04/07/2017
This morning I read of Jesus, before the passion, allowing Peter, James, and John to see Him speak with Elijah and Moses on the mountain, and He was transfigured right before their eyes. Even His clothing glowed... yet He commanded them not to tell anyone of this until He had risen from the dead... why the silence?
“And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.”
Mark 9:3-4, 9 KJV
Throughout my career in Information Technology, I have had to teach those around me new software or technologies. In this process, there were some who I could immediately teach, and others who needed some remedial instruction before they would be ready to understand what I would eventually teach them. There is also a natural progression to knowledge, and if it is not followed, there is a danger that students will go off on a tangent when something exciting is presented to them, and they will miss the real lesson.
Jesus ran into this all the time. He could very easily have taken all of his disciples up on the mountain with Him, but He chose these three... His star pupils if you will. He took with Him Peter who would become the rock on which He would build His church, James who would later be known as the Bishop of Jerusalem or James the Just, and John who would be entrusted with the care of Mary, His mother, and receive the Revelation.
In our spiritual lives we are gifted with glimpses into the deeper subjects of faith as God finds us ready to receive them. How many times have we read a scripture, that we had read many times before, and received a new insight into its meaning? God did not initially hide these things from us... they were there all the time... we just weren't ready yet. Oswald Chambers writes of this in wonderful fashion in these words:
"When you get to the right state on the inside, the word which Jesus has spoken is so plain that you are amazed you did not see it before. You could not understand it before, you were not in the place in disposition where it could be borne." - Oswald Chambers
The brief preview these three disciples received of Christ's transfiguration was not the lesson... the lesson was dying, rising, and defeating sin. Jesus could have been transfigured the moment He was born, but what would that have left us with? Nothing but a nice story of an amazing baby. No... the lesson was far beyond glowing and speaking with a couple of bible heroes. Interestingly, Peter, though deemed to be mature in his faith, and chosen to view this scene, almost missed the big picture. He was ready to rush off and build tabernacles to Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.
“And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.”
Mark 9:5 KJV
How often do we miss the wonders of Himself that God would like to give us because we are not mature enough in our faith? Or, how many times have we taken a little revelation and built a huge tabernacle to it... missing all that would follow? Do we even realize it has occurred?
Never resting in contentment during our spiritual journey will ensure we will continue to grow and receive the wonders of scripture and faith. And, always realizing that around the next bend there will be another miracle or amazing sight, greater than the last, will keep us from becoming bogged down in building monuments for every incredible experience we have.
We are on an awesome journey, and it goes on unto our death... and beyond. To stop, or to be sidetracked by an attraction along the way delays us from those gifts that await us just ahead. The Word of God is our map and Jesus our guide... and we are not to encumber the trek of others as we go. Is our trust in our Holy Father? Is our faith in Jesus? Can we speak boldly when it is right to do so, and remain silent when asked to "tell no one?"
Prayer:
Father, give me an ever increasing maturity of faith, that I can receive more of your wonder with every passing day. Bring me to the fullness of one day with you so that the next will be new every morning, and I will marvel at you once again. Teach me Lord to be patient and wait for the heart of your lessons. Don't let me jump to a premature conclusion as Peter nearly did, and instead, encourage me to wait for the glory to come. Jesus lead me on, and teach me truth in the paths of righteousness, while encouraging me to love all the more. Let no lesson pass me by, and none cause me to delay from the next. In the progression of my faith, knowledge of you, and God's will... bless me and hear my thanksgiving and praise in return. Let me shout your praise in my excitement, but remain silent when you say "tell no one."
Rich Forbes