, and remain alive (Ex 33:20). This was in order, once again and yet again, after His countless miracles, to show them His Godhead in the most evident manner, and His oneness of essence with the Father, so that they might not waver in faith during His sufferings and death, but might understand and know that He suffered and died voluntarily, for the sins of the world—and might preach of Him to the people with boldness, that He is truly the only-begotten Son of God, eternal, Creator of the world visible and invisible, or angelic. Why did the prophets appear—Moses, who lived a millennium and a half before Jesus Christ, and Elijah, almost a thousand years before? And why in glory? They appeared to bear witness to the apostles that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah, foretold of old by the prophets, the Savior of the world, having dominion over the living and the dead, and to instruct the disciples in the urgent necessity of His sufferings and death for the redemption of the world. They appeared in glory in order to assure the disciples that a like, or even greater, glory awaited them for their labors on earth, as the disciples and friends of Christ. The prophets spoke with the Lord of the fearsome sufferings the Lord would undergo for us in Jerusalem; but Peter, not knowing what he said, wished to enjoy blessedness on Tabor in the Lord’s presence: it is good for us to be here, he says, Lord: let us make three tents — that is, tents of green branches — one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. No, Peter the apostle, this is neither the place nor the time for you to be blessed here; instead grievous sufferings and a most shameful death await you. Did you not hear what Moses and Elijah spoke of with the Lord during His transfiguration? Not of blessedness, but of the suffering and death He was to undergo. But Peter himself, as it is said, did not know what he was saying, from great joy and happiness. It was necessary to bring him and the other disciples to their senses from on high, and before Peter had even finished his words, a voice was heard from heaven: This is My beloved Son, in whom I delight; listen to Him (Mt 17:5)—that is, do not follow what pleases you, what is agreeable to you, but listen to Him, My beloved Son. And what had He so recently said? If anyone wishes to go after Me, let him renounce himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (Lk 9:23). This is what you must listen to Him in.

And we too, brothers and sisters, ought not to seek joys and blessedness on earth: here is neither the place nor the time for blessedness, but the place and time for tearful repentance and cleansing sorrows. Blessedness will be there, in heaven, for endless ages, for all who have truly believed and striven here.

The disciples were terrified by the voice of God, because they were still imperfect and earthly. The Lord took away their fear by His touch and His word: «do not be afraid». Opening their eyes, they saw the Lord alone, and now in His ordinary appearance. As they came down from the mountain, He did not allow them to tell the people of this vision until He should rise from the dead. Why? Because it was fitting that the Lord should suffer and die for the salvation of the world and of us, brothers, and He did not wish His divine glory to be proclaimed before His sufferings and the completion of the work of redemption, and He wished to give us an example of humility, that we too should not seek glory from men, but from God.

And so, brothers and sisters, let us not seek for ourselves joys and blessedness on earth, or vain glory, but let us be continually changed for the better by deep and unfeigned repentance, firm and unceasing, and by the earnest doing of good deeds—let us bear with patience and hope the sorrows, misfortunes, and sufferings sent to us. If we live in this way, then a wondrous transfiguration awaits us too, when the Lord will transfigure our lowly body so that it will be conformed to the glorious Body of Jesus Christ (Phil 3:21), as Scripture says. This will be after the general resurrection of the dead. Amen.