On the Back Porch

Reading, pondering and studying God’s Word is sometimes best done “on the back porch.” Each week we will try to offer something for you and your “back porch time.”

The 2nd Sunday of Lent, Year B

What We Celebrate

Peter has just confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah. Jesus has just told the disciples that he must suffer and die (Mk 8:31) and then he takes them up on the night mountain. There Jesus is revealed in his glory with Moses and Elijah as witnesses – all enveloped in a cloud of the glory of God. What will the disciples see? Hear? Understand? What will they do?

There is a lot more to this gospel. Sit with it for a moment on the back porch.

Full Text of the Sunday Readings

Detailed Commentary on the Gospel

Detail of “The Transfiguration of Jesus” by Raphael (1516-1520) | Vatican Museum | PD-US

Narrative Settings

Mountain settings often serve as locations for divine encounters, revelations, and important moments in the biblical narrative. They are places where individuals are tested, receive divine instructions, or experience significant events that shape the course of their lives and the history of God’s people. Here are just a few important events that took place on mountains in the Bible:

Mount Sinai (Horeb): The Giving of the Law (Exodus 19-20): Moses receives the Ten Commandments and other laws from God on Mount Sinai.
Mount Moriah: The Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22): Abraham is tested by God and asked to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah, which is traditionally identified with the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Mount Carmel: The Contest on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18): Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal in a dramatic showdown to prove the true God.
Mount Nebo: Moses’ View of the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 34): Moses is granted a view of the Promised Land from Mount Nebo before he dies.
Mount Tabor: The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9): Jesus is transfigured and appears in radiant glory along with Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor.
Mount of Olives: Jesus’ Ascension (Acts 1:9-12): Jesus ascends into heaven from the Mount of Olives after his resurrection.

The Biblical authors use setting as a key part of their narrative craft. Take a few minutes to see the importance of settings on biblical stories.