Can you see the glory? Transfiguration and Mark 9
Mark tells this great story in Mark 9:1-9,
Jesus and three friends went up on top of a mountain. Four men walked up to this mountain top. And on the mountain time Jesus was different. His clothes, his appearance, everything changed. His three friends were still the same; but now they were surrounded by the glory of God.
Jesus friend Peter wanted to do something. He was going to set up a booth for each of the three a place to sit. And then a voice called out from heaven, “this is my Son, the Beloved, listened to him!”
Just as fast as Jesus had been transformed, as Moses and Elijah had showed up, the glory was gone. Yes God's voice was heard--yes Jesus glory was witnessed--and Jesus told the 3 people standing next to him not to say a word about it to anyone.
This story of Jesus revelation makes sense after Jesus’ death and resurrection. This story makes sense in the light of the cross and the empty tomb. But I can't help but think in more at what it must have been like for Peter James and John on that mountain top with their friend.
Jesus has a way of surprising us. He always has. I sometimes think that it's the very nature of God in flesh that surprises us. People looked at Jesus and all they see is the man. But there's never a moment when the power and the glory of God are fully present in Jesus.
There's good news here for us. This world needs Jesus. This world needs God's glory to be revealed in all the broken places in all the lives where pain is known. And we are surprised to find out that Jesus shows up in the ordinary. God’s glory was always there when Jesus walked on earth. And today we are surprised to find God’s glory in the ordinary parts of our lives—in the word, in the bread and the wine, in the water of baptism, and in the love that people have for one another.
