RSV ~ Mark 9 Notes
Mk 9:1 | ISB Notes
not taste death: Jesus promises to inaugurate his kingdom within the lifetime of the apostles (1:15). This begins with Christâs heavenly enthronement (16:19) and the birth of the Church. Its authority is manifest with the termination of the Old Covenant, when Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed with fire (Lk 21:31-32). The kingdom, while present in mystery in the Church, will be fully manifest at the consummation of history (CCC 669-71).
Mk 9:2-8 | ISB Notes
The Transfiguration balances out the shock of Jesusâ first Passion prediction in 8:31-33, strengthening the faith of three apostles (9:2) destined for special leadership positions in the early Church. Beholding the glory of Jesus assures them of his divine Sonship and foreshadows their own glorification at the resurrection (CCC 554-55). Like Jesusâ Baptism, this event reveals the Trinity: the Fatherâs voice is heard (9:7), the Son is transfigured (9:2), and the Spirit is present in the cloud (9:7).
⢠Morally (Origen, Comm. in Matt. 12, 36): Christ led the disciples up the mountain after six days to show that we must rise above our love for created things, which were made by God in six days, to enter on the seventh day into the vision of Christâs glory.
Mk 9:2 | ISB Notes
Peter ⌠James ⌠John: Three of Jesusâ closest companions. See note on 5:37.
⢠Anagogically(Rabanus Maurus, Comm. in Matt. 5, 17): Christ took three disciples up the mountain to signify that those who in this life believe in the Holy Trinity will in the next life behold the three Persons of the Godhead in heavenly glory.
high mountain: Traditionally identified with Mt. Tabor in lower Galilee. Theologically, this mountain is the New Covenant counterpart to Mt. Sinai, where Jesus manifests his divine splendor just as God revealed his glory to Moses (Ex 24:15-18) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:8-18) on Sinai (Horeb). See note on Mt 17:1-8.
Mk 9:4 | ISB Notes
Elijah with Moses: Representatives of the prophets and the Law of the OT. Together they testify that Jesus is the foretold Messiah and mediator of the New Covenant (cf. Lk 24:2527; Jn 5:39; Rev 11:3-6).
Mk 9:5 | ISB Notes
three booths: Small shelters in which the Israelites dwelt during the liturgical feast of Booths (Lev 23:39-43). Peter requests to build these shelters in his desire to prolong the heavenly experience.
Mk 9:7 | ISB Notes
listen to him: This final injunction alludes to Deut 18:15.
⢠Yahweh promised to raise up another prophet like Moses, so that just as Israel received instructions for worship and life issued through Moses, so they must obey the words of his prophetic successor. The Father uses this passage to identify Jesus as this Mosaic prophet (Jn 6:14; Acts 3:22).
Mk 9:10 | ISB Notes
rising from the dead: The belief in a collective resurrection was accepted by many Jews during NT times (Dan 12:2; Jn 11:23-25; Acts 24:15). Only the Sadducees expressly denied it (12:18). The disciples are here perplexed that Jesus speaks of an individual resurrection, since they as yet had no clear understanding of a dying and rising Messiah (8:31-33).
Mk 9:11 | ISB Notes
first Elijah must come: Elijahs reappearance was a common expectation based on the prophecy of Mal 4:5.
⢠In context, God promised to send Elijah to prepare Israel for his scheduled arrival on the âday of the Lordâ. His mission was to restore family relationships (Mal 4:6) and the tribes of Israel (Sir 48:10). John the Baptist fulfills this prophetic role as the forerunner to Jesus (9:13). See note on Mk 1:6.
Mk 9:13 | ISB Notes
as it is written of him: As Elijah suffered at the hands of King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1-10), so John the Baptist suffered martyrdom by Herod Antipas and his mistress Herodias (6:27).
Mk 9:17 | ISB Notes
a mute spirit: Demon possession is sometimes manifested through sickness, seizures, and self-inflicted injuries (Mt 8:16; Mk 1:26; 5:2-5). These phenomena in no way diminish the spiritual dimension of the condition; they simply make it visible. The symptoms here resemble epilepsy (9:18).
Mk 9:23 | ISB Notes
All things are possible: The issue is not whether Jesus can cure the boy, but whether his father is willing to believe it. The omnipotent power of God is more than sufficient for the task, but it must be sought with faith and prayer (9:29; Jer 32:17; Lk 1:37). This father, who struggles with âunbeliefâ (9:24), bids Jesus to stabilize his wavering faith (Lk 17:5; CCC 162, 2610).
Mk 9:30-32 | ISB Notes
Jesus foretells his Crucifixion and Resurrection a second time. The prophecy is still confusing and frightening to the disciples (9:32). See note on Mk 8:31-33.
Mk 9:33 | ISB Notes
Capernaum: Jesusâ Galilean residence. See note on 1:21.
Mk 9:35 | ISB Notes
servant of all: Greatness in Godâs eyes is measured by humility and service to others (Lk 22:24-27), a principle put into practice by Jesus (10:45). As future leaders of the Church, the apostles must shun aspirations for worldly honor and attention in order to serve Christ more faithfully and effectively (8:35; CCC 876, 896).
Mk 9:37 | ISB Notes
one such child: An image of those who are weak and helpless. Welcoming them with affection is tantamount to serving both Jesus (me) and the Father (him who sent me). .
Mk 9:42-48 | ISB Notes
Jesus uses hyperbole (overstatement) to emphasize that drastic measures are needed to avoid sin (CCC 1861, 2284-87). Because public sin can embolden others to sin likewise, the consequences that await those who cause scandal are worse than drowning by the weight of a great millstone (9:42). Because grave (mortal) sins merit hell (9:43, 45, 47), avoiding them requires us to take action so serious that it can be compared to bodily dismemberment (Mt 5:29-30).
⢠Morally (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in Matt. 59): severing bodily limbs signifies the amputation of intimate friends. When close companions dr
ag Christians away from holiness, they must be cut away. It is better for us to enter heaven without them than to maintain their company in everlasting misery. See word study: Hell (page 35).
Mk 9:49 | ISB Notes
salted with fire: Probably a reference to the trials and temptations that face believers. Given the preceding context (9:42-48), it may include the purifying suffering of penance needed to avoid sin and turn away from impure habits. Such fire is meant to test the genuineness of our Christian commitment and lead us to perfection (Sir 2:5; 1 Pet 1:6-7; CCC 1430-31). In the end, those refined by the temporal fires of this world will be spared the unquenchable fires of the next.