Scripture Scribbles: March 13, 2022
the Gospel
Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.
the devotion
I let Jesus take me up the mountain.
He seeks me out to be with him.
Praying with this scripture today, I realize that every single time I have read the account of the transfiguration, I have put myself at a distance, at the bottom of the mountain. Because Jesus only took Peter, James and John, I told myself - without even realizing I was doing it - that he would not have chosen me. And yet here he is today, inviting me to hike up the mountain beside him and pray.
My heart dares to hope he could choose me. I have longed for him from my hiding places even when I didn’t know it was him I was longing for. I have longed for him from my little stronghold locked inside the vows I made to protect myself from rejection, to protect myself from hearing that I am not worth fighting for. I have longed for rest from the exhaustion of self-reliance. I have longed to be chosen, loved, protected. The words of the psalmist resonate deeply as my broken little heart shares his words of longing for the Great Lover, “of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.”
And then.
I hear those holy words come back to me. In His voice:
Of you, Lucia, my heart speaks
You my glance seeks.
And I weep. My deepest, most hidden hope has come to pass. The glorious one seeks me. How can it be? How is it that he longs for me? I don’t know. But he does. And ever so gently, stone by stone, he is dismantling my little stronghold, showing me again and again that he chooses me, loves me and fights for me.
And here he is today, inviting me up the mountain to intimately experience his overwhelming glory.
Thank you, Jesus.
Today’s devotion is written by Lucia Parker.
