Title Fantasy and Reality, February 6
Matthew 17:1-9
Title: Fantasy and Reality
transfiguration of jesus
It is said that Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain. We don't know anything about why you climbed the mountain. Jesus was active mainly in the plains around the Sea of Galilee, especially in Capernaum, and in Samaria, Judea, and Jerusalem. He did not avoid places with large numbers of people, such as synagogues, markets, and banquet halls. It means that he sometimes went to a quiet place to pray, but he did not devote himself to the work he did alone by deliberately avoiding people. The most representative case of leaving people was when he began his public life, fasting and praying for 30 days in the wilderness. As is well known, at that time Jesus overcame the three temptations he received from Satan and proclaimed the kingdom of God in earnest. Since then, Jesus has never had a break in contact with people. He met people, taught, healed, and preached. It is a very unusual event that such a busy man not only went to a secluded place to pray, but climbed such a high mountain.
Matthew states that Jesus' appearance on the mountain was changed. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes were as dazzling as the light (verse 2). I don't know how realistic this expression is. Literary rhetoric cannot be accepted simply as a realistic depiction. However, through the expression of a face shining like the sun and clothes dazzling like light, it is clear that the figure of Jesus appeared to the disciples as a special phenomenon. What experiences did the disciples really have?
Do you sometimes see scenes like this in movies? There are a lot of people moving, but there is a picture where they look a little blurry and only one person is clearly visible. This technique is often used, especially when dealing with lovers who have been separated for a long time and are reunited. Perhaps, to them, the person they were missing seemed to be shining. To others, it is an ordinary appearance, but to the eyes of a passionate person, that special object is seen as a shining form. These things happen to us often. To experience the fact that this world, which has always seemed ordinary, is full of light.
The fact that the disciples experienced the figure of Jesus as a light becomes more certain in the changes that followed. “And out of nowhere Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with Jesus” (verse 3). Could this really happen? What era were Moses and Elijah from? Moses is a man 1,200 years before the High Mountain event, and Elijah is a man 800 years ago. These two have something in common. Both men have shown remarkable charisma in Israeli history. No one could do the miracles that Moses and Elijah performed. In particular, Moses was the person who completed the Law, including the Ten Commandments, on Mount Sinai. When he came down from the mountain, his appearance was so dazzling that people could not see him. So there is a story that the face was covered with a towel. Elijah is a legendary figure who ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire at the last moment of his death. The light of Moses and the fire of Elijah are both linked to events and experiences that transcend everyday life. In particular, both of them have no graves. Because Moses disappeared after preaching at the last minute, and Elijah ascended to heaven as mentioned above.
When it comes to Israelis, there is no one who does not know the tradition of Moses and Elijah. So did the disciples. Did the disciples who climbed a high mountain today, in a completely new environment, thought that their teacher, Jesus, might be the reincarnation of Moses or Elijah? There are already several rumors about Jesus mentioned in Matthew 16:13 and below. People thought that Jesus might be John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the great prophets. The disciples also asked, “Who is Jesus?” You must have always had a question to ask. Then, today, when they climbed a high mountain, they had an unexpected experience. Jesus' face shone like the sun, and his clothes were as dazzling as light. However, I even experienced the manifestation of Moses and Elijah, who had the most powerful charisma in the history of Israel.
three booths
In the serious life of Jesus, Peter created a comical situation. It's like going out to walk on the lake yourself, pulling out a sword at the moment Jesus was arrested, or denying Jesus three times. In today's event, Peter's temperament is also revealed. He has no idea what to do in the face of a completely new experience, and he spits out abruptly. “Lord, how good it would be for us to stay here. If it is okay with you, I will make three tents here, one for the Lord, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (verse 4).
As it turns out, Peter's suggestion is unique. Because this suggestion contains the meaning of loving Jesus. However, Peter's behavior was not so desirable in that love presupposed not only passion but a right understanding of the other person. First of all, it must be said that the thought of staying there was far from the will of Jesus. The appearance of Moses and Elijah is said to be a world beyond history, and it is only partially true that you are attracted to such a world. Religion has a lot of risk of falling into unreality. If the desire for such a place, which we usually refer to as 'heaven', starts with a denial of reality, and thus falls into historical nihilism, it is likely to undermine the Christian faith.
Another limitation of Peter's suggestion is that he juxtaposed Jesus with Moses or Elijah. The idea of building three huts and distributing them to three people means that you see these three people alike. This thought must have always been in the hearts of the disciples, including Peter. They thought about how much better it would be if their teacher was Moses or Elijah. Even if Jesus had to be the second Moses and the second Eli, the disciples would be proud. Moses was the hero of the nation of Israel. He was a political hero, a hero of national liberation. It was only natural that they, who were always embarrassed as a minority, were waiting for the second Moses. The disciples must have had no desire to accept Jesus as such a political hero. Elijah is a representative of supernatural powers. There are many Christians who seek to find their Christian faith in these supernatural powers. There are people who want to make the center of their faith the healing of an incurable disease or the miraculous recovery of a company on the verge of bankruptcy. It should be seen that Peter's idea of building three tents still remains for us today.
sound of light
Before Peter could finish speaking, a shining cloud covered them. And I heard these words in the clouds. “This is my beloved son, whom I am well pleased with; listen to him” (verse 5). In this scene, too, ‘light’ plays an important role. The scene of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah speaking was soon covered with a shining cloud. As the disciples' illusions are shattered by the shining clouds, they now hear a certain 'sound'. It is the moment when certain experiences change from visual illusions to auditory illusions. This sound suggests the fundamental meaning of today's event.
The expression “this is my beloved son” is a quotation from Psalm 2:7, as the marginal note points out. This proposition that Jesus is the Son of God is the basis of all teachings of early Christianity. Although these symbols were borrowed from the Old Testament, the conviction that Jesus was the Son of God allowed Christianity to appear in history. Also, because of this fact, Christianity was persecuted by Judaism.
So any attempt to align Moses and Elijah with Jesus was removed from Christianity. This is the reason why Peter's statement above that he would build a booth for Moses and Elijah did not get any response by Jesus. There is no other compromise or compromise with the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.
The question, however, is how we can apologise for this fact today. How can we know that Jesus is the Son of God and how can we prove that Jesus is the Son of God? Basically, we should accept it as ‘belief’, but shouldn’t we be able to believe it unconditionally? We must first be able to prove why it is believable and why we cannot help but believe it. Of course, Christian proof doesn't happen in a laboratory. They must appear in our theological discussions, or in the concrete lives of our believers.
In this respect, our Christian life is very important. Depending on how we live, we may or may not prove that Jesus is the Son of God. Some people always focus on achieving self-fulfillment, or they live by focusing only on their emotions. On the other hand, some people recognize that Jesus is the Son of God and try to prove it in their lives. Of course, our efforts won't prove it all at once, but it will help us participate in them, at least in part.
after fantasy
The bright clouds and some sound they heard must have surprised the disciples. They say they were so afraid that they fell to the ground. Jesus touched them with his hand and said, “Do not be afraid, all rise up” (verse 7). The disciples often experienced this fear in Jesus. This does not mean that they are afraid, but rather a kind of 'surprise' they feel in front of a surprising phenomenon they cannot handle. It is similar to being surprised by its beauty when we go to Mt. Geumgang. It means that Jesus had such a fear that drew his disciples out of their daily lives. The most decisive event was the resurrection of Jesus. They were afraid of the resurrection of Jesus, which they could not interpret from their own life experiences. When the disciples heard Jesus' command not to be afraid, they lifted their heads and looked at Jesus, saying, “I saw no one but Jesus” (verse 8).
What really happened there at that time? It is said that Jesus' face shone like the sun and his clothes were as dazzling as light. Those who were supposed to be Moses and Elijah seemed to be talking to Jesus. A shining cloud enveloped the disciples. And I heard the voice of the Son of God. Jesus calmed the fearful disciples. When he came to his senses and looked at him, he returned to his original form. Did the disciples have a dream? Did he see a vision because he was so obsessed with Jesus? Or did it actually happen there?
It is fundamentally impossible, and perhaps not necessary, for us to find the substantive truth here. Because not only were these fantastic things almost common at the time, but what the Bible is trying to say is also their reality rather than these mythical elements.
Please read the last verse carefully. They say that the dazzling phenomena that can only be seen in Miyazaki's animations disappear in an instant, leaving only the real Jesus. Moses and Elijah are their dream world. Moses and Elijah, moreover, the sound they heard in the shining clouds is a holy memory, a waiting, and a hope for them. But no matter how dynamic and desperate they are, they are not our reality. In our reality, only the historical Jesus remains. Doesn't this mean that experiencing and living with Jesus in this history is intrinsically important? But without these illusions, our reality is bleak. So, while dreaming of a world beyond our history, at the same time, even more so, we must be smart and faithfully fulfill the content of our life with Jesus in this reality. And we are just waiting for the day it will be completed.