[Propertalk] Sermon tidbits for Mt. 17:1-9, Part 3

[Joe Parrish]

...these were two of the three OT figures who, by the NT era, were considered to be "deathless," to use RT France's word (The Gospel of Matthew, p. 648). Elijah was taken up to heaven without going through death (II Kings 2:11) and would return before the great and terrible day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5). Moses died, to be sure, but because no one knew the place of his grave (Deut. 34), and because a new prophet like Moses was going to arise (Deut. 18:15-19), he was considered deathless. The only other person who didn't die in the OT was Enoch, who "walked with God and he was no more, because God took him" (Gen. 5:24). Thus, we have a mini-convention of deathless heroes. 

http://www.drbilllong.com/LectionaryIV/Matt17II.html

Bill Long, 2008
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v4. The feast of "Booths" commemorates God's presence and protection during the forty years Israel was in the wilderness. Peter realizes God's presence in the situation and rightly wants to build some shelters ("booths") to tangibly illustrate the experience. Luke adds "not knowing what he said." Building booths is not a problem, putting Jesus on a par with Moses and Elijah is.

http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/lent2ag.html

Bryan Findlayson
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     Transfigured [GSN3339 metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo'-o)]: To experience a metamorphosis, a total transformation or change of appearance and even of a person's nature such as when a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly.
·         His face [GSN4383 prosopon (pros'-o-pon)]: His face or appearance-the very presence of Jesus was transformed.  Even more, the phrase means his 'appearance was revealed'.  This was the true nature of Christ revealed to the three apostles.
·         Shone like the sun [GSN2989 lampo (lam'-po)]: The light of Jesus radiated brilliance-he shone like the sun not as a reflection of the sun.  The sun didn't shine on me-it shown out of him!
·         His garments [GSN2440 himation (him-at'-ee-on)]: Even the dirty earthly garb he was wearing was transformed into heavenly beauty; everything connected with Jesus is turned beautiful with his touch.
·         Became white [GSN1096 ginomai (ghin'-om-ahee)] [GSN3022 leukos (lyoo-kos')]: This is the word for completed or accomplished.  Leukos is the root word of Luke and it means that Christ's raiment became a completed white. 

http://onefamilyoutreach.com/bible/Matthew/mt_17_01-09.htm

Jerry Goebel: 2005 © http://onefamilyoutreach.com.
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Blam. In a New York minute, as they say.
You are looking through shards of glass, wind whips through the car. You keep driving. That's all the trek is anyway. Keep driving, punch the clock, keep the appointments. drift along, put one foot in front of the other. The Galilean ministry was one appointment after another, the hungry, the sick, the cynical, the poor, they all came after him, but now he says, come away. Build an altar before the appointment with death.
Kind people in cars note the bashed-in car and form a kind of motorcade guiding you to the hospital. This is what transfiguration looks like in the streets of New York. You stagger out of the car at Metropolitan Hospital. Somebody comes out of the shadows. A street person sees your clerical collar and moves in to ask for spare change. He sees your blood-spattered face and takes your arm. "It's all right, brother, come with me." He leads you into the emergency room, gets people moving to help, and stands with you as your Joseph the guardian. Transfiguration.
Later I see him in the park across the street, lighting a fire to keep warm in the chill of his trek. 

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3183

Stephen Paul Bouman, 2005
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...only Matthew records three epiphanies, or more correctly Christophanies, in which the living and glorified Christ comes to his followers. (There are countless occasions when others come to Jesus, but in these three texts Jesus comes to his disciples.) One Christophany occurs following the resurrection, on a mountain in Galilee. "And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came to them" (28:17-18) . Another such occurrence is on the sea of Galilee, in the fourth watch of the night, during a storm. In a time of fear and faith, doubt and worship, the disciples wonder whether they are seeing a ghost, as Jesus "came to them, walking on the sea" (14:25) . The other such appearance is recorded in today's text. Peter, James and John see a dazzlingly transfigured Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah and they hear heaven's voice declare Jesus the Son of God to be heard and obeyed. 

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=705

Fred B. Craddock
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