Monday Devotional: The Transfiguration of Christ (Mark 9:2-8)

"Listen to him!"

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus (Mark 9:2-8).

The teachings of Jesus are sometimes hard to understand, but more often they are simply hard to follow. Even when God reveals himself and his will to us plainly, we tend to resist his teaching. The human heart is broken by sin, and sin distorts our both our understanding and will. Rather than receiving God’s word with joyful obedience, we are given to pride and we resist the call to obedience. In this passage, Jesus reveals himself in his glory to three of his disciples. God speaks from heaven and commands them to listen to Jesus. Listening to Jesus, however, is a challenge for them.

Peter, James, and John form the inner circle of Jesus’ inner circle. They are the disciples to whom he is the closest. Why he leads only these three up the mountain is unclear. Perhaps he thinks they will be the most likely to understand what they see. Perhaps he trusts them the most. Regardless of the reason, Mark emphasizes that they are by themselves, alone (kat’ idian monous).