“And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him.’” (Mark 9:5-7)
How would we react if we were to witness an event as glorious as the transfiguration? Peter wanted to set up three tents or tabernacles to commemorate the event, a reaction similar to our national obsession with commemorating memorable events or honoring people who have performed some heroic deed, achieved some great accomplishment, or died tragically. We have all seen those makeshift memorials set up on the side of the highway to commemorate a loved one who died their in an auto accident, and of course we are quite familiar with the memorials set up in Ground Zero and Shanksville. Therefore we can guess that if the Transfiguration were to happen today, many would try to immortalize it by taking selfies or live-streaming the event on social media. Still others, seeking fame and fortune, would erect a monument and make the site into a tourist attraction selling tickets, T-shirts, and souvenirs.
As for we who are believers such a reaction to a glorious event such as the Transfiguration is highly unlikely. We would be too overcome with awe and fear. This was not the initial reaction of Peter, however. He had his own ideas about Jesus as the Messiah which did not conform to God’s plan. He thought that the Transfiguration was the beginning of the Messiah’s glorious reign. He wanted to set up permanent tabernacles there to mark the event. So his response was short-sighted and even idolatrous. Peter did not know that it was God’s plan for Jesus to suffer in order to achieve that glory. He also did not realize he was blaspheming by equating Moses and Elijah with Jesus who, for some reason, he recognized. These men, as righteous as they were, were not equal to Jesus. They were merely human beings who God used to speak His Word and perform miraculous deeds. Hence the God the Father had to speak words of correction and wisdom.
There is great wisdom in this revelation, for there can be no mistake about who Jesus is, the Son of God, the 2nd person of the Triune Godhead. He is God incarnate as a human being, so far superior to all human beings no matter how noble, altruistic or famous. No religious figure, spiritual leader or guru is His equal. After all, every human being is a sinner and separated from God. Those who reject Jesus as God Incarnate do so to their eternal peril.
So perhaps we can forgive Peter and his companions. They were terrified by what they saw and did not know what to say. This is the appropriate reaction for anyone in the presence of the glory of God. Terrified, we could not boast of our goodness or our heroic and noble deeds. We would not even be able to tell God how great He is. The best we could say is “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” But that is what He wants.