Ask the Diocesan
Theologian
Editor’s Note: The following is the first of a new
feature, “Ask the Diocesan Theologian.” While it’s designed to allow people
taking part in the Word Working prayer gatherings to
pose questions, it is open to anyone. Send questions to: “Ask a Theologian” Msgr.
Brian Moore, 910 Central,
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Why is it that Jesus didn’t want
Peter, James or John to tell anyone of the vision they had of him transfigured
until after he had been raised from the dead?
“And
he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes
became white as light.”
This
first question submitted to Diocese of
Across
the diocese, dozens of people have been partaking in a deeper exploration of
the Gospels through the Word Working prayer sessions.
While the Lenten sessions -- guided by Bishop Ronald Gilmore through the color
sections in the Lenten issues of the SKR -- concluded on Palm Sunday,
anyone interested in continuing with Word Working can do so by visiting
http://www.dcdiocese.org/WordWorking/SecondQuestionPage.htm. There they can
find the scripture readings and questions included in the Word Working prayer sessions.
Dear Msgr. Moore:
Our
class wanted to know the following: What is the reason that Peter wanted to
make three tents, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah?
“Then
Peter said to Jesus in reply, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish,
I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’”
And why it is that Jesus told them
not to tell anyone?
“Do
not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the
dead.”
Was
it reverse psychology?
Was it because we are humans and Jesus would know we would tell
anyway?
Answer:
As to the three tents, all the time that the
Israelites were in the desert, after they left
As
to the order not to tell anyone, it came from the desire of our Lord not to
have people “short circuit” the passion. There was a tendency among those who
were healed by Jesus to regard the healing as the whole of his work with them,
and people sought him as a healer, when what they really needed was a redeemer.
So he does indeed heal, and there are visions like the transfiguration, but all
of this is meant to lead up to his passion and resurrection. It was for his
death and resurrection that he came, and none of his other activities could
ever substitute for that. When his healing, and the
vision of the transfiguration are seen within the perspective of his passion,
then they are immensely helpful. If they were substituted for his passion, they
would be no help at all.
-- Msgr. Brian
Moore
Dear Msgr. Moore:
1)
Why was Jesus perturbed (this was mentioned on two occasions)?
“When
Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became
perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, ‘Where have you laid him?’”
We
left with the idea that he was growing weary of always giving the people signs.
2)
One of our participants thought that the Jewish people had a belief that the
soul stayed with a person after they died for three days -- thus the reason for
raising Lazarus from the dead on the fourth day to show that it was an even
greater miracle. (No one knew if this was true or not.)
Answer:
The
first question you presented was about Jesus being perturbed in the Gospel
account of the raising of Lazarus. I can see how your group might think that
the reason for this was our Lord’s weariness at doing signs.
Granted,
the context in which the being perturbed occurs, however, I think it
comes for a different reason.
A bit of background: in the Gospel According
to John, there is on the one hand a strong focus on Jesus’ divine nature (see
chapter 1), but also an equally strong emphasis on the reality of his human
nature, and so we see him being fatigued at the beginning of chapter four, and
here we find him perturbed, and then weeping.
The
Greek word which is translated as “perturbed” has the root meaning of “being
angry.” And what seems to be angering him is the distress of our human nature
subject to sin, and so subject to death.
He
encounters in his friend Lazarus the death which is the result of human sin and
alienation from God, and it troubles him that all this is so. The situation
obviously leads to the passion, where the Lord will conquer sin and death.
As to
the second question, yes, the standard belief of Jews at the time of Jesus was
that resuscitation might occur during the first three days after death, but
that once a person had been dead longer than three days there was no chance
that he might regain his life. And so the raising of Lazarus is a true sign of
God’s power and resolve to undo the power of death.
I
hope that these reflections are of help to you and your group.
May
your Lent be one of great blessing.
-- Msgr. Brian Moore