The Transfiguration

This Sunday's reading from Luke 9:28-36 reports the transfiguration of Jesus witnessed by three of his followers,

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

"They were terrified" not when they saw Moses and Elijah, but by the cloud. Losing your vision and sense of direction when on a mountain top can be the most frightening. I have experienced that, but I did not hear any voices. I can only imagine how Peter, John, and James felt. They were silent. In Mark and Matthew's accounts Jesus told them not not tell anyone. One wonders if it was because no one would believe them yet, they would accused of blasphemy, or because the rest of the twelve had not yet witnessed the Resurrection, nor had they received the Holy Spirit.