Scripture Scribbles: March 5, 2023
the Gospel
Matthew 17:1-9
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
"Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him."
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
"Rise, and do not be afraid."
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
"Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
the devotion
Ohh, Peter.
Lately I’ve felt invited by the Holy Spirit to reflect on the humanity of the disciples in the Gospels.
It is actually quite startling when you begin to really reflect on this. Time and again throughout the Gospels, the disciples take some action or make some decision that Jesus rebukes as incorrect. Sometimes gently, sometimes sternly, Jesus lets them know that they are wrong in what they are saying or doing.
The Holy Spirit has shown me something beautiful, though. When they are wrong they are still very close to Jesus. They are making these mistakes often when they are right by Jesus’s side. Many times, they are saying the very thing that is wrong or incorrect to Jesus Himself. This shows their inability to see why or how what they are saying could be wrong. It also shows that they are making mistakes, but making them within the context of a relationship with Christ.
A couple of examples that come to mind are:
Peter telling Jesus he won’t let them crucify Him
The disciples waking up Jesus in the boat in the middle of the storm
Peter cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant
James and John asking whether we should rain fire down on those who deny them
In all of these scenarios, the disciples are in the presence of Christ. Sometimes they are coming to Him asking Him whether what they want to do is right. Every time they are wrong.
But what’s so amazing to ponder is Jesus’s response to them. Each and every time, Jesus corrects them with patience and complete understanding. He understands that they do not yet see and He is teaching them, just as a parent with a small child, what is right and why that is wrong.
What strikes me most about this is that every time Jesus responds.
He does not cut them off or leave them behind for messing up. Instead, their shortcomings end up bringing them into an even deeper relationship with Him. 🤯
Today, we hear Peter ask whether he should build three tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah – in the midst of a great and profound vision from heaven! Sometimes when I hear this Gospel I cannot help but laugh out loud. Peter has some guts to speak up at such a time, to propose his own plan when he is in the middle of receiving such a profound grace from God.
Yet God responds. He tells Peter: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.
Reflecting on Peter and the rest of the disciples’ journey with Jesus in the Gospels is so encouraging to me.
So often in our lives, we are the disciples. We fall. We get lost. We think incorrectly. We see something amazing God is doing and we get too excited. We begin to come up with our own grand plans of how this should play out. Our pride gets in the way of what God actually wants to do with us. We think we know better than what He is trying to reveal to us. We get ahead of ourselves and we forget to let Him lead.
And each time, just as we see in the Gospels, God is there to correct us.
He is there with His steady, gentle, loving hand directing us closer to Him. Each time we fall or make a mistake, while in relationship with God, He uses it to actually bring us closer to Him. It becomes a vehicle of learning to grow in the spiritual life and get closer to our hopeful destination in heaven.
Peter ends up being the first pope, the holder of the keys to the kingdom of heaven here on earth, Christ’s Church. You can’t help but ponder whether the Lord saw Peter’s heart and his intentions throughout it all. He understood why Peter did what He did, and, though sometimes incorrect, He loved his passion and commitment to God.
Lord, today we ask for the grace to help us when we fall or lose sight of you. Help us to bring our thoughts or questions to you first in all things. Guide and direct our intentions to be aligned with your perfect ones. Give us the humility to let you lead us, always. We know that even when we are incorrect or fall short, you can use our shortcomings as learning opportunities and growth exercises for us in the spiritual life.
Jesus, we trust in You.
Today’s devotion was written by Rachel Smith
