Excerpted from 2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches.
Mark 9:2-9
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling bright, such as no one on earth could brighten them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us set up three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
In the rhythm of our daily lives, where we often follow our expected routines, the unexpected pushes us into a world of both fear and wonder. Life is full of unexpected surprises that can catch us off guard and leave us feeling a mix of terror and amazement. But it’s in these moments that we truly connect with the essence of our faith.
These feelings are similar to the surprise that Peter, James, and John encountered in this story from Mark’s gospel, where they experienced the extraordinary amid the ordinary. The three disciples were hiking with Jesus, something that was very ordinary for them. What they experienced next was both terrifying and amazing—the Transfiguration—a fracture in time where Jesus’ divine nature is revealed.
In this passage, the disciples’ reactions mirror what we might feel in the face of the unexpected—terror and amazement. Peter’s proclamation, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here,” betrays how surprised he is by this unexpected occurrence. He recognizes how amazing this moment is in spite of his fear. His words encourage us to welcome the goodness and potential in our own unexpected experiences and to trust that these experiences can enrich our lives.
As we remember the Transfiguration story as we enter our Lenten journey, it can be a gentle reminder that our lives are full of the unexpected. In those moments, we are invited to approach them with openness and a sense of wonder, recognizing that, even in the midst of uncertainty, something amazing lies ahead.