ˆBack to the Future”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Monday, November 20, 2023

Matthew 17:1-13 (Forward, p. 22) CEV p. 1004

I always find Jesus to be nothing less than astounding. Here, in today’s episode at the Mount of the Transfiguration, He has these three disciples move forward into the future, but totally within the context of something they already know, something that is already part of their history and tradition. So, He takes them ‘back’ in order to go forward, forward into the future. He does this in three ways:

Firstly, there are Moses and Elijah, the seminal figures of Hebrew history: Moses, the great lawgiver and deliverer on one hand, symbolizing all the Law, the Torah, and Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, symbolizing the Prophets. Here is all of Jewish history to this point summed up just in these two figures. It is as if all of Jewish history is meeting with Jesus and giving Him their blessing. No wonder Peter was awestruck, astounded.

Secondly, there was the cloud, the Shekinah glory of God. Well the three disciples would have recognized and known of that awesome symbol and manifestation of God’s glory.

And then there was the voice, something that once again was referred to so many times in the past history of the Jewish people. And, to think that this voice was actually addressing them! No wonder these disciples ‘were so afraid that they fell flat on the ground’.

But all this only served as a backdrop, as the starting point, for a move into the future. Again, there are several things of note:

Firstly, there is the message of that voice, that message from God: “This is my own dear Son, add I am pleased with him. Listen to what he says” (verse 5b). Surely, this would have ‘rang a bell’ with them, for the first part of this is exactly what God when Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:17). It is interesting to note how several other translations render this. The Living Bible says, “This is my bellowed Son, and I am wonderfully pleased with him. Obey him”, or The Message, “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him.” This powerfully picks up on two things, first of all, on Jesus’ identity as the Beloved of the Father, and secondly, on

His authority. He is to be listened—and obeyed. So much for ‘just’ sitting at His feet and listening—they must also put His teachings into practice.

Secondly, there was the reassurance from Jesus: Quite understandably they were cowered by this experience—and after all, who, in his or her right mind, wouldn’t be? It is an experience of the Almighty, a glimpse of Jesus as He once was and shall be again and an experience of God’s glory, even if altogether fleeting--plus a direct ‘word from God.’ Wow. However, in all this, Jesus reassured them: ‘Be not afraid.’

And finally, there was the caution that Jesus gave them. He tells the three of them not to ‘spill the beans’, not to tell anyone of this experience until after His resurrection. Now, we might well ask, “Why would this be?” It might be to ward off any resentment, any charge of favouritism, as children are so apt to say. Like, “why did those three get that privilege and not me?”

Instead, I think that it was to ward off misunderstandings, as if the rest were not quite ready for this as of yet. It is as if Jesus was parceling out the knowledge slowly, deliberately, only as people are ready.

So, what might we today, you and I, get from this? Firstly, that God builds upon our pasts, our past experience and understandings, and then goes on from there. Bit by bit we see more of Jesus’ glory and understand more and more of who He is. And, He doles out His teachings, but not all at the same rate or way. He treats us individually, knowing our own unique timing and style of learning and taking it into account. He is wise enough not to treat us all alike. But what He does pass on to us, He expects us to listen to and put into practice. None of us are to ‘sit on it’, whether it be for our past or from today, but instead to take it on ‘into the future.’ Amen.

Forward notes: “Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (verse 4).

“As Jesus reveals his glory on the mountain to his three chosen disciples, Moses and Elijah appear and speak with him. Peter, excited half out of his wits, tries to hold on to the experience by building earthly shelters for Jesus and the two prophets. He wants to keep them there with him.

“But the mountaintop experience cannot last forever. It is not given merely that we may bask in it endlessly. The mountaintop experience must end so that those privileged to have had it can use it for the good of the world.

Just as God told the Israelites in the wilderness not to gather more manna than they needed or keep it overnight, lest it rot,, we must be content with what we are given and ready to share with all.”

Moving Forward: “Think of one of your mountaintop moments. How can you share that experience with others?”

A concluding note: It is interesting to note that, contrary to what our author suggests, the three disciples privileged with this experience were instructed not to share it right away. Presumably, the time and situation were not right. Indeed, even Jesus told us not to ‘give to dogs what belongs to God or to throw pearls before swine’ (Matthew 7:6). We need to be wise and discerning in what, when and how we share this. (And with John, the telling, the sharing, would come later (see 1 John 1:2-3).