Tag Archives: Mark 9

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Marked by God’s Love!

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“Marked by God’s Love!”

Mark 9:2-9 (9:) – February 11, 2024

            It’s almost Valentine’s Day. If you go into stores or look at ads now, we see Valentine’s Day celebrated, Valentine celebrations encouraged, and of course, we all need to buy something for our own personal Valentine, or else! Flowers, chocolate, stuffed animals, hearts – all to show our love for people, and especially for our particular loved ones and family members.

            If we go back 2000 years to that mountaintop where the Transfiguration happened, we can see when God spoke. And moreover, when God expressed Divine love. Not an expression of earthly or human or fallible love, but God’s love.

            Jesus had been preaching God’s word, healing people and doing other miracles for some time. If we think about it, by this time the Rabbi Jesus was really popular. Just think of any popular person, or famous celebrity. Often mobbed by people when He stopped to preach in a synagogue, or if He stayed overnight at someone’s home.

Shortly before today’s reading Jesus heals another blind man. Jesus was even more in demand than ever, after that display of power and might! Remember, that’s one of the main emphases for Mark. Showing the power and might of the Son of God!

Let’s set the scene. We have Jesus with His disciples. He had twelve disciples who are named, and some other followers. Women, too! Usually unnamed, but also there. But in several important instances, Jesus had an inner circle. Three special, or key disciples, who would be the ones he wanted to tell special things. Important things, as in the Gospel reading for today.

            This inner circle – Peter, James and John – were asked by Jesus to accompany Him early one morning. When they arrive at the top of the mountain, what do they find? Jesus, “His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.” That sudden happening must have shocked the three disciples down to their sandals! Can you comprehend the utter shock and even dismay that these men felt? Awe and amazement, too.

            The most important thing about this point in Jesus’ journey through Palestine is that He had been speaking quite frankly to His disciples for some time. “Mark tells this story in the midst of Jesus’ frustrated, repeated attempts to help his disciples understand that he must suffer the trial and death that leads to the cross, but they just cannot accept it.” [1]

            I don’t know whether I would have accepted these statements from Jesus, either, if I had been a follower of Jesus at this point in His ministry. The Rabbi – the Messiah – Jesus all along had been displaying all the signs of the Coming One, the Messiah sent by the Lord. Healing, miracles, preaching and teaching God’s message with authority and power. What a message of hope and encouragement for the downtrodden people of Israel!

            On top of this mountain, after months of this miracle-making, teaching and preaching, Peter, James and John see their Rabbi Jesus have a Divine encounter with Moses and Elijah

            Can you just see these three grown men, clutching at each other, huddling together like small children? Scared to death at these miraculous, out-of-this-world happenings? “Um—oh, Lord! Um—let’s build three altars here! One for You, and—um—one for the other two guys, too!” Or, something like that. Do you think Peter and the other two disciples were very receptive to what God was saying at this point? I suspect not.

            Here on the mountain of Transfiguration, Jesus elevates His message even further. Yes, His disciples hear the message in the form of speech directly from the Lord. The spoken words from the Lord were not many, but they were significant. “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.” If the three disciples were not paying strict enough attention to Jesus before, you can bet that this breathtaking experience caused them to really sit up and take notice!

            The Divine voice from within the cloud certainly confirms what the earthly Jesus had been communicating to His disciples all along. And, these words show a turning point in the ministry of Jesus – traveling down the road to Jerusalem, towards suffering, the Passion and death, despite His disciples’ refusal to hear what Jesus was saying, repeatedly.  

            I am wondering if the words from the Lord helped to transform Peter James and John? Yes, these words are confirmation for our Lord Jesus, and an expression of God’s Divine love: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.” And I wonder, were the disciples changed and transformed by these words, too?

Just as our Lord Jesus was affirmed and transfigured by this Divine statement of love, can we be changed and transformed as we think about these words? Can you and I meditate on these words of the Lord, and see whether this message has a deeper meaning for us, and can change and transform us, too?  

This supernatural event of Transfiguration prepares us as we begin the period of Lent, that 40-day time of preparation when we journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem and the Passion and Crucifixion. How can you – how can I prepare our hearts and minds as we journey with Jesus? I think considering God’s words of Divine love are a wonderful starting point.

Just as much as God spoke out of the cloud on top of that mountain and expressed love for the earthly Jesus, just so much God loves each of us. This Divine love is not faulty or fallible, not human or limited, but instead unconditional and everlasting. We don’t need to be on the top of a mountain to experience God’s love. God will be there. We can celebrate the fullness of the Lord’s presence, and the reality of God’s love and grace! God does indeed love all of us.

Alleluia, amen.

Take a few moments to reread the gospel. Imagine you’re before the Lord Jesus as He speaks to you in His glory. What is His word to you? We start the journey of Lent this week with Ash Wednesday. How will that word of Jesus help you this week on your Lenten journey?

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/crossing-over/transfiguration-sunday-year-b-lectionary-planning-notes/transfiguration-sunday-year-b-preaching-notes

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Listen Up!

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“Listen Up!”

Mark 9:2-9 – February 14, 2021

            When I was in elementary school, on rainy days we would play games in our classroom instead of going outside for recess. One of these games was “Telephone.” The whole class would line up single file, in a big circle around the classroom. The teacher would quietly whisper a sentence into the first child’s ear. By turns, one by one, each child would communicate the sentence exactly as they heard it to the next person. And—imagine the giggles when the sentence got to the end of the line and ended up all garbled!

            We can imagine the way the disciples sometimes received information from Jesus. We can just tell from listening to this reading from Mark. Let’s set the scene. We have Jesus with His disciples, and some other followers. Women, too! Usually unnamed, but also there. In several important instances, Jesus had an inner circle. Three special, or key disciples, who would be the ones he wanted to tell special things. Important things, as in the Gospel reading for today.

            Jesus had been preaching God’s word, healing people and doing other miracles for some time. If we think about it, by this time the Rabbi Jesus was really in demand. Think of any popular person, or famous celebrity. Often mobbed by people when He stopped to preach in a synagogue, or if He stayed overnight at someone’s home.

            A week before the happenings in our passage today, Jesus fed more than four thousand men, plus women and children. Immediately afterwards, He heals another blind man. Jesus was even more in demand than ever, after that display of power and might! Remember, that’s one of the main emphases for Mark. Showing the power and might of the Son of God!  

            As much as Jesus taught and preached and performed miracles, He needed time to Himself, too. He withdrew to have time with his Heavenly Father, all alone, in prayer. Here at the beginning of today’s reading, Jesus took three of his disciples with Him to pray. I suspect they took off early in the morning to go up to a high mountain, nearby.

            I want you all to take note! Jesus actively looked for time to get alone with His Father. To pray as well as to listen and concentrate on what the Lord was saying to Him. Sure, Jesus said amazing things and did astounding miracles, on a regular basis. He rubbed shoulders with crowds and taught large groups of people. But He also knew He needed to separate and recharge. To have down time, personal time, family time with His Heavenly Father.

            Sure, it’s great to be in crowds, fun to be with people sometimes! But it’s also good to be alone. Restful to take some time away, time to pray and take stock. Recharging time! As one of my daughters says, alone-time can be wonderful, too.

            But this time is a little different. Jesus brings Peter, James and John with Him to the top of the mountain. And then, He prays—as it says in the parallel Transfiguration account in Luke. While all four of them are there, lifted up, apart from the ordinary everyday life down at the bottom of the mountain, something happens. Something completely unexpected, and marvelous.

            Or, was it? The disciples had already seen their Rabbi and leader Jesus do miraculous things on a regular basis! Feeding thousands of people, performing a number of miraculous healings, and ejecting unclean spirits—and we’re just talking about during the past few weeks!

            While Jesus is in prayer at the top of the mountain, His clothes become dazzling white. Whiter than any laundry could possibly make them. Plus, Moses and Elijah show up in the same bright white clothes, and start talking with Jesus. (I am not sure exactly how Peter, James and John could tell the other two were Moses and Elijah, but somehow, they knew.) Mark even tells us what the reaction of the three disciples was to all of this—they were scared to death!

            Let me ask—do you know someone who tends to dither? When they are scared, or nervous, or excited, do they just start talking? Just a reflex action? I think that’s exactly what Peter is doing here. And Mark tells us Peter didn’t even know what he was saying.

            Can you just see these three grown men, clutching at each other? Scared to death at these miraculous, out-of-this-world happenings? “Um—Lord! Um—let’s build three altars here! One for You, and—um—one for the other two guys, too!” Or, something like that. Do you think Peter and the other two disciples were receptive to what God was saying at this point? I suspect not.     

But wait—there’s more! As if that wasn’t enough, with Jesus, Moses and Elijah showing up in dazzling white, a cloud covered them all. And a voice came out of the cloud.

            Can you remember when a supernatural cloud appeared before? Remember, the LORD appeared as a cloud to the nation of Israel, in Exodus 13. Again, in Exodus 19, the LORD’s voice came out of the cloud in thunder. And so it is, again. God’s voice came out of this cloud that surrounded the disciples and Jesus, Moses and Elijah. The voice said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!”

            It isn’t every day that the Lord God Almighty talks to you! The Lord even gave specific instructions to the three disciples. “Listen to Jesus!” This is a command, NOT a suggestion! The verb tense is present imperative! Here God not only commands the disciples to listen, but by extension, God commands the whole world to listen—to Jesus!

            Jesus healed deaf people, so they could really hear. What’s more, Jesus came to heal the spiritually deaf to His words! Jesus opens all our ears so we can hear the truth in His words!

Just as we closely listen to a doctor when he or she is talking to us about our cancer, or heart attack, or broken leg, just as we ask our spouses or family members to accompany us so that we have another set of ears to listen accurately to the doctor, so also you and I are to listen carefully and attentively to the words of Jesus. The voice from the cloud, from heaven declared Jesus to be none other than the Son of God. Then, the voice commanded us to listen to Him.

The message of this Gospel reading today is clear. To hear, we need to listen carefully. To experience, we need to open our minds and hearts to the possibility of God’s voice. Look at the Son. Listen to His words. Open your mind and heart to His presence. We don’t need to be on the top of a mountain to experience God’s presence and fullness. Just shake off the routine, the same-old same-old. And, God will be there. We can celebrate the fullness of the Lord’s presence! The possibility of God’s power and grace! Alleluia, amen.

Take a few moments to reread the gospel. Imagine you’re before the Lord Jesus as He speaks to you in His glory. What is His word to you? We start the journey of Lent this week with Ash Wednesday. How will that word of Jesus help you this week as you begin your Lenten journey?

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!