Scripture:

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 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.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ (Matthew 17 1-5)

Reflection:

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt unsure of what to do or what to say and find yourself covering up for your awkwardness with an outburst of words or activity?

I imagine that this is how the disciples felt when they witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration and the appearance of Moses and Elijah. It is hardly surprising that they were utterly bewildered and, to fill the silence, they dash about wanting to build shelters. God then steps in and interrupts their busyness by proclaiming that ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased.’ Words of love and affection, and a reminder that the most important thing about Jesus’ ministry was not all the activity but the relationship with his father.

It is perhaps the greatest gift yet the hardest to receive - to know that you are a beloved child of God, to feel at the core of your being that this is what gives you value, over and above all your busyness, achievements and successes. ‘Be still and know that I am God’

Lyn Hayes ALM