This coming Sunday the gospel reading is Luke’s version of the Transfiguration of Jesus. 

³⁰ And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, ³¹ who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. 

The presence of Elijah and Moses has been much discussed by various scholars. (1) Do they represent the different kinds of life endings (burial versus being taken up to God)? (2) Is their presence an indication of endorsement by great prophets and wonderworkers of old? (3) Is Jesus the fulfillment of the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah) – and so listen to him? (4) Or is it that Moses points to the expected great-prophet-like Moses, while Elijah suggests the eschaton’s (end days) arrival – roles fulfilled in Jesus.

This coming Sunday the gospel reading is Luke’s version of the Transfiguration of Jesus. The question that begs for an answer in the Lukan narrative is: who is this Jesus? It is the question that Herod asks, it is the question that the people are considering; it is the question that Jesus asks of his followers (“who do you say that I am”). In the Transfiguration scene, Luke provides a framework that lets the reader know it is less “an answer” but more a revelation that will only unfold in time. Joel Green’s [The Gospel of Luke, 377] insight here is informative:

This coming Sunday in Lent offers Luke’s version of the Transfiguration. It is an event also described in Mt 17:1-9 and Mk 9:2-10 – readings that are traditionally proclaimed on the 2^nd Sunday of Lent in their own respective liturgical years as well as on the Feast of the Transfiguration each August 6^th.  The Lenten use of the reading, following the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert by the devil, breaks up the flow of Luke narrative at the beginning of Ordinary Time. Depending on the start of the Lenten Season the Sunday prior to Ash Wednesday includes at least the content of Chapter 5 (or as much as Chapter 6). A summary of the narrative leading up to our gospel pericope can fill in the gap.