NOTES for Mar 9:2-13
Today's reading is devoted to one of the most important events of the Savior's earthly ministry: the Transfiguration. Judging by the mention in the text of "booths," that is, shelters (v. 5), it took place during the days of the Jewish feast of Sukkot, which is spoken of in the Old Testament books, where it is mentioned as the "feast of harvest" (Exod 23:16), that is, a feast dedicated to the completion of the gathering of the harvest. The word "sukkot" in Hebrew means "booths." It is usually celebrated at the end of September or in the first half of October, and over time it acquired a new meaning, becoming not only a feast of the completion of the harvest, but also a time when believing Jews remember the years of wandering through the wilderness on the way from Egypt to the promised land. It is customary to spend the days of the feast not at home, but in booths in the open air; the climate of Palestine permits this. Such a break with the established order of life is meant to remind one of the wilderness, where nothing was yet secure or permanent, but where God's closeness to the human being was experienced with special vividness, since in the wilderness there was no one else to rely on. One of the signs of God's presence from ancient times was considered to be the cloud that at night emitted a radiance like the light coming from fire: by such a cloud God, as it were, marked the place where a person could find Him. It was first seen during the Exodus (Exod 13:21-22), and then it regularly appeared over the Tabernacle, the traveling sanctuary of the Hebrews (Num 9:15-16). It was called the "glory of the Lord" (Exod 40:34-38), because precisely with its appearance believers associated God's dwelling among His people. It is no wonder that, seeing Jesus in shining garments, overshadowed by a radiant cloud from which the voice of God was heard (vv. 3-7), the apostles became finally convinced that before them was indeed the Messiah-Christ promised by God. Their first desire at this was to stop time so that the feast would last forever, building booths at the place of the event and remaining in them forever (vv. 5-6). But Jesus immediately explained to them that His earthly ministry had not yet been completed, and that the Kingdom of God would be fully revealed only after His death and Resurrection (v. 9).