Good Ol' Peter

Walking in the Truth of the Transfiguration

Today's Scripture

[Continuing the account of Jesus' Transfiguration. SEE Luke 9:28-36.] "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 enveloped 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 told no one at that time what they had seen."  Luke 9:33-36

Today's Devotional Thoughts

Good Ol' Peter. Finding himself on top of a mountain [a mountain!] with his beloved rabbi & two revered prophets of Hebrew history, naturally he wants to build houses--one each for Jesus, Moses & Elijah. Good Ol' "Speak or Act First, Think Later" Peter. 
        C'mon, admit it. You might have done the same. WE might have done the same. Fueled by the incomparable glory of Jesus' transfigured self & accompanied by a hyper-adrenaline rush, who WOULDN'T have wanted this mountain-top experience to be a more permanent one? 
        And so it is with most mountain-top experiences. And so it is not meant to be. God does not intend for us to spend our lives perpetually on the mountain-top. He intends to bring us to the mountain-top & equip us with the His Word, His Sacrament, & the fellowship-encouragement of other believes in preparation for a return to the valleys.
        The valleys? Yes, that would be:

• Those every-day circumstances where we find ourselves with the ability to serve others . . . to love our neighbors, not just as ourselves, but as Christ has loved us--sacrificially.
• Those tragic circumstances . . . the death of a loved one . . . our own debilitating, possibly even terminal illnesses or injuries.
• These events that we find ourselves totally helpless to prevent or fix . . . terrorist attacks . . . natural disasters.

As sinful people living in a sinful world, it's not within our realm to spend our lives forever on the mountain-top. We often find ourselves in the valleys--sometimes because of our choices & sometimes because that's where God chooses to call us in order to serve Him by serving others.

Today's Prayer Thoughts

Give thanks for the wonderful gifts of God's Word, the Sacrament of Holy Communion, & the fellowship of other believers. Ask Him to strengthen you for service to others & strength to weather the "valleys" of life.

Some Closing Thoughts

• Why just Peter, James & John? This wasn't the only time that Jesus drew these three apart from the others. That seems like maybe a topic for a future devotion.
• Good Ol' Peter. Remember how Jesus came walking on the water toward the disciples while they were in the boat, tossed about by a storm on the Sea of Galilee. They thought they were seeing a ghost & Jesus called to them. Peter walked on the water . . . briefly. SEE Matthew 14:11-33.
• If you continue reading the verses following Luke's account of the Transfiguration, you'll find that no sooner did Jesus return from the mountain-top & He had to clean up a mess. The remaining disciples had tried to exorcise a demon without success, naturally creating an uproar among a crowd of people.