"He appears to each as is expedient for the beholder."

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Thanks to all of you for your prayers and your encouragement. I am no longer in the hospital and I am slowly recovering from this bout with my chemotherapy’s side effects. He who would save their life must lose it, I suppose.1

This Sunday marks the threshold between Epiphany and Lent. Appropriately, the Transfiguration always marks the transition between the seasons, for the Transfiguration— especially in Mark— is the pivot from Christ’s Kingdom proclamation to his journey to his throne that is the cross.

I first read the second and third century church father Origen as an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, under the teaching of David Bentley Hart. Once again of late, he has been a resource constantly at hand.

Here is a passage on the Transfiguration from his Commentary on Matthew:

Concerning the Transfiguration of the Saviour.

“Now after six days,” according to Matthew and Mark,“He taketh with him Peter and James and John his brother, and leads them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them.”

Now, also, let it be granted, before the exposition that occurs to us in relation to these things, that this took place long ago, and according to the letter. But it seems to me, that those who are led up by Jesus into the high mountain, and are deemed worthy of beholding His transfiguration apart, are not without purpose led up six days after the discourses previously spoken.

For since in six days—the perfect number—the whole world,—this perfect work of art,—was made, on this account I think that he who transcends all the things of the world by beholding no longer the things which are seen, for they are temporal, but already the things which not seen, and only the things which are not seen, because that they are eternal, is represented in the words, “After six days Jesus took up with Him” certain persons.

If therefore any one of us wishes to be taken by Jesus, and led up by Him into the high mountain, and be deemed worthy of beholding His transfiguration apart, let him pass beyond the six days, because he no longer beholds the things which are seen, nor longer loves the world, nor the things in the world, nor lusts after any worldly lust, which is the lust of bodies, and of the riches of the body, and of the glory which is after the flesh, and whatever things whose nature it is to distract and drag away the soul from the things which are better and diviner, and bring it down and fix it fast to the deceit of this age, in wealth and glory, and the rest of the lusts which are the foes of truth.

For when he has passed through the six days, as we have said, he will keep a new Sabbath, rejoicing in the lofty mountain, because he sees Jesus transfigured before him; for the Word has different forms, as He appears to each as is expedient for the beholder, and is manifested to no one beyond the capacity of the beholder.

Another piece of moving patristic exegesis is from Timothy of Antioch. He affirms the following based on the Father’s declaration on Mount Tabor:

Jesus is unique. . . . This who is of one substance with me, his Father, in every way—he is not like those whom some heretics have reduced to a slave! This one pre-existed along with me, before the ages. This one put the world together by his Spirit. This one shaped Adam, when he and I together planned to make human beings. This one took mud from the earth and formed the human person. This one transported Enoch in a marvelous way from human company. This one is seen and understood. This one exists with me, and stands on the mountain. This one has walked in your company, and is not separated from the one who begot him. This one is without time, without beginning, without successor, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, ineffable beyond thought. This one is; he did not come to be, he was not created. He is by nature, not by grace.

He is, without having his being in time.

He is, for he also was and existed before. For I did not become Father in time, but I always exist as Father. And if I am always Father, then this one is always Son, and the Holy Spirit also always is—who is adored along with me and with the Son, and glorified along with us, always and to the unending ages of ages. Amen.

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Taylor Mertins