After six days, etc. — Matthew and Mark say that this happened “after six days,” whereas Luke says “after eight” (cf. Matthew 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28). Therefore it must be said that Matthew and Mark set down only the intervening days, not counting the first and the last; and thus they say “after six days,” that is, after six whole days had passed which were to follow the day on which these things were spoken. Luke, however, counts the first and the last together with the intervening days; thus they agree in the same meaning.
Rightly does He show His glory after six days and on the eighth day, because after the six ages of the world the resurrection is to come on the eighth day — that is, when the time of the world, which is carried out through seven days, is finished, He will come in His ineffable glory.
He took three with Him in order to signify that only the faithful — those imbued with the faith of the Holy Trinity — are to be taken up into the brightness of the future resurrection. Their names also are fitting. For each faithful person 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 is accustomed to arise from virtues.
“And He leads them up into a mountain,” etc., signifying that those who are to rise to glory will ascend into heaven; or He goes up a mountain to teach that all who desire to see this grace should not lie in low pleasures but rather be raised to heavenly things, according to that saying, “Our conversation is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). He leads them apart to signify that the just are to be separated from the wicked in the judgment.
“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” (Matthew 17:2) — 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” (Matthew 17:2). The garments of Christ signify the saints, of whom Isaiah says, “You shall be clothed with all these as with a garment” (Isaiah 49:18). The garments are compared to snow because they were bright with virtues and all heat of vices was removed from them.
According to Mark, the garments were shining, exceedingly white, such as no fuller on earth could whiten them (Mark 9:3), because no one can live on earth without the stain of some sin. But what no fuller — that is, no teacher of souls or purifier of his own body — can do on earth, the Lord will do in heaven, cleansing the Church, that is, His garment, from every defilement of flesh and spirit (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:1).
“And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with Him” (Matthew 17:3). Moses and Elijah — of whom we read that one was taken up into heaven and the other died — appearing with God in majesty, as Luke writes, signify the future glory of all the saints, namely those who at the time of judgment will either be found alive in the flesh or, having once tasted death, will be raised again and will reign together with Him, as the Apostle says: “The dead who are in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).
Thus Moses and Elijah signify all who will reign with Christ: Moses, who died, signifies the dead; Elijah, who lives, signifies those who will be found alive.
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, so that it may be shown that He is the one whom all the oracles of the Law and the Prophets promised (cf. Luke 9:31).
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 were speaking with Him because they testified that the words of the prophets about His coming and the salvation of humanity were true.
They also signify 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…” (Matthew 19:28). Moses, whose name is interpreted “drawn from water,” signifies the resurrection of baptism; Elijah, whose name is interpreted “sun,” signifies the second regeneration in which the just will shine like the sun (cf. Matthew 13:43).
Therefore two such men fittingly appeared, signifying the faithful who share in the first regeneration and await the second through it.
“Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good…’” (Matthew 17:4). Because when heavenly sweetness is tasted, earthly things become worthless, Peter — having seen the majesty of the Lord and the saints — wishes to cling perpetually to these alone, saying, “Lord, it is good for us to be here.” O how great is the happiness of the vision of the divinity 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!
Peter, according to another Evangelist, “did not know what he was saying” (Luke 9:33), for he forgot that the Lord promised the kingdom to the saints not somewhere on earth but in heaven; and he seeks dwellings in heavenly glory where no storm of adversity is to be feared, because God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple (cf. Revelation 21:22). 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 (cf. Matthew 25:21).
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 deserve to see the divinity?
It should be noted that Peter also errs in this, 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” (Matthew 17:4).
He did not deserve a reply from the Lord because he asked imprudently; yet he received the mystery of a certain figure. For he asked for a material tent but received the shadow of a cloud, to show that in the resurrection the saints are to be protected not by roofs of houses but by the glory of holiness. Hence it follows: “While he was still speaking…” (Matthew 17:5).
“And behold, a voice…” — because the mystery of the second regeneration fittingly corresponds to that of the first. In the baptism of Christ the operation of the whole Trinity was shown: the Son incarnate, the Holy Spirit appearing in the form of a dove, and the Father declared in a voice (cf. Matthew 3:16–17). In the Transfiguration — which is the sacrament of the second regeneration — likewise the whole Trinity is present: the Father in the voice, the Spirit in the cloud, the Son in the flesh.
It is asked why there the Spirit was manifested in a dove but here in a cloud. For He is accustomed to manifest His gifts by forms: innocence is given in baptism, signified by the simplicity of the dove; but in the resurrection there will be refreshment and brightness — refreshment in the cloud, brightness in its shining — signifying the clarity of the risen bodies.
When He says, “Listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5), it corresponds to the words of Moses bearing testimony to the Lord’s incarnation: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me… you shall listen to him… and every soul that does not listen shall be cut off” (Deuteronomy 18:15, 19; Acts 3:22–23). The one whom Moses foretold would come in the flesh to be heard by every soul who wished to be saved — this one, now come in the flesh, the Father shows to the disciples to be heard and marks as His Son by a heavenly voice.
“And when the disciples heard, they fell…” (Matthew 17:6). They were terrified for three reasons: because they recognized their error, because the bright cloud overshadowed them, or because they heard the voice of God the Father. Human frailty cannot bear the sight of greater glory. Trembling in body and soul, they fall to the ground; for the more a person seeks things beyond himself, the more he falls below if he does not know his measure.
“And Jesus came…” (Matthew 17:7). Because they lay down and could not rise, He mercifully comes and touches them, that by His touch their limbs weakened by fear might be strengthened; and He consoles by word, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”
“Lifting up their eyes…” (Matthew 17:8). When the Son began to be designated, the servants at once departed, lest the Father’s voice seem directed to them. They saw Jesus standing; the cloud having been removed, Moses and Elijah vanished, because after the shadow of the Law and the Prophets — which covered the apostles like a veil — departs, 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 manifests Himself to the elect, God will be “all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28). Indeed, He Himself with His members is one Christ — the head with the body — shining in unity; on account of this unity it is said, “No one has ascended into heaven…” (John 3:13).
It should be noted that at the Father’s voice Moses returned to his place, but Elijah departed to his region.
“And as they were coming down…” (Matthew 17:9). He does not wish this to be preached among the people, lest it be incredible because of the greatness of the event, and lest, after such glory, the following cross should cause scandal among untrained minds.
CONTINUE
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