Even the Apostle Peter, his eyes dazzled by the Lord on Mount Tabor, failed to see what was happening. The great St. Augustine in a sermon on the Transfiguration (s. 78, 6), addresses Peter, and through Peter he really addresses us: “Descend the mount, O Peter. You wanted to rest on the mountain. Come down.” We still have work to do in this life before we can rest. Citing the same passage of Augustine the CCC 556 takes up this same theme:
Peter did not yet understand this when he wanted to remain with Christ on the mountain. It has been reserved for you, Peter, but for after death. For now, Jesus says: “Go down to toil on earth, to serve on earth, to be scorned and crucified on earth. Life goes down to be killed; Bread goes down to suffer hunger; the Way goes down to be exhausted on his journey; the Spring goes down to suffer thirst; and you refuse to suffer?”
Father Z sees this as a good analysis but it is a misinterpretation of what St. Peter intended. For those of you who don't know the scripture, it is referring to Peter's instant reaction at seeing Moses and Elias appear with the Lord Jesus, who is transfigured into glory of light. Peter immediately offered to erect tents for each of the three: Elias, Moses and Jesus. Matthew 17: 4 Then Peter addressed Jesus, saying, "Lord, it is good for us to be here, If thou wilt, let us set up three tents here, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias."
My Muslim and conservative or orthodox Jewish readers will immediately be nodding their heads in understanding of the point I am about to make, even before I say it. Only Christians who are so focused on the passion of Christ and his impending death, like Augustine, would interpret so very incorrectly that Peter was trying to set up tents to "get them to stay on the mountain." To the contrary, Peter was immediately assuming that Moses, Elias and Jesus would abide on the mountain for some unknown time and it was their choice because that's where they appeared!
Muslims and Jews, especially those who understand traditional devotion and hospitality, would immediately relate to how Peter would, upon the amazing sight of Elias, Moses and glorified Jesus, immediately leap to erect tents for them on the mountain. Obviously Peter would be quick to deduce that the three holy personages would reside on the mountain for whatever time they were there. Peter as a devout, practical and hospitable Apostle, would instantly think to build worthy accommodation for them on the mountain, which is now a sacred place by their presence. Peter had a remarkably clear first reaction, not a negative or silly one.
See, I don't mind mining the Gospels for insights and multiple messages, since obviously events must be viewed with both spiritual and earthly eyes, both when they happened and how they are indicative of the future. But everyone is guilty of wringing every bit of juice out of the orange of an event, until they actually stumble into hyperbole, misunderstanding or error. Augustine is not Jesus; he does not express himself perfectly, as insightful, admirable and saintly, great in wisdom, as he was. Here he totally missed the point, and I don't mind saying that CCC misses the point here too.
Peter was far from trying to angle a way to "stay on the mountain." Gosh, I'd almost think that Augustine and CCC got carried away with a little "new age symbolism," ha.
Peter would have assumed that he built the tents for the holy personages on the mountain, for as long as they wished to stay, and he and the other two would serve them (and I would expect that Peter would have assumed that he and the others would have retreated quickly down the mountain out of the "holy space" of Elias, Moses and Jesus). So this was totally an appropriate snap assumption on Peter's part, based on hospitality, honor the sacred personages, assumption that they appeared on the mountain because that is where they choose to stay, and assumption that the mountain top is now holy ground and needs accommodations accordingly. Peter would have instantly thought of how God appeared to Moses in a tent that was erected and reserved specifically for God. And remember, no one came near the tent but Moses.
So Peter was far from weaseling trying to stay on the mountain to avoid the earthly reality and woes. Like I said, everyone is guilty of milking all sorts of foreboding and multiple messages when they sermonize, especially Christians through the ages! This is a classic example where Augustine really went too far. He could have made the parallel without ascribing the erroneous motive to Peter. Gosh, I spend so much of my time explaining to many people (including a holy television personage I could mention) that Peter at his weakest is hundreds of times more appropriate in his actions than the average person, and criticism of Peter should be a very sparely used seasoning, if you get my point. Any hint that Peter was hanging around looking for his ease and glory is outrageously unjust and not very scholarly. There really is not even room for poetic license on this point.
Already by Augustine's time people started to forget the Middle Eastern hospitality customs, yes, even as applied to angelic or saintly visitors, as documented in the Old Testament and the Qur'an. And with each century Christian scholars have become even more detached from the cultural and religious mores of the time that would have been the first impulse of a pious Jew such as Peter. But Peter would have immediately, especially at seeing Moses, assumed that the mountain was going to be a temporary holy and sacred place of repose for the three personages, and was going to hustle to make honorable provision for them. Remember too that erecting tents would have served to reinforce the now sacred space on the mountain, and Peter would have been mindful of his responsibility to do that, so that others do not mindlessly trespass.
Read Exodus 19:16-25 for background, as Peter would have been extremely intimate with the great Theophany when God appeared on the mountain to speak to Moses, and how upon God's "arrival" on Mount Sinai no people but Moses and Aaron could come up the mountain. So this would have occurred to Peter in a flash upon his first sight and recognition of Moses himself now being on Mount Tabor with Elias and Jesus.
Then read Exodus 25-26 where God gives in great detail instructions for the tent where God will "indwell" in the form of the Ark and the sanctuary. Again, Peter would have instantly thought of how Moses was instructed by God to create a tent in the wilderness in the days before there was a stone built Temple. So Peter would have immediately realized that God requires a tent in the wilderness for himself and obviously for the holy ones he has sent to meet with Jesus, Elias and Moses.
Then read Exodus 40:34-38 where the cloud that was the glory of the Lord would descend on the tent which is "the Dwelling" and where Moses entered to meet with God "the Meeting Tent." You will read how if the Lord was indwelling, the Israelites knew to stay put and not continue their journey to the promised land. When the Lord God's cloud rose, then the people knew they could pack the Dwelling and set out on their journey. Again, Peter would have instantly thought of this when he saw Moses in his glorified form, with Elias and Jesus. Peter would have immediately recognized that God and those he sends will dwell in a tent and they will indicate when they come and go, whether to be on the mountain or elsewhere.
So here is an example where you can authentically look inside how Peter's mind would have worked, after you read those parts of Exodus and realized he was gazing on Moses with Elias and Jesus revealing part of his God given inner glory!
