2nd Sunday Lent – God’s glory revealed; Disciples’ humanity shown forth…

Sunday’s gospel of the Transfiguration (Mark) is amazingly intense. Let’s look at a few bits of that today by noting the half a dozen connections it shows with Sunday’s first reading from Genesis 22, “The Binding of Isaac.”

First off, I don’t get it, I don’t like it, and its implications scare me. Yet somehow, it’s deeply tied to the Transfiguration. My question has become: Whom does Isaac represent? I believe he represents the disciples!!!

Why? to connect Peter, James, & John to God’s command, “Listen to him!” Listen to what? To the last thing Jesus said six days beforehand. It’s not that Jesus was taking Peter, James, & John up the mountain to sacrifice them. Rather, he led them up so that they would hear and be strengthened by the divine word that came from the cloud, “Listen to him!” So that, when thy heard, they would hand over their lives for the good news.

“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life?”

To take along = paralambano

Mark 9:2           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,

Genesis 22:3           So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him.

To lead, bring up; offer = anaphero

Mark 9:2            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,

Genesis 22:2            He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”

Genesis 22:13            And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

Mountain; hill = oros

Mark 9:2           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,

Genesis 22:2            He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”

Genesis 22:13f            And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

High; heights = hupselos

Mark 9:2            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,

Genesis 22:2            He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah (the land of the heights)

Beloved; one whom I love = agapetos

Mark 9:7            Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”

Genesis 22:2            He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”

Genesis 22:12            He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only (BELOVED) son, from me.”

Genesis 22:16            and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only (BELOVED) son,