Mt 17:1 Matthew and Mark say that this happened “after six days,” whereas Luke says “after eight.” Therefore it must be said that Matthew and Mark counted only the intervening days and did not include the first and the last; thus they say “after six days,” that is, after six full days had passed following the day on which these things were spoken. Luke, however, counts the first and the last along with the intervening days. Thus they agree in meaning.
Rightly, after six days He showed His glory, and on the eighth day, because after the six ages of the world there will be the resurrection, and on the eighth day—that is, when the time of this world, which is carried on through seven days, is finished—He will come in His ineffable glory.
He took three so as to signify that only the faithful, who are imbued with faith in the Trinity, will be taken up into the brightness of the future resurrection. The names also are fitting. Every believer ought to be Peter, that is, firm in faith; then James, that is, a supplanter of vices; then John, that is, one who ascribes all things to the grace of God against the pride of life which often arises from virtues.
“And He led them up the mountain,” etc., signifying those who are to rise to glory—that is, who will ascend into heaven. Or He went up the mountain to teach that all who desire to see that grace should not lie in low pleasures but be lifted to the heights, according to the saying, “Our conversation is in heaven” (Phil 3).
He leads them apart to signify that the just are to be separated from the wicked at the judgment.
Mt 17:2 “And He was transfigured,” not by losing the substance of His flesh, but by showing the glory of the future resurrection.
“And His face shone like the sun,” that is, as an example of the future brightness which the just will receive when the wicked are removed. He compared His face to the sun because nothing brighter could be found in the world.
“And His garments became white as snow.” The garments of Christ signify the saints, of whom Isaiah says: “You shall clothe yourself with all these as with a garment” (Isa 49). They are compared to snow because they were white with virtues and all the heat of vices was removed from them.
According to Mark, His garments were “shining, exceedingly white as snow, such as no fuller on earth can whiten,” because no one can live on earth without some contagion of sin, which no fuller—that is, teacher of souls or purifier of his body—however excellent, can remove on earth. The Lord will do this in heaven, cleansing the Church—His garment—from every stain of flesh and spirit.
Mt 17:3 “And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, speaking with Him.” Moses and Elijah—of whom we read that one was taken up (2 Kings 2) and the other died—appearing in majesty with God, as Luke writes, signify the future glory of all the saints, who at the time of judgment will either be found alive in the flesh or will be raised after having tasted death, and will reign together, as the Apostle says: “The dead who are in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive…” (1 Thess 4).
Thus Moses signifies the dead, Elijah the living—together all who will reign with Christ.
In another sense, Moses and Elijah—that is, the lawgiver and the chief of the prophets—appear and speak with the Lord about His passion and resurrection to show that He is the one whom all the oracles of the Law and the Prophets promised.
They appear not in low places but on the mountain with Him, because only those who in mind transcend earthly desires behold the majesty of Holy Scripture fulfilled in the Lord.
They spoke with Him because they testified that the words of the prophets about His coming and the salvation of humanity were true.
They also signify the two regenerations: one in baptism, where the soul is raised; the other in the resurrection, where the body will be raised, of which it is said, “In the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit…” (Matt 19).
Moses, whose name is interpreted “drawn from the water,” signifies the first resurrection of baptism; Elijah, whose name is interpreted “sun,” signifies the second regeneration in which the just will shine like the sun. Therefore such two men fittingly appeared, signifying those who share in the first regeneration and await the second.
Mt 17:4 “Lord, it is good,” etc. Because, having tasted heavenly sweetness, earthly things grow vile. Peter, seeing the majesty of the Lord and of the saints, wishes to cling to these alone forever.
“Lord, it is good for us to be here.” O how great is the happiness of the vision of the Deity among the choirs of angels, if even the transfigured humanity of Christ and the company of two saints seen for a moment delights so greatly!
According to another evangelist, Peter did not know what he was saying, because he forgot that the Lord promised the kingdom to the saints not somewhere on earth but in heaven, and he seeks tents in heavenly glory where no storm is to be feared, because God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. Yet in this he knew what he said: “it is good for us to be here,” because truly the only and perfect good of man is to enter into the joy of his Lord and remain.
Fulgentius says: If Peter, seeing glorified humanity, is filled with such joy that he never wishes to be separated from its sight, what must be thought of those who will be worthy to see the divinity?
It is to be noted that Peter also errs in that he places the Lord and the servants on a level, saying, “Let us make three tents: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
Also observe that he did not deserve an answer from the Lord because he asked imprudently; yet he received the mystery of a figure. He asked for a material tent and received the shadow of a cloud, so that he might learn that in the resurrection of the dead the saints will be protected not by roofs of houses but by the glory of the Holy Spirit.
Mt 17:5 “And behold, a voice,” etc. Note that the mystery of the second regeneration fittingly corresponds to the mystery of the first. In Christ’s baptism the operation of the whole Trinity was shown: the Son incarnate, the Spirit appearing as a dove, the Father declared in the voice. In the Transfiguration, which was a sacrament of the second regeneration, likewise the whole Trinity appeared: the Father in the voice, the Spirit in the cloud, the Son in the flesh.
Why the Spirit appeared there as a dove but here as a cloud: because He declares His gifts by signs. Innocence is given in baptism, signified by the simple bird; in the resurrection He will give brightness and refreshment from all heat of desire—refreshment is figured in the cloud, brightness in its radiance, signifying the glory of risen bodies.
When He says “listen to Him,” this agrees with the words of Moses who bore witness to the Incarnation, saying: “The Lord will raise up for you a prophet like me; you shall listen to Him… every soul that will not listen shall be cut off” (Deut 18). The one whom Moses foretold as to be heard by every soul that would be saved, the Father now shows to the disciples and marks as His Son by a heavenly voice.
Mt 17:6 “And when the disciples heard, they fell,” etc. They are frightened for three reasons: because they realized they had erred, or because the bright cloud overshadowed them, or because they heard the voice of God the Father. Human frailty cannot endure the sight of greater glory; trembling in body and soul, they fall to the ground, because the more one seeks what is higher, the more one falls lower if he does not know his measure.
Mt 17:7 “And Jesus came,” etc. Because they lay and could not rise, He mercifully approaches and touches them, strengthening their members weakened by fear, and consoles them with His word: “Rise, do not be afraid.”
Mt 17:8 “And lifting up their eyes,” etc. When the Son began to be designated, immediately the servants departed, lest the voice from heaven be thought to refer to them. They saw Jesus alone, the cloud removed and Moses and Elijah gone, because when the shadow of the Law and the Prophets departs, which had covered the apostles, the true light of the Gospel is found.
In another sense: when the voice came upon the Son, He alone was found, because when He reveals Himself to the elect, God will be all in all; indeed He with His own will be one Christ—head with body—shining together. For this unity it is said: “No one has ascended into heaven…” (John 3).
Note that at the voice of the Father Moses returned to his place and Elijah departed to his region.
Mt 17:9 “And as they were coming down,” etc. He does not wish this to be preached among the people lest, because of the greatness of the event, it seem incredible, and lest after such glory the coming cross should scandalize simple minds.
CONTINUE
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