Pre-feast of Theophany; Our Holy Father Sylvester, Pope of Rome (335)
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Hebrews 10:35-11:7; Mark 9:10-16
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Today’s gospel consists of part of a conversation between Jesus and three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John, after the Transfiguration. Jesus has warned the disciples not to speak of what they witnessed on Tabor until after his resurrection (even though the Transfiguration aimed to reassure the disciples after the first announcement of Jesus’ death, its full significance couldn’t be appreciated until the disciples had also encountered the Risen Christ). The disciples are confused about what Jesus means: belief in the resurrection was common in first-century Judaism, but most people thought that it would occur only at the end of time, after the coming of the Messiah and before the final judgment. The disciples didn’t yet understand that Jesus’ resurrection would anticipate the general resurrection from the dead.
To better understand Jesus, the disciples ask him about Elijah, following a Jewish tradition that Elijah would return before the resurrection. Jesus’ brief comment that Elijah “does come first to restore all things” is an oblique reference to John the Baptist, whose appeal for repentance was met by the hostility of the religious leaders, and ultimately the cowardice and spiteful murder perpetrated by Herod. Like Elijah, John the Baptist suffered under the forces of evil. Like Elijah, he was the forerunner of Christ, not only in his prophetic words but also in his suffering and death, which prefigured the suffering and death of Christ. If we understand John the Baptist better, we will understand a little better what it means for Christ to suffer and rise from the dead.