By Father Paul Nord, O.S.B.
Sunday Scripture
First Reading: Genesis 12:1-4a; Response: Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22; Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:8b-10; Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9
From Genesis, this reading marks the beginning of Abram’s relationship with the LORD God (YHWH). It begins with the LORD giving Abram a command, “go forth” from the land of his family and from his “father’s house.” Until then, Abram had found his identity in the land and house of his father. But then the LORD God calls Abram to a new identity rooted in Abram’s relationship with the LORD. God commands Abram to go “to a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Abram obeys God; he takes with him “his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot” (12:5).
While Abram obeys God’s command, God makes Abram several promises. The first promise was already stated — God will give Abram a land. Second, “I will make of you a great nation.” The infertility and childlessness of Abram’s wife Sarai was stated previously in Genesis 11:30. Thus God’s promise requires much trust for Abram to believe. Lastly, God promises: “All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.” In St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians (3:8-14), Paul cites this promise to Abram as fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
This Genesis passage contains the first promises that God makes with Abram. The first promise — of land — will finally be fulfilled when the Israelites enter the promised land with Joshua after Moses’ death. The second promise — that Abram’s descendants will become “a great nation” — is fulfilled gradually. They increase in number in Egypt. But only after they enter the promised land do they grow into a great nation, especially later when David becomes King. God’s final promise to Abram is fulfilled in an unexpected way — by Christ offering new life to all humanity by his crucifixion. Today’s reading ends bluntly — obeying God, “Abram went.”
Psalm 33 is a fervent declaration of trust in the LORD God. The last verse of the psalm (Psalm 33:22) is used here as refrain: “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.” Verse 4 declares that God’s “word” is “upright” and that God’s “works” are “trustworthy.” These parallel phrases declare the justice of both God’s works and God’s words expressed in the Law and the Prophets. Verse 5 uses imagery: “the earth is full” of the Lord’s “hesed” (kindness), a word describing God’s faithful to his covenant relationship with the Israelites.
Psalm 33:18-19 says that the Lord sees and delivers “those who fear him” and place their hope in his “hesed” (faithfulness/kindness).The Lord “delivers them from death and … famine.” Verse 20 says: “Our soul (nefesh) waits for the LORD.” This Hebrew word “nefesh” refers to the whole person with all his emotions and physical life. This phrase shows dependence on God for life. A similar sense is given by this English sentence: “We hold our breath waiting for the LORD.”
The second reading is an exhortation addressed from the apostle Paul to Timothy. Paul recalls Timothy’s sincere faith (2 Timothy 1:5), and Paul encourages Timothy to be ardent in his ministry of proclaiming the Gospel. Paul reminds Timothy that he has been commissioned by Paul to participate in this ministry — “through the imposition of my hands” (1:6). Paul notes that he is now “a prisoner for (Christ’s) sake” (1:8a). Paul exhorts Timothy to likewise “bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.” (1:8b).
Paul notes that God “saved us and called us to a holy life.” Personal holiness is possible only through the grace believers receive “in Christ.” Paul teaches that Christ’s grace was given to us even “before time began,” but has now been revealed to us through Jesus Christ’s incarnation, death and resurrection. This is consistent with the beginning of John’s Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
Our Gospel today recounts “the Transfiguration” of Jesus from Matthew 17. The gospels of Mark and Luke have parallel accounts of this essential event. Jesus takes Peter, James,and John with him “up a high mountain by themselves” (17:1). Then Jesus “was transfigured before them” and his clothes “became white as light.” Also Jesus’ “face shone like the sun.” In this way, Peter, James and John are given a glimpse Jesus’ true nature as the Son of God.
Peter says to Jesus: “Lord … If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter seeks to provide human dwellings, but instead “a bright cloud cast a shadow over them.” God’s voice speaks from the cloud, and God says: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” This reveals to the disciples that they are encountering God in the person of Jesus, God’s Son. Such a divine encounter is called a “theophany.”
The reaction of Jesus’ disciples is great fear — “they fell prostrate.” But Jesus touches them and says: “Rise, and do not be afraid.” The detail that Jesus touched them is a very human gesture of reassurance. Falling prostrate means the disciples’ faces and eyes were to the ground. When they finally look up, “they saw no one else but Jesus alone.” The vision of Christ’s true nature as God’s Son has passed. They receive a glimpse, but they are not yet ready to fully encounter Christ’s divine nature. As they are leaving the mountain, Jesus commands them: “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
In Exodus, God leads the Israelites as a “column of cloud” through the desert. God’s presence is visible as a cloud covering the Tabernacle within the Israelites’ camp. The cloud overshadowing Jesus shows that he is God’s new presence among humanity. Also, in Exodus 40:35 the cloud of God’s presence descended upon “the tent of meeting” when God communicated with Moses. In Jesus’ Incarnation, God has chosen to dwell with humanity. This is revealed by his Transfiguration.