Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, February 10, 2013 Read – Luke 9:28-50 Yesterday, we made the observation that Luke has seriously edited Mark’s story. As we begin reading today we might think that, that was an exaggeration. Luke seems to be essentially following Mark once again. But as we crack open the stories we will notice some significant differences. The first story is the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus. This is a very complex story and one that is difficult for us to comprehend. We wonder exactly what happened. The word that is translated “transfiguration” is the Greek word “metamorphosis” which means to “change forms.” Did Jesus change forms – or did he just appear to be glistening white? All of those questions are difficult for our modern minds to comprehend because we are so concrete in our thinking – we think only factual things are true. I don’t think the people of Jesus’ day would have had as much trouble with the story as we do. They probably weren’t so concerned about “the facts” as we are. We wonder how they would have recognized Elijah and Moses and even whether Elijah and Moses were real people in the scene – or were they ghost-images or something like that. Of course our preoccupation with those sorts of things takes us away from the reality that Elijah and Moses are really important to the story and to the ministry of Jesus. We need to learn to live with more mystery! While the story is essentially the same, Luke has changed a few things and added his own touches to the story. Luke has actually expanded the story. He comments that Jesus went up on the mountain to pray. That ought to tip us off that something is coming. It is through prayer that Jesus received his direction from God – the Spirit works through prayer. Luke also tells us something of the content of the words that Elijah and Moses bring to Jesus – they tell Jesus of the “departure” that he is about to accomplish at Jerusalem. In Greek the word “departure” is actually the word “exodus” which leaps off the page with meaning – the whole Exodus tradition of the OT comes into view – God freeing his people from bondage – Jesus freeing the captives! Luke also tells us that the disciples were weighed down with sleep which draws us immediately to the Garden of Gethsemane later in the story where they will also be weighed down with sleep as Jesus struggles with the “exodus” he is about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Luke has connected these two stories in a way no other gospel writer did. And finally, Mark will have a whole scene in which Jesus and the disciples discuss the coming of Elijah and its meaning that Luke will simply drop out of the story. Again John the Baptist is avoided. And while Mark will tell us that Jesus commanded his disciples to be silent about what has happened until after Jesus has been raised from the dead – something the disciples are clueless about – Luke simply says the disciples kept silent about all these things – for Luke it appears that keeping silent was their choice – maybe they just didn’t know how to talk about what happened. Having skipped the part about Jesus and his disciples coming back down the mountain and discussing the role of Elijah, Luke tells the same story that Mark told about the epileptic boy and his father though in a shortened form. Surprisingly, since prayer is such an important thing in Luke’s story, it seems strange that Luke omits Mark’s comments by Jesus that the disciples were unsuccessful in casting out the epileptic demon because that kind only comes out through prayer. Or was it that prayer has a different function for Luke and he did not want to confuse it here? Or, maybe Luke is once again protecting the disciples from the ridicule that Mark seems to lay upon them. Mark is hard on the disciples – Luke is sympathetic and positive about them. Following Mark, Luke provides a shortened version of Jesus predicting his impending betrayal leaving off the prediction of death this time, but also retaining Mark’s observation that the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying. While the disciples come off much more positively in Luke they are not without the need to grow. Luke also retains Mark’s story about the disciples arguing about who is the greatest and Jesus taking a little child as his example of true greatness. Luke would have liked the reference to the little child since children were of little value in that time – they were little more than “outcasts” and Luke’s gospel leans toward such as these. Finally Luke retains Mark’s story about the exorcist who casts out demons in Jesus name even though he is not part of the “in-group” of Jesus’ followers. In all of these stories, Luke maintains Mark’s order but he shortens each story and takes the edge off of Mark’s harshness.