Jesus Unmasked (9 of 49)
Series: Lectionary, Year B
Christopher B. Harbin
Mark 9:2-9
Our culture has many tales of superheroes. Two competing cinematic universes are replete with masked heroes, each vying for market share and rising in recent years to the very peak of entertainment revenues. I grew up on a fare of hero shows including masked men like Zorro and the Lone Ranger, as well as Marvel and DC superheroes. The common motif of hiding an identity behind a mask extended to my diet of Hanna-Barbera cartoons, as well. The superhero or more ordinary hero had to hide their identity to conduct their regular lives and protect those they loved. Disguise also provided a level of mystique, wonder, and dread in those the hero faced down. With Jesus' unmasking at the transfiguration, none of this seems to be in play. What then is the point of Jesus' unmasking?
In the majority of the lore on masked heroes, their identities remain undisclosed over reasons of safety. Unmasking is a threat. With Jesus, we witness a process of unmasking that has been unfolding throughout his ministry. He has been wanting people to know who he is, and has been slowly taking off his mask while preparing his followers to understand the reality he has been seeking to share. His safety and security are not in question. At issue has been the effectiveness of his ministry and the preparation of his followers to accept his full identity.
Before the crowds could appreciate Jesus' identity, they needed to understand and accept the character of his words, actions, and attitudes. They needed to be able to appreciate Jesus more fully as a man in concert with God's purposes before they could accept him as God having taken on human form. The delay in the process did not have Jesus in mind so much as those who needed to understand who he was. Jesus' well-being was never in jeopardy, neither was that of his loved ones. What was in play was the fulfillment of God's redemptive purposes and the tim ...
Series: Lectionary, Year B
Christopher B. Harbin
Mark 9:2-9
Our culture has many tales of superheroes. Two competing cinematic universes are replete with masked heroes, each vying for market share and rising in recent years to the very peak of entertainment revenues. I grew up on a fare of hero shows including masked men like Zorro and the Lone Ranger, as well as Marvel and DC superheroes. The common motif of hiding an identity behind a mask extended to my diet of Hanna-Barbera cartoons, as well. The superhero or more ordinary hero had to hide their identity to conduct their regular lives and protect those they loved. Disguise also provided a level of mystique, wonder, and dread in those the hero faced down. With Jesus' unmasking at the transfiguration, none of this seems to be in play. What then is the point of Jesus' unmasking?
In the majority of the lore on masked heroes, their identities remain undisclosed over reasons of safety. Unmasking is a threat. With Jesus, we witness a process of unmasking that has been unfolding throughout his ministry. He has been wanting people to know who he is, and has been slowly taking off his mask while preparing his followers to understand the reality he has been seeking to share. His safety and security are not in question. At issue has been the effectiveness of his ministry and the preparation of his followers to accept his full identity.
Before the crowds could appreciate Jesus' identity, they needed to understand and accept the character of his words, actions, and attitudes. They needed to be able to appreciate Jesus more fully as a man in concert with God's purposes before they could accept him as God having taken on human form. The delay in the process did not have Jesus in mind so much as those who needed to understand who he was. Jesus' well-being was never in jeopardy, neither was that of his loved ones. What was in play was the fulfillment of God's redemptive purposes and the tim ...
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