The Lord Jesus made many statements that perplexed his original hearers but which became better understood after his Death and Resurrection, as St. John himself mentions in his Gospel.  However, many of the words of The Lord continue to perplex people today.  These, for instance: "Amen, I say to you, there are certain men, standing here, who shall not taste death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom' (Matthew 16, 28).  St. Jerome comments on these words in the following homily.  Since this homily also speaks of the Transfiguration, celebrated recently, the whole of it is translated:

" 'Amen, I say to you, there are certain men, standing here, who shall not taste death.'  The Lord said: 'Amen, I say to you.'  Christ swore an oath.  We ought to believe Christ when he swears an oath.  In the Old Testament, it says: As I live, says the Lord.  In the New Testament, it says: Amen, amen, I say to you.  'Amen, amen' means, 'Truly, truly'.  The Truth speaks the truth in order to conquer the lie.  'Amen, I say to you, that there are certain men, standing here.'  I am speaking to you disciples, but I am not speaking to the Jews, who have closed their ears, and my word cannot penetrate them.  'That there are certain men, standing here, who shall not taste death until the Kingdom of God comes.'  How beautifully it is said to those standing there, You shall not taste death, for those who stand, stand in him who is standing, and they 'shall not taste death.'  For, Moses says, in Deuteronomy: 'For forty days and forty nights, I have stood on the mountain with God.'  He stood alone for forty days, and thereby merited to receive the law.  It is given to those who are standing, not to those who are lying.  We are scrutinizing each word in order to come to the mystery of the reading.  For, if the exterior parts of the house are beautiful, how much more the house itself?


" 'Who shall not taste death.'  There are many different experiences of death.  Some taste it, some see it, some eat it, some are filled with it, and some rest in it.  But the apostles, because they were standing, and because they were apostles, indeed, did not taste death.  We will speak of this according to the allegorical meaning and, at the same time, according to the sense of, 'Who is the man, who may live and not see death?'  Who is he talking about?  Or, is what he says impossible or difficult?  'Who shall not taste death.'  He says, 'There are certain men, standing here, who shall not taste death.'  But it is not easy to discover who it is that may not see death.  But here we should understand that he is speaking of the death of sin.  'For the soul that shall sin, shall die.'  It is difficult, then, for anyone who lives not to see death.  Now, there is a difference between 'to see' and 'to taste'.  He who sees, shall see, indeed, but not necessarily taste.  Another man tastes, but may not necessarily see.  Let us see what it means 'to taste death', and 'to see death'.  Now, if I see a beautiful woman, and my soul wishes to know her carnally, but the fear of God expels this desire, then I have seen death, but not tasted it.  But if I see her, and I lust for her, and I commit adultery with her in my heart, then I have tasted death.  This is what it means to 'taste death' – not to eat it, or to rest in it, but to taste the soul a little, as it were.  But if I commit this sin a second and a third time, and I frequently engage in fornication, not only have I tasted death, but I have become filled with it.  See what the Prophet is saying.  He does not say, Who is the man who may live, and not 'taste' death.  Rather, he says, Who is the man, who shall live, and not 'see' death?  It is difficult to exist and not be tempted by lust, or not shaken by temptations.  We have presented this according to the higher meaning, but, at the same time, let us speak of the literal meaning.  The Lord said to the apostles that there were those standing there who would not taste death until they saw the Kingdom of God coming in its power.  What he is saying is: Those who shall see me reigning now, shall not die.  This is according to the literal sense.

" 'And after six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and he led them up a very high mountain, alone by themselves, and he was transfigured before them.'  This is what he had meant: that is, the apostles saw how Christ would reign.  Seeing him transfigured on the mountain, the apostles saw how he would reign.  This is what he had told them when he said, 'They shall not taste death until the Kingdom of God comes.'  It says: 'It came to pass after six days.'  In the gospel according to Matthew, it says, 'It came to pass after the eighth day.'  There seems to be a disagreement. In the literal sense, since Matthew says there were eight days, and Mark says there were six.  But we should understand that Matthew gave both the first and the last days of this event, and Mark gave only the middle days.  The literal sense tells us this: that he went up the mountain, that he was transfigured, that Moses and Elias were seen speaking with him, that Peter, delighted by this most beautiful vision, said to him: 'Lord, if you wish, we will make three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias.'  And immediately, the evangelist said: 'For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified with fear.'  Then mention is made of the clouds, and that these same bright clouds overshadowed them, and a voice came from heaven, saying: 'This is my most beloved Son.  Hear him.'  Then it says: 'And at once, looking around, they saw no one except Jesus.'  This is the literal meaning.  Now, there are those who love the literal sense, who follow the Jewish understanding, who follow the dead letter, and not the living spirit .  We do not denigrate the literal sense, but we prefer the spiritual meaning.  This is not our own 'meaning', but we very earnestly follow the meaning of the apostles, those 'vessels of election'.  The Jews had understood his words as pertaining to their deaths, but the Apostle understood them as pertaining to their lives.  He said that Sara and Agar represent the two covenants, that of Mount Sinai, and that of Mount Sion: 'Now, these are the two covenants.'  Was there no Agar?  Was there no Sara?  Was there no Mount Sinai?  Was there no Mount Sion?  The Apostle does not deny he literal meaning, but that it revealed mysteries.  He did not say, These two covenants are understood, but that, 'These are the two covenants.'  

" 'After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John.'  It says, 'After six days.'  Pray to the Lord hat these words may be explained by the same Spirit who spoke them.  'And it came to pass after six days.'  Why not after nine, or ten, or twenty, or forty, or fifty days?  Why is the number of six days chosen, and not some other number?  'And it came to pass after six days.'  These are the ones, standing with Jesus, about whom he said, These are the men who shall see the Kingdom of God, after six days.  Unless this world, understood as the six days, shall pass away, the true Kingdom shall not appear.  Now, after the six days will pass, Peter, who receives his name from the word for “rock”, shall merit to see the Kingdom.  Just as the name 'Peter' is taken from the word for rock – πέτρινος – so we are called 'Christians' from the name, 'Christ'.  We would most certainly be led by Jesus onto this mountain if we were a πέτρινος – and had such great faith as the one upon whom the Church of Christ was built.  Likewise, we would be led up if we were as James and John, brothers as much in spirit as in blood – James, πτερνιστήρ, the 'supplanter'; and John, 'the grace of the Lord' (for when we have 'supplanted' our enemies, we will merit the grace of Christ).  We would be led there if we had deeper teaching and a more excellent understanding, and so merit to be called 'the sons of thunder'.  At the same time, consider that Jesus is transfigured until he descends.  He goes up, and he is transformed.  'He led them up a very high mountain, alone by themselves, and he was transfigured before them, and his clothing was made radiant and exceedingly white.'  Even today, Jesus, for some men, is below, and, for others, he is above.  Those who are below and have him below are the crowds, and those who are unable to go up the mountain – for, the apostles go up the mountain alone, and the crowds remain below.  If anyone, then, is below, and is of the crowd, he will not be able to see Jesus in his radiant vestments, but only in dirty clothes.  And if anyone follows the literal sense, and is all below, and looks upon the earth in the way of the brute animals, he cannot see Jesus in his radiant garments.  But he who follows the word of God to the mountains, that is, by climbing the heights, Jesus is immediately transformed for him, and his vestments become very bright.  If we read according to the literal understanding, then what brightness, or radiance, or depths, is there?  But if we understand the spiritual meaning, the Holy Scriptures – that is, the clothing of the word – are changed, and are made bright as the snow.  'Such as could not be done by a fuller on the earth.'  If you wish, take away the prophetic witness and the gospel story: if you understand only according to the letter, nothing in the Scriptures has brilliance or splendor.  But if you follow the apostles, and you understand the spiritual meaning, the 'vestments' of the word are at once transformed and made radiant – Jesus is transformed altogether on the mountain and his vestments are made as exceedingly white as snow, so very white that no fuller upon the earth could have done this.  The one who stays below is not able to see the white vestments.  But there is the one who ascends the mountain with Jesus, and leaves the earth behind, as it were, and decides to climb to the mountains and the heavens.  He is able to whiten his clothes, 'such as could not be done by a fuller on the earth.'  

"Now, someone may say to me (or, at least, think it to himself silently): You have interpreted the mountain for us, and you have spoken of the word of God: you have told us of the vestments of the Sacred Scriptures.  Now, tell me about the fullers, those who are not able to make clothing such as Jesus was wearing.  Fulling is work in which something dirty is made white.  This whitening cannot be done without labor.  To whiten clothes requires washing them, and stretching them out in the sun.  Clothing cannot be changed from dirty to a bright color without much work.  Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, (the prince of the stoics), and Epicurus (the protector of pleasure) wanted to whiten their sordid teachings so that their words were white, but they could not make their clothing such as Jesus had on the mountain.  They disputed wholly on the things of earth because they were 'on the earth'.  No debater of earthly matters could make their vestments as white as those Jesus had on the mountain.                                      

" 'Elias and Moses appeared to them, and they were speaking with Jesus.'  Unless they had seen Jesus transformed, unless they had seen his clothes made white, they would not have been able to see Elias and Moses.  It says that they were, 'speaking with Jesus'.  For as long as we understand and follow only the dead letter of like the Jews, Elias and Moses do not speak with Jesus, nor do they know the gospel.  But if, indeed, they should follow Jesus, they would merit to see the Lord transformed, and his clothes made white, and to understand spiritually all the things that were written.  At once Moses and Elias came – the law and the prophets – and they spoke to the gospel.  'Elias and Moses appeared to them, and they were speaking with Jesus.'  In the gospel according to Luke, there is this addition, besides: 'And they announced to him in what way he would suffer in Jerusalem.'  Moses and Elias spoke this; they told this to Jesus – that is, to the gospel, for the law and the prophets had prophesied the Passion of Christ.  See how the spiritual understanding profits our souls?  Now, Moses and Elias seemed to them to be wearing white vestments, as well.  But they did not have white vestments except when they were with Jesus.  But they did not go up the mountain and their vestments were all dirty, and not white, if you read the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elias) and you did not understand them in Christ.  You would not, then, understand that Moses and Elias spoke with Jesus: you would only understand Moses and Elias without Jesus, and you would not see that they did announce his Passion.  If you follow the literal meaning, like the Jews, what does it profit you to read that Juda had carnal relations with Thamar, his daughter-in-law, or that Noe became drunk and naked?  What does it profit you to read that Onan, the son of Juda, did a very shameful thing that I blush to mention.  But do you see how the dirty clothing of Moses becomes white, if you understand the spiritual meaning?  Now, Peter, James, and John had “seen” Moses and Elias before, without Jesus, and when they saw them speaking with Jesus, and that they had whitened clothing, the apostles saw that Moses and Elias were on the mountain, for, truly, we stand fast on the mountain when we understand the Scriptures according to the spiritual sense.  As long as I read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy according to the worldly sense,, it seems to me that I am below, but if I know the spiritual sense, I am climbing the mountain.  You see, then, how Peter, James, and John saw that they were on the mountain, that is, that they understood according to the spirit, disdained the lowly and human, and sought the high and the divine.  They did not wish to descend to the earth, but to be entirely consecrated to spiritual things.  

" 'Peter responded to Jesus, and said: Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.'  When I read the Scriptures, and I understand something lofty according to the spiritual sense, I do not want to descend again, I do not want to go down to the lower things.  I want to make a tabernacle for Christ, the law, and the prophets.  But Jesus came to save that which was lost and did not come to save those who were righteous, but those who had acted wickedly.  He knew that if the human race would be on the mountain, it could not be saved unless he went down to earthly things.  'Rabbi, it is good for us to be here: let us build three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias.'  Surely there were not trees on that mountain?  Even if there were trees and clothes there, do we hope that this was all that Peter wanted to do – building tents for them to dwell in?  He wanted to construct three tents: one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elias, in order to separate the law, the prophets, and the gospel – which cannot be separated from each other.  In a certain way, he said, 'Let us build three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias.'  O Peter, although you climbed the mountain, saw Jesus transformed and his clothes made white, still you are unable to know the truth, for Christ has not yet suffered for you.  Now, a person may say, Let us build three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias.  He would be saying to the Lord, I will build a tabernacle for you, and similar ones for your servants.  If those who have unequal rank are honored as equals, there is a very serious affront.  'Let us build three tabernacles.'  There were three apostles – Peter, James, and John – on the mountain, and they wished to build three tabernacles.  He wanted one to dwell in one, another in another, and the third in the third.  'He did not know what he was saying', when he was honoring the Lord and his servants in an equal fashion.  Indeed, there is one tabernacle for the gospel, the law, and the prophets.  Unless they dwell together, they cannot be in harmony.


" 'It came to pass that clouds overshadowed them.'  'Clouds': according to Matthew, φωτινή.  It seems to me that these 'clouds' were the grace of the Holy Spirit.  It even covered over the tabernacle and overshadowed those who were in it.  The apostles knew how to build tabernacles, but the Holy Spirit knew how to make clouds.  O Peter, you who wanted to construct three tents, look upon the one tent of the Holy Spirit, who protects us entirely.  If you had, indeed, built a tabernacle, it would have been only a human one.  In addition, your tent would have kept out the light and held within it only darkness.  But these bright and over-shadowing clouds are the one tabernacle that does not keep out the Sun of Justice, but allows him inside.  And the Father would say to you: Why did you build three tabernacles?  Behold, you have one Tabernacle.  See the mystery of the Trinity, according to my understanding.  I do not wish to understand anything that I do understand, without Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Father.  Unless I believed in the Trinity who saves me, nothing that I know could be sweet for me.  A bright cloud (φωτινή) was made, and, 'a voice came from the cloud, saying: This is my most beloved Son.  Hear him.'  This is what the Father is saying: O Peter, you who say, I will make three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias: I do not wish for you to make three tabernacles.  I have given you a Tabernacle that will protect you.  Do not make tents equally for the Lord and his servants.  'This is my most beloved Son.  Hear him.'  This is my Son, not Moses or Elias.  These are his servants, but this is my Son.  'This is my Son', of my nature, and my substance, remaining in me, and all that I am.  'This is my most beloved Son.'  Moses and Elias are dear to the Father, but his Son is most beloved to him.  'Hear him,' then.  They foretell him, but you, 'hear him'.  He is the Lord; they are your fellow servants.  Moses and Elias speak about Christ, and they serve with you.  But he is the Lord: 'Hear him.'  Do not honor your fellow servants as you would your Lord.  Hear the only Son of God.

"The Father did not appear when he spoke, and said: 'This is my most beloved Son.  Hear Him.'  There was the cloud, and the voice was heard: 'This is my most beloved Son.  Hear him.'  It could have happened that Peter might have said: He spoke of Moses, or, He spoke of Elias.  But they had no doubt about whom the Father spoke, for the two were taken away, and Christ remained alone.  'This is my most beloved Son.  Hear him.'  Peter says in his heart: Who is his Son ?  I see three men.  Which of these is he speaking of?  But when he sought the one who was chosen, he looked upon only one.  'And immediately, looking around,' when they looked for three, they looked upon one.  Indeed, they lost three, and they found one.  Again, I shall say more: in three, they found one.  For, Moses and Elias are found, if they are gathered together in Christ.  

" 'And immediately looking around, they saw no one more.'  When I read of the witness of the law and the prophets, I think only of Christ.  Thus I see Moses and the prophets – to understand them speaking of Christ.  Then, when I come to the splendor of Christ, and the most blazing light of the bright Sun, I cannot see the light of the lamp.  If you light a lamp during the day, is it able to shine?  If the sun is shining, the light of the lamp does not appear.  Thus, when the law and the prophets are set next to Christ, they do not appear at all.  I do not disparage the law and the prophets – rather, I praise them, for they foretell Christ.  But I so read the law and the prophets that I do not remain in the law and the prophets, but attain to Christ through them."