BIBLE STUDY
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
March 4, 2012

READING 1
GENESIS 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18

God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."

When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.

Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing-
all this because you obeyed my command."

The Word of the Lord

READING 2
ROMANS 8:31B-34

Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?

Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us, who will condemn?
Christ Jesus it is who died-or, rather, was raised-
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.

The Word of the Lord

GOSPEL
MARK 9:2-10

Jesus took Peter, James, and John
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
"Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,
"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant.

The Gospel of the Lord

Reflection

Peter, James, and John form the inner circle for Jesus. They were the first ones called (1:16); they were with Jesus at the important parts of his ministry (such as bringing the daughter of Jairus back to life in 5:37); and in the Agony in the Garden, Jesus told the disciples to sit there while he prayed, but he took Peter, James, and John with him to pray.

Mark’s Gospel never says why Jesus brought them up to the mountain; Luke’s Gospel says “to pray” (9:28). In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus prays before every important event of his ministry.

Going up on a mountain is significant. A mountain is where God is revealed and where God communicates to us. Three other important mountains in scripture are Mount Moriah (where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac), Mount Sinai (The Ten Commandments given to Moses by God) and Jerusalem (the city of David which is on a mountain). The place of transfiguration has been said to be on Mount Hermon, or Mount Hebron, or Mount Tabor (the traditional place since the 4th century).

Jesus is then transfigured into the glory he will receive after he rises from the dead. This transformation shows the end result of his dying which he just predicted for the first time a few verses before this event. Death is not the end. If we believe in Jesus, if we are baptized into his death, we will also rise with him to newness of life. Our bodies will be transformed after death just as Jesus’ body was transfigured, to radiate the glory of God. His dazzling white garments reflect the glory of the one who wears them.

Elijah represents the Prophets, and Moses represents the Law. These two ancient figures being with Jesus are also prophetic figures who suffered for their faith, like Jesus will in the near future. Their presence at the transfiguration indicates that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises in the Old Testament; Jesus is the final and definitive revelation of God’s will. In the future, Jesus is the one to listen too for God’s will; he is the one with authority. In fact, God says, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." This statement reminds us of Jesus’ baptism. We are told again that Jesus is God’s son, and we will hear it again from the centurion Calvary (15:39).

Peter calls Jesus ‘Rabbi’ which was not yet a title for teacher, but a mark of respect (it will mean teacher in the near future, as we see in the gospels of Matthew and Luke who use the word rabbi to mean teacher). Peter says it is good to be there, but does not specify why. It is speculated that it could be a foolish thing to say on Peter’s part (he never really understands until Pentecost, nor do the other disciples), or it could be because the experience was pleasurable, or because it gave Peter the chance to serve Jesus and his visitors. Personally, I think it was a benchmark, a high point, and a milestone in the lives of Peter, James and John, something they can look back on and draw courage and hope from in difficult times.

The idea of building 3 tents refers to the feast of Sukhoth celebrated in the fall. People would build tents in remembrance of their journey to the Promised Land and live in them for this entire harvest festival. The Messiah was supposed to come during this festival (see Zechariah 14:16-19), so they are stating a belief in Jesus identity, Jesus as the Messiah.

The three of them were terrified (some translations use the work awestruck). Their fear really means awe and respect at the mighty works of God, not fear or terror of something bad happening. The same idea of awe and respect comes again at the empty tomb and resurrection (16:8).

Jesus wants Peter, James, and John not to tell anyone about the transfiguration because this event must be understood in context with Jesus’ death and resurrection. This is called the Messianic Secret.

I think Peter, James, and John were given a great gift. How encouraging this gift must have been after Pentecost when they were undergoing trials and tribulations in their efforts to spread the Word. How much hope must they have received from this memory. Notice that Jesus left the mountain and continued his ministry among the highways and byways, amongst people, in the normal course of life. For us, it’s nice to have these spiritual highs and mystical experiences, to be on the mountain, but that’s not what faith is about. Our salvation comes and our mission lies in the everydayness, the simplicity, and the boring parts of life. We are called to the mountain for prayer and sacraments, to be renewed. I close mass by saying, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord in the living of our lives.” In other words, love God by seeing Christ in others and being Christ for others.

In today’s first reading, we see God testing Abraham. He and his wife were childless. In chapter 17, God promised Abraham, who was 99 years old at the time that he would be the father of many nations, and that Sarah would bear a son in her old age (she was 90 at the time). Sure enough, Sarah became pregnant and bore a son whom they named Isaac. When Isaac was still a boy, God told Abraham to take Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer his son up as a holocaust. Abraham never questioned God. He took his son to the land of Moriah to the place God showed him, bound his son Isaac, and put him on top of the wood that had been arranged for a fire. Abraham took out his knife and prepared to slaughter his son when God stopped him. Notice that Abraham never questioned God. As much as he loved his son and as much as he believed in God’s promise that he would be the father of many nations, he was ready to sacrifice his only son. How were God’s promises to come true if he lost his son? Imagine trying to explain all this to his wife: “Well, you see, it’s like this….” God stopped Abraham and put him to the test of his devotion, and he passed with flying colors. I am really impressed with Abraham’s love and devotion to God. I wish I could be more like that. Are we willing to do what Abraham did and make God first in our lives? Are we ready, willing, and able to sacrifice all for the love of God? In this day and age of anti-Catholicism (the last acceptable prejudice), are we willing to promote and defend our faith?

In the second reading from Paul to the Romans, Paul is telling us that God has sent his Son to suffer and die for our salvation, and every obstacle to salvation has been overcome. We are saved because we are God’s chosen ones, made so by our baptism. Through Christ, all sin and temptation can be overcome, as well as all afflictions and trials.


Fr. Phil