Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him.
Peter broke in, “Master, this is a great moment! What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah?”
While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him.”
When the disciples heard it, they fell flat on their faces, scared to death. But Jesus came over and touched them. “Don’t be afraid.” When they opened their eyes and looked around all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus.
Matthew 17v1-8 (MSG)
We’ve grown accustomed to fear and punishment as our first thought. Our first response in thinking how God will deal with us. We have become well acquainted with hiding from the very Voice that calls us into Love.
When Jesus desired to show the disciples a good thing by bringing them up the mountain to witness his transfiguration– his pure unfiltered glory and love– all the disciples could think about doing was:
1. make a plan to systematize and capture/save the present moment
2. be afraid when they heard God speak to them
The friends of Jesus thought they knew the purpose of the mountain climbing exercise. They attempted, with their little understanding, to make the Divine a devotional teaching moment rather than just being with Jesus and witnessing to the greatness of what was going on right in front of them. There is nothing wrong with asking “God, what do you want to teach me?” in certain mountain top moments but sometimes that is not the right question to ask. This is an example of one of those moments. There is something deeper and more profound happening on the mountain. Moses and Elijah represent the “Law and the Prophets”, what was and what was to come, two systems of thought and life for the Jewish people. Jesus stands as the third and complete piece. The Greater Moses and Greater Elijah. Moses taught the people how to behave, how to live, how to remember the past. Elijah taught the people how to go forward, how to dream into the future of what was to come for the Jewish people, what to expect in a coming time. Jesus stands as the Here and Now, the I AM, the Present, the Fulfillment.
When the Voice from Heaven responds to the Son, the disciples are scared. They cannot respond with pure receiving because they had not yet fully understood Jesus. They, up until this point, had figured Jesus was in the business of getting things done. They were used to prophets and patriarchs speaking of God in such a way at times. Now, straight from heaven, they get a new perspective. Their level of consciousness is taken up a level. But not before they respond in fear to the Voice of Love. They figure that this voice will kill them or at the least they will be punished or their sin will be exposed. This Voice reminds them that they are focusing on the wrong thing. Their attention had been on what they could get/learn from this experience and how they could capture it (possibly so they could tell others they had such an experience). God comes to tell them that Jesus is the focus. That Love is the center. That there is nothing to fear. They were focusing on what had happened, Jesus comes to remind us of the present moment. They were focusing on the future and how they could “save” this experience (building tents), Jesus came to remind them that this moment was enough and all there really is.
We must receive and hear the Voice telling us who Jesus is, that there is nothing to fear, and that this present moment matters most. Otherwise, we will hurry to build, be quick to fear, and slow to understand fully who this Christ mystery is.
And the last line explains it all… “When they opened their eyes and looked around all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus.” This is all there was to begin with, but somehow the disciples missed it. And so do I. And so do you. We can receive Love instead if we choose. So if your first thought when God comes to you, however that is, is fear… there is a better way. If your first thought is “what can I learn from this? How is this productive?” (my default), there is a better way.
We can listen and receive and experience the Voice of Heaven showing us to the present Christ in us and among us.
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