Listen to Him!

Luke 9:28-36

For years my bride of almost 50 years has said, I’m praying this Scripture back to the Father for you.  I have begun to do the same, especially in the Psalm, and today my reading was Psalm 119 and in verse 18, I asked the Father for this: “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wonderful things from your instruction.”   You also may want to ask the Father for this it is a great gift, and it’s a gift only He can give.

It has been about eight days since Jesus talked with the twelve about giving up their rights and putting Him first in their hearts and minds.  Now this is special, of the twelve Jesus picked three of the twelve are to go with him up on the mountain to pray.  That was a big deal, not sure how the others felt but on a chart of 1-10 and ten being the max, these three are at a12.  I bet you go to a large church and if your pastor or priest asked you to go with him and a couple of guys to pray and seek the Father’s will, you also would have a better understanding of the emotions Peter, James, and John experienced.

Now this is what took place: “And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”  (Luke 9:29-31 ESV)  Can you place yourself in the story, what are your emotions doing, can you contain them?  You have experienced the transfiguration of Jesus, you’re a witness to Him talking with Moses and Elijah, “who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”  Or would you be doing what Peter, James, and John are doing, sleeping? 

As Paul Harvey would always say; “Now the rest of the story” “Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.”  (Luke 9:32-33 ESV)  They were sleeping, and before you get all full of self, think about your own prayer life, it is easy to go to sleep when you are not involved in the conversation, when you are just a witness to someone else’s prayers.  But when fully awake it became their story, they were witnesses of Jesus in all of His glory and the two men who stood with him.

And now it gets dangerous for though Peter’s eyes were fully awake, so was his worldly mind, for at this time Peter did not have the mind of Christ.  So Peter the bold one said without praying, without being still and asking the Father His will, Peter said; “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.”

“As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.” (Luke 9:34-36 ESV)

It is one thing to be chosen, but it is terrifying when one realizes they are in the presence of Holy God.  And God is saying today, this moment, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice