Mountains, in religious literature, were places where the human could touch the divine. Sure enough, at the top of that mountain with Jesus, the apostles witness His divinity revealed, but they also glimpse His purpose as a bringer of liberation. It is significant that Jesus does not meet with Aaron the priest, who was the interpreter of the law, or with David the king, the defender of the state. Jesus insisted identifies with prophets. He appears with Moses and Elijah, whom King Ahab called “troubler of Israel,†because he condemned the people’s compromise between the One true God and false gods.
There are times for contemplative withdrawal from everyday life – and we should value those times as Jesus did – but today’s Gospel also presents us with a challenge to engage with the world around us and help transform it for the better. Religion is not so much about building temples and shrines, as about healing hurts and bringing liberation to people who are poor and vulnerable. Jesus calls us to come down from the mountain and out of our church buildings, and to work for justice and peace. Every time we are willing to let go of who we think we are and what we think we know, to lose our lives in order to find life, we are participating in the story of the Transfiguration. The fear of the story is real, but so is the hope. We are called to open our eyes and see Jesus for who really is, the Christ. He calls us to work to transform the world by following His teaching and example, and showing compassion for marginalized people at the fringes of mainstream society. Perhaps we can follow the example of Martin Luther King, who was inspired by his faith to devote his life to social justice, even to givig his life for it.