Discipleship

February 13, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Mark 9:2-9
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 anymore, but only Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Mark recorded this story for a reason for his time and place. It, also, may get to the heart of the problems we have in modernity dealing with the divine. With the increasing role of science and technology we can create with a few keystrokes whatever image we want to become whatever we want it to represent. Truth has become whatever is repeated enough times on enough media sources. We are quickly transforming our society into the haves and have nots of the middle ages. The rich get richer, and the poor get poor while pining to be like the rich.

When we talk about being the Body of Christ, we often describe it as being the hands and feet of Christ. We are, however, called to be the whole Body of Christ. God created us with brains, so God expects us to use them to fulfill the charge he gave us. We are also taught that when two or more are gathered together in Jesus’ name, he is with us. We are expected to work in harmony with our God-given skills and talents being complementary in our work toward God’s Kingdom being realized.

Jesus came to us being fully human and fully divine. The gospels describe his humanity and hint at times at his divinity. James, John, and Peter’s mountaintop experience with Jesus in the transfiguration highlights his divinity as he moves closer to the cross. Perhaps we need to spend a little more time discerning our relationship renewing our life with the divine.

Prayer: Lord, enable our understanding of your divinity as well as your example of being a loving human being. Enrich our humanity with your presence.  Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.