Listen to Him
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. (Mark 9:2-8)
Human language is hardly adequate to describe what the disciples saw that day on the mountain. Their Master began to glow with an unearthly light and two long-deceased saints, representing the Law and the prophets appeared to converse with Him! How would you respond to this amazing occurrence? I’m afraid that Peter speaks for most of us as he stammered out his reply, “Let’s build three shelters; one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
No matter how often we are taught that the church is not a building but the people of God, we still find ourselves talking about a piece of real estate rather than how we, as believers, function as the Lord’s Church in this world. Understanding this about ourselves helps us identify with Peter’s response on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Peter’s all-too-human and very horizontal reaction to what he was experiencing was to build a building and stay there. His response was overshadowed by the Father speaking from heaven telling the disciples to listen to Jesus.
It was a call to go vertical. God wants His people not to get caught up in our horizontal ways, but to look to Jesus. Our faith is not about memorializing any event or physical structure, no matter how spectacular. It’s simply about loving and listening to the Son of God!
Listen: Spend a few quiet moments seeking God. Be attentive to whatever He may speak to your heart.
Reflect: How is the Spirit leading you to respond to what you have heard from God?
Confess and Repent: If there is something the Spirit convicts you of, take time to prayerfully confess it. Resolve to turn from it if it is sin, or step toward whatever He is leading you into that you have either neglected or not seen before.
Ask: Thank You Father, for pointing me to Jesus. Help me to love Jesus the way You love Him and to listen continually to Him. Forgive me when I fall back on those things around me that seem safe and familiar. I don’t want to get caught up in buildings and budgets. Instead Lord, I want to be overwhelmed by Your presence and caught up in Your grace.
Live:
- Was there some point in today or yesterday when you did not listen to God’s Son? What kept you from hearing the voice of Jesus? Determine how to create space to hear His voice in the midst of your everyday activities. Set a timer on your phone or train yourself to turn your thoughts to Him whenever you pass a certain landmark in your home, at work or school.
- When did you want to create a tent today rather than listen to the voice of Jesus? We get caught up in doing good spiritual work for God that we often don’t listen to how or if He wants us to do that work. Think about how to live and move and have your being in Jesus rather than in the external things around you.
- How can you encourage others in your church to venture out beyond the walls of the church building into your community? Organize a prayerwalk through the neighborhoods asking God to touch the lives of those who desperately need a touch from Jesus. Perhaps He will use you to become the answer to those prayers as needs become known. Our love for lost people grows as we begin to pray for them!
Taken from Vertical with Jesus by David and Kim Butts. © 2022 PrayerShop Publishing.