Listen to Him!

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” (Matthew 17:1-9, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
In a scene reminiscent of Moses on Mount Sinai, Peter, James, and John have front-row seats to the opening night of God’s glory show. They witness Jesus, their friend and teacher, in splendorous dress, his face shining like the sun, his clothes brilliantly white. And then, strangely, Moses and Elijah walk right out of the glory days of long ago and straight into the neighborhood of now. Peter, feeling out of place like someone underdressed for a five-star restaurant, breaks the awesome silence with nervous chatter. Tripping over his tongue, I can imagine, he says to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here" (verse 4). Attempting to make the strange more familiar, Peter then proposes that he do something useful: "I will put up three shelters here." All this sounds reasonable enough. Peter projects confidence, like he knows what in the world is going on, and he aims to prove it with a hammer and a tent peg. 

Then suddenly, the Voice speaks. Interrupting Peter’s good intentions, God acknowledges Jesus as the Beloved Son and instructs the disciples to "Listen to him!" (verse 5).

Sometimes we need to hear those words. Right now, it is not about me saying the right words. Right now, it is not about me doing more for God. It’s not about controlling the moment, scripting God’s work in my life, or domesticating the Divine. It’s about stopping. It’s about being silent for a while and listening and paying attention to Jesus. And because of that, it’s also about looking in the mirror and recognizing our own face as the face of God’s "beloved"—a son or daughter in whom God takes immense pleasure. 


PRAYER:
Lover of my soul, I know I miss so much of what you are doing in and through and around me. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see the glory that is in front of me. By your Spirit, strengthen me to live awake to your presence and activity in my life today. Amen.