Devotions
Rev Gav
Shhhh!
Matthew 17.9-13
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” And the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He replied, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things, but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
Reflect
I remember, once, being in a ‘green room’ at the BBC with three celebrities: Ricky Gervais, Jonathon Ross, and the singer Estelle, and I was pretty awestruck! What is it about celebrities that make us feel this way?
Jesus had just been transfigured (where, up a mountain, he turned radiant white and was joined by Elijah and Moses) and the disciples had heard the very voice of God. As they came down the mountain Jesus ordered his disciples, Peter, James, and John, not to tell anyone.
What??? They had just had the most thrilling mountain-top, life-changing experience and they had to keep their traps shut? Really? Why?
Perhaps the three disciples needed time to process and understand its significance? In their discussion, Jesus dropped a bombshell by telling them to say nothing until he (the Son of Man) had been raised from the dead, and the disciples seem to completely miss this by asking questions about Elijah coming first and who this might be.
Certainly, the disciples had not grasped that Jesus had to go the humbling way of the cross and death, and the glorious transfiguration probably had them looking at each other, nodding, and saying, “Yes! Now this is a Jesus I can get behind!” Perhaps too, it was because it was to prevent them being ‘set aside’ as the special ones admitted to the intimate transfiguration party?
Either way, the mountain-top experience for these three disciples was to be kept on the quiet, but it gave those disciples a window into who Jesus was, and over time, they would come to comprehend that the way of Christ was not the way of shining lights, dazzle, and glory.
We are culturally conditioned to be attracted to bright shiny things, including those who are successful, popular, and famous, and this story is a reminder for us to be cautious when we see preachers or leaders standing on stages under bright lights or mega churches making slick social media commercials. Someone seeking to be in the media limelight with the focus on themselves is likely to be on the wrong track because we know that the way of Christ is one of humility and servanthood.
The questions for us are, who do we follow? To whom are we ‘attracted’? To what kind of church do we belong? How do we get over being ‘awestruck’ by pastors or church leaders and get a right perspective?
Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash
Pray
Holy God
Though your Son,
Jesus Christ,
is the King of Glory,
help me remember
that the path he walked
was one of humility
and suffering.
Help me to discern
which churches and leaders
speak your truth
and follow in your ways.
Now and forever.
and then