Read
He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Matthew 17:5
Reflect
Sometimes, it’s pretty easy to miss the point. Most of us have “that friend” that we’ll tell stories or jokes to, knowing they won’t get the point or the punchline. (Unfortunately, many of us have also been “that friend” at least once…)
In today’s Gospel, Peter is definitely “that friend.” We have Jesus being glorified by God in a way that no one could have imagined, and it completely blew the minds of Jesus’ closest friends – Peter, James and John. We don’t know what James and John did – maybe they fell down and worshiped Jesus, or perhaps they just stood there in awe of seeing Moses and Elijah, who had been dead for hundreds and hundreds of years. But Peter was affected differently.
He didn’t ask what they were talking about. He didn’t ask why this was happening. Instead, he decided it would be a great idea to pitch some tents up there for Jesus and the two prophets. His thought was to stay there for as long as possible, and his suggestion seemed to put Jesus on an even playing field with Moses and Elijah. After spending so much time with Jesus, he still didn’t see that there was a plan and that the plan didn’t involve staying on a mountain, no matter who was up there with them.
God, in His wisdom, simply responded, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” He turned Peter and the others back to the plan. He reminded them, and us, that there is a plan. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. And our most basic task is to listen to Him and do what He says. Today, spend some time listening to the Lord through prayer and reading the Bible – and respond by doing whatever the Lord puts on your heart.
Reflection copyright © 2022 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
