Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen. (Luke 9:28-36)
It’s no wonder they fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen. Claiming to have seen long-dead Moses and Elijah, Peter, John, and James would have appeared mad, at least in our modern times. Claiming that God spoke to them from a cloud would have suggested intoxication perhaps from too much wine.
Regarding the cloud from which God spoke, consider this passage from Exodus 19:9: The LORD said to Moses: I am coming to you now in a dense cloud, so that when the people hear me speaking with you, they will also remain faithful to you. God spoke from clouds.
This reading is about Luke and his contemporaries believing that Jesus was the new Moses and the new Elijah. In fact, Jesus was greater than both of them. Moses and Elijah spoke of Jesus’ own exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Luke laid out was to happen to Jesus in Jerusalem. In fact, Luke recounted what was believed about Jesus who brought the law (Moses) and prophecy (Elijah) of the Old Testament to “perfect fulfillment.”
Perhaps the message to all of us from the clouds is: “Jesus is God’s chosen Son. We must listen to him.” When we do, we also are transfigured and transformed.
Deacon David Pierce
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