Mt Tabor – The Sea of Galilee is 11 miles to the northwest, and through that 11 miles it is an open plain there is a plain that goes between them. To the South and East is the Jezreel Valley another wide open plan – one of the most fertile lands in Israel – A strategic place that has had many military battles fought over. Looking beyond – open planes – and in the middle is Mt Tabor, about 1500 ft higher than the surrounding fields – From the top it is possible to see all the way to Mt Carmel 20 miles away. – and Mt Tabor can be seen from all around. – A lone Mountain dominating the landscape – If you ever have the chance to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land – and you should if you can – you will see the astounding view.
It is at the summit of this lone mountain – dominating the surrounding landscape – That the Transfiguration occurs – Christ shining brightly – his glory- at least partly – being shown forth – From the mountain top it seems that the event should be seen from all around - yet only three witnessed the Transfiguration – Peter, James, and John.
In a way, it is because only those three went up the mountain with Jesus – It is only to those three that Christ invited up the Mountain – but potentially there is a lot more to consider– why only those three? – and why did no one see from around the mountain?
It was not that there was no one else around – this is and was a populated area of the country – the area where most of the food is grown – and if the gospel reading went a bit further, there was a crowd at the base of the mountain while the transfiguration was happening – why did none of them see anything?
One famous painting of the Transfiguration is from the Renaissance artist Raphael. Once upon a time it was considered one of the greatest paintings of all time, though it has fallen out of favor with modern art critics – However, what is interesting about the painting is not skill, proportions, or how well done the painting itself is done, but how he not only has the transfiguration on Mt Tabor – but juxtaposed is another scene, and another story for the gospel on the same painting. – For immediately after coming down from the Transfiguration Jesus, along with Peter, James, and John, find a crowd with quite the commotion – For there is a boy possessed by a demon – and the other apostles could not drive it out – and this is reflected in Rapheal’s Painting – for there is this whole crowd at the bottom – a great commotion – But no one there saw what was happening up on the mountain – to distracted with what is happening in front of them.
So what is Raphael’s answer to why only three saw the transfiguration? – because no else will look up. –
To perhaps but it in the words of GK Chesterton - What is wrong is that we do not ask what is right – to focused on the problem of the possessed boy – they do not look up to God in prayer – they miss the glory of God up on Mt Tabor.
So back in the 1st Century – so is true today – Perhaps we are not missing the spectacular mountaint top experience of the Transfiguration – but one frequent question is where is often it was asked why does not God not show himself? – where is the glory of God today? – Read the news and it easy to be caught up just like the crowd with the possessed boy – focusing on the problems – whether political, envirmental, economic, social, family, work, or wars– there are plenty of things to look at
What is wrong is we do not ask what is right – we are focused on that is wrong – evil – sinful in the world – We might wonder where is God? If we do not ask what is right – if we do not look up – we will not see - but if we ask what is right – look up to God – even in the midst we might just find the Glory of God -