It was not uncommon for Jesus to go up into the mountains to pray. And sometimes he took disciples with him. On this occasion, he took Peter, John and James. Jesus had many disciples – followers. Out of those, he chose twelve to mentor and explain things to in more detail. Out of the twelve, he chose these three – Peter, John and James – to go with him to pray on the mountain.
“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.” Luke 9:29-32
How exciting it must have been to be chosen to go pray with Jesus. I wonder how the disciples could be so sleepy. Quite possibly it was night time or very early in the morning – before dawn. Then something happened that woke them up – for real this time. A flash of lightening lights up a night sky – all of it. Imagine three persons standing there blazing like lightening quite possibly in the dark!
I love Peter’s response. It reminds me of a small child who is proud of himself because he helped his daddy by handing him a hammer and assures others that his daddy couldn’t have fixed that nail without his help. “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.” Luke 9:33 I wonder why Peter wanted to put up shelters for them? I wonder what Peter, John, and James thought they were seeing. Peter seemed to know who they were – Moses and Elijah – maybe because he was listening in on the conversation between them and Jesus.
Shelters had significance to the Israelites in that they were instructed to put up shelters or booths and stay in them for seven days during the Feast of Tabernacles (a fall harvest festival). They were to be made by weaving branches together – purposefully flimsy – to remind them that God brought them out of Egypt and was their protector and provider. See Leviticus 23. Luke tells us that Peter “did not know what he was saying.” Luke 9:33b Peter was the verbal one and apparently was babbling here while he was trying to grasp the significance of the moment. Did he think they were going to be there a while? Was he trying to show Moses that he was familiar with what he had written?
“While he [Peter] 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.’” Luke 9:34-35 And then everything went back to normal – no more Moses and Elijah and bright lights and voices. And this was one thing that they didn’t share with others until later.
I wonder why Jesus shared this moment with those disciples. Because it occurs soon after Jesus asked the disciples who people were saying he was, I believe it was a confirmation for them that he, Jesus, was indeed the Christ as Peter had said. I believe Jesus was also beginning to prepare them for what was to come. God was getting their attention and saying to them, “You had better listen up and listen good. Jesus is going to teach you what you need to know here and I need for you to really pay attention so you can understand it.”
I believe God was showing Peter, John and James how the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah) were part of the whole plan of salvation that was soon to be completed with Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus still had a lot of teaching to do as the Israelites (Peter, John and James) are being pulled out of a sleepiness and awakened to the dazzling and amazing love God has for his children (the human race).
I wonder if these three disciples were a bit more sensitive to what Jesus was teaching in the following weeks and months as memories of this big event played around in their heads. I wonder if they often heard God’s voice saying to them, “Listen to him.” I wonder if they tried a little harder to understand what Jesus was teaching.
There are events in our lives that get our attention. Sometimes it is an accident or an illness or a death of a special person in our lives. Sometimes it is a dream or ‘coincidence’ that occurs. It is a turn-around time for us when we understand that life is fragile and we are not our own god. Some of us may hear an audible voice, others a strong sense that God is speaking to us. Sometimes we don’t share it with others for a long time. Like Mary, we may treasure the things that are happening and ponder them for a while. Or like Peter, we may babble nonsense while we are sorting it out. And then, just as a flash of lightening lights up the sky, it becomes clear to us and as we understand the significance of everything that is happening, we begin to share with others how God has intervened in our lives. We put together how God stepped into our world and in his great love and mercy saved us. And when that happens, we can’t stop talking about it.
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