And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into a high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. Mark ix. 2—9.
The Transfiguration belongs to Christianity; its interpretation, however, belongs to Christian-Science alone, for nowhere save in Christian-Science can we gain the understanding that will unfold its glories. Theology, as we have heretofore understood that term, has never been able to bring within our grasp the marvelous spirituality which belongs to this subject. Human learning and speculation are utterly inadequate to comprehend it,— in fact, any knowledge belonging to the five personal senses is at a loss when attempting to express it to men. It is holy ground on which, like Moses, we should put our shoes from off our feet.
The account of the Transfiguration is given in all the synoptics (Matthew, Mark and Luke), and what is not a little surprising is, the three authors not only give the same facts, but relate them in almost precisely the same language. It is usually the case that, when called upon to tell of some event or deed in the life of the Lord Jesus, each takes his own way and style in which to give it; but in their account of this event, they seem to have lost all sense and expression of individuality, since they tell it in words which appear to be given unto them. How profound an impression it must have made on them, to take away their ordinary powers of speech, so that they are impelled to employ words which the Spirit imparts to them. Luke does indeed mention one circumstance which escaped the notice of the others, at least to which they do not refer. He tells us that Jesus went up into a mountain to pray, and that while praying, the fashion of his countenance became altered; thus showing that it was in this hour of Jesus' great realization of Spirit and its laws that this sublime manifestation came upon him. Mark, also, speaks of his raiment becoming white so as no fuller on earth could white it; and, while under the same spell-bound condition which held the others, he yet does impart to his account a certain artistic grace which is one of his noticeable characteristics.
