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Explanation for:
Matthew
17
:
9
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The mountain revealed a glimpse of the future kingdom and the splendor of the Holy One. Therefore, He desired that this not be shared among the people. This was to prevent the event, due to its magnitude, from appearing unbelievable to them, and to avoid stirring up temptation in unrefined hearts regarding the impending trials of the cross following such grandeur."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Indeed, the more extraordinary the accounts became regarding Him, the harder it was for many to accept them. Additionally, the temptation surrounding the cross would likely intensify. For this reason, He instructed them to maintain silence, not only issuing the command but also reminding them of His afflictions, as if to clarify why He mandated their silence—not to forbid revelation forever, but solely until after His resurrection. He withheld sharing what was deeply distressing, offering only a single consolation. What then followed? Could they not have been tested? Indeed, they could not have been; it merely required the passage of time before the cross. After that period, they were empowered by the Spirit, and through miraculous signs, they found their voices to proclaim His truth. Everything they shared thereafter was credible: their deeds, which resonated louder than any trumpet, bore witness to His might, and the occurrences no longer incited any temptation. Truly, the apostles were profoundly blessed, particularly the three who had the privilege of being with the Lord within a single cloud of glory. We, too, can behold Christ—not in the manner they did on the mountain, but in an even more exalted form, for He shall not return in that same likeness. On that occasion, He, in His mercy, displayed to the disciples as much glory as they could withstand; later, He will arrive in the splendor of His Father, accompanied not only by Moses and Elijah but by countless hosts of angels, archangels, and cherubim, with all their myriad legions. There will be no solitary cloud above Him, but rather, the entirety of heaven will be focused around Him. Just as judges unveil themselves in public to carry out their sentences, so shall all behold Christ seated in authority, and every individual will stand before Him, receiving answers from His own lips. To some, He will proclaim: ‘Come, ye blessed of My Father: for I was hungry, and ye gave Me to eat’ (Matthew 25:34-35); to others, He will declare: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many’ (Matthew 25:21). And to others, delineating their fate, He will utter: ‘Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels’ (Matthew 25:41); and to some, He will say: ‘Thou wicked and slothful servant’ (Matthew 25:26). Some will face severe punishment; others will be bound and cast into the outer darkness. Following the ax, He will lead them into the furnace, where all the outcasts will be thrown. ‘Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun’ (Matt. 13:43), and even more radiantly; this is said not because their brightness equals that of the sun, but because we recognize no brighter luminary than the sun. Christ, employing that which is known to us, intended to illustrate the saints' future glory. Thus, when the Evangelist states that Jesus shone like the sun on the mountain, he did so for this same reason; the disciples verified that the light was surpassingly greater than the sun's by their falling prostrate. If this light had been ordinary, resembling that of the sun, they would have borne it with ease. In that time, the righteous will shine with a light greater than the sun, while sinners will endure grave trials. At that moment, there will be no necessity for evidence, accusations, or testimonies. The One who judges will serve as witness, reprover, and judge. He perceives everything in perfect clarity: ‘all things are naked and open unto the eyes of Him’ (Heb. 4:13). There will be no distinctions of wealth or poverty, strength or weakness, wisdom or folly, slave or free; these differences will fade away, and all will be judged equally. Just as in earthly courts a person convicted of corruption or murder, irrespective of their high rank, loses all dignity and faces a just sentence, so much more will it be in that day."},{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"As they descended from the mountain, He instructed them, saying, “Take care and do not share this vision with anyone.” Why was this commanded? He understood that people would doubt and consider them insane, posing questions such as, “Do you also know where Elijah came from?” They might contend, “Moses was buried, and no one witnessed his burial,” leading to blasphemy and trials of faith. He further advised them to “wait until you receive power,” since if they announced it while many remained skeptical, it would serve both to their shame and to His glory when the dead were resurrected. Moreover, He instructed them to remain silent until the graves are opened and the righteous from both the New and Old Testaments rise and appear in Jerusalem, the city of the great King. After this, they will truly believe that He who called them back to life also resurrected Moses. Many righteous individuals emerged from the realm of the dead at the command of the Lord; instead of one, a multitude arose. If the dead responded to His voice, how much more should the living Elijah manifest? Hence, He said, “Tell no one until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”"},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The more they spoke of Him, the harder it would become for many to accept this truth. Consequently, He instructs that this revelation be concealed from them, as their own inability to persuade would further harden the hearts of the Jewish people."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"In an act of humility, He instructed that His glory not be disclosed, ensuring that those who learned of it would not be swayed when they later witnessed His suffering on the cross. They might have perceived Him as a false prophet, who performed divine acts in an illusory manner. It is noteworthy that the revelation of God occurred after the passage of six days, paralleling the creation of the world in that same timeframe. For unless one transcends earthly limitations and ascends the mountain, they cannot behold the divine light—neither the essence of Jesus, referring to His Divinity, nor His earthly form—the flesh. Only then can you witness Moses and Elijah in dialogue with Jesus, for the Law, the Prophets, and Jesus convey a singular message and harmonize with one another. When you encounter someone who accurately elucidates the essence of Scripture, recognize that they are truly perceiving the face of Jesus; and if they expound upon the nuances of language, they too behold the radiant garments of Jesus, for such expressions represent the attire of thought. Yet refrain from echoing Peter’s words, \\"It is good for us to be here,\\" as it is essential to continually strive for greater heights and not remain stagnant at one level of virtue and sacred contemplation, but to progress to deeper insights."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"A vision can often be referred to as an insight into a particular state, often characterized by a form of prophetic ecstasy or fervor, exemplified by the experiences of ancient prophets, as well as those of Peter and Paul (Acts 10:10, 17; Acts 11:5; Acts 22:17-18). However, the transfiguration of the Lord was not a vision of this nature; it did not occur in a state of prophetic ecstasy but rather in a normal condition, similar to the encounter Moses had with the burning bush that was not consumed (Exodus 3:2ff.)."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The news of Jesus' remarkable transfiguration on the mountain, where Moses and Elijah appeared before Him, could have stirred the entire region of Judea, potentially causing the people, who were easily incited to rebellion, to distance themselves from Roman authority. Additionally, for the other disciples, who still aspired for prominence, hearing about the event on the mountain, which they had not experienced, might have led to feelings of resentment, competition, and jealousy. St. Chrysostom observes that \\"the more they began to tell about Him miraculous things,\\" the more it would have become challenging for many to accept it as truth. Consequently, the temptation surrounding the cross became even more intensified. Thus, He instructs them to remain silent, reiterates His impending sufferings, and seemingly alludes to the rationale behind this admonition."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Apostles, who experienced the Transfiguration of the Lord, only grasped its true significance after Christ's Resurrection. As they descended from the mountain, they were instructed to keep their encounter a secret until the Son of Man had risen from the dead (Mark 9:9). This left them in confusion, leading them to question one another about the meaning of rising from the dead (Mark 9:10). They were fully aware of what it meant to be resurrected, having witnessed the raising of Jairus' daughter and the widow of Nain's son. Thus, their current bewilderment and inquiry into the meaning of resurrection stemmed solely from their struggle with the concept of Jesus' death. They believed the Messiah could not die; therefore, the question of His resurrection seemed inconceivable to them. This demonstrates that, despite Jesus' reassurances, the Apostles were reluctant to accept the possibility of His death. According to the Evangelist Luke, those who beheld the Transfiguration remained silent about their vision during those days (Luke 9:36)."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"As the new day broke, they began their descent from the mountain. The Lord had instructed them not to speak of the vision until after His resurrection. This revelation was meant solely for them; they were to treasure it within their hearts, as sharing it with the other disciples might incite jealousy and bolster their own pride. Until the resurrection, it would not aid in strengthening the faith of others and could instead cloud their grasp of His genuine mission on earth. They complied with Christ’s directive, yet the significance of His command regarding the resurrection remained unclear to them. They exchanged questions or contemplated quietly together, wondering about the meaning of rising from the dead."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"When Peter, James, and John descended from the mountain, Jesus instructed them not to disclose what they had witnessed until the Son of Man had been resurrected. He said, \\"Tell the visions to no one, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.\\" St. John Chrysostom noted that the more miraculous accounts shared about Him would make it harder for many to believe, increasing temptation concerning the cross. Additionally, Monk John Damascene observed that the Lord was aware that the disciples were still incomplete, having not yet received the fullness of the Spirit. This was done, I believe, so that their hearts would not be overwhelmed with sorrow due to the news of the sufferings and the cross, and to prevent the envy regarding the Lord's glory from pushing the betrayer into fury."}]}
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