Listening to Jesus

“About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.  As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.  Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.  They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.  As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ (He did not know what he was saying.)

“While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.  A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.’ When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.” (Luke 9:28-36 NIV)

If you have ever been to Washington, D.C., you know it is a city of monuments and memorials.  The most famous probably are the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, but there are dozens of others including the Viet Nam Memorial and the  Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.  These monuments and memorials are to honor the great figures and events in American history.  And that is what we do when we want to honor or memorialize someone of significance.  We build a monument.

So we can understand Peter’s urge to build something in recognition of what he had just witnessed—the glorious appearance of two of Judaism’s greatest heroes, Moses and Elijah side by side with Jesus. So why then does Luke include the parenthetical statement, “He did not know what he was saying,”?  Honestly, probably none of the disciples questioned it at that moment.  Only when God the Father spoke out of the cloud did his suggestion then become ridiculous.  

By wanting to build monuments for all three, Peter was equating Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.  Without thinking, he was creating a Jewish Trinity, equal, but distinct.  There was only one problem.   Moses and Elijah were mere men, while Jesus was the Son of God.  The Father quickly reminded Peter and the other disciples of this fact and the idea of building monuments was quickly dropped.
  
How easy it is for us to put people or experiences on equal level with Jesus, and allow them to have equal influence or authority in our lives. I have seen people put friends right up there with Jesus, or a girlfriend or boyfriend.  I have seen some allow a certain experience, like a mission trip or a summer camp, to become their guide for life.  Yet, we always need to be reminded of the words of the Father, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”  

Today, recognize there are a lot of good things in life, including great relationships and experiences, but none deserve a place equal to Jesus.  He is Lord and you need to listen always to Him above all others.  

© Jim Musser 2016