Listen Children

I thought I would start off today by telling you a little bit about our family’s nightly routine. After we say our prayers as a family Bekkah puts Madi to bed by reading her a book and I do the same with Aubreigh. Sometimes I also tell Aubreigh a story that I make up. Now I don’t tell those stories every night because it is hard to come up with that much content on a nightly basis. There have been a few times, I have to admit that, where while I was telling a story I would doze off for a minute and wake up to me saying something completely different from what the story was about. One time I was telling a story about giants and the next thing I remember saying was about renting a U-Haul and driving down to Mesa. Did I mention we were in the middle of our move down here? Guess what was on my subconscious mind. I had several random other drowsy detours in my story that night as well as other stories I’ve told other nights. The real reason I’m telling you that is because I feel like I kind of know what Peter was going through when he tells Jesus that he wants to build those three dwelling places.

Peter and John and James were practically, if not actually asleep while Jesus is praying on the mountaintop when this happens. This also occurs at the Garden of Gethsemane. I don’t know if Jesus prayed for a really long time or late at night or what but the disciples seem to have issues falling asleep while he prays. So while they are dozing off Moses and Elijah appear and in the midst of it and Peter starts blurting out the need for dwelling places for these three people. But he didn’t really know what he was saying. If it wasn’t the sleep that caused him to just blurt this out then he was in such shock that he spoke before he even had a chance to think about the words that were coming out of his mouth. Have any of you ever experienced that?

Whether it is sleep deprivation, waking from sleep unexpectedly or just speaking before we think or take time to soak in what has been said we try to answer or do things. Since we know the stories of the gospels we know that Peter is good at this and I think that is why it is so easy to resonate with Peter. Peter is an average man, a fisherman, who tends to jump in with words or actions. How many times do we as people want to jump in and fix a situation? Or how many times do we want to explain away or bring an answer to a situation that we find ourselves involved in? Or as a congregation, how many times do we do things because we feel the need to keep doing and adding more to what we are already doing? All Jesus did was invite us up to the mountain while he prays, but now that something has happened, Moses and Elijah have showed up, we need to do more than just be with Jesus, we need to do something. Let’s build some dwellings up here. Doing more in a church or anywhere really doesn’t mean that all of the things we do are good and necessary. In fact, doing something just for the sake of doing it or the feeling that more is better, doesn’t mean it’s better or even helpful.

Peter wanting to jump up from his slumber to build three dwellings wasn’t ‘better’. It was just something to do. In fact, God comes into the situation in the presence of the cloud to share with Peter, John, and James what I feel is this very sentiment. Using the same words, essentially, as the words used at Jesus’ baptism, God lets these disciples know that the most important thing to do right now is listen. I know how confusing it must have been listening to that conversation. Just a week before the transfiguration, Jesus had told them about his death and resurrection for the first time. I’m sure that must have been really hard to wrap their heads around, and now in the midst of their sleepiness not only is Jesus, but Moses and Elijah, are also talking about his departure in Jerusalem. If that’s not enough Jesus also turns dazzling white in front of them, and is standing in glory with these two other important and powerful figures of faith. It’s hard to listen when you don’t understand what is going on.

Listening is a very important part of this experience on the mountain. In fact, I would argue that all the praying that Jesus did up on the mountain involved a lot of listening to God. If prayer is a conversation with God that means that we don’t just talk TO God, but WITH God, which involves listening. Then as Jesus conversed with Moses and Elijah, I am sure that Jesus listened to whatever it is they had to say about his departure, his death and resurrection. I have no idea, but wish I know what kinds of words they shared with Jesus as he listened to them. But I am sure that he listened to them as well as what God had to say as he was in prayer.

For me it seems to be that lack of listening that causes God to interrupt and dare I say forced Peter, John and James to listen. Without actually saying it, God seems to be saying that we don’t always have to do all the time. Sometimes sitting and listening can be a very important part of our faith. In fact when Jesus goes down from the mountain he is immediately met with the need for action when he heals a demon-possessed boy. But up on the mountain the time spent is spent in prayer and conversation. Listening and engaging in that way. I know how hard it must have been to try to understand what Jesus had said about his death and resurrection, and then to hear Moses and Elijah talk to Jesus about it must have been so overwhelming. Maybe it’s not so different from the story we hear about Mary and Martha. One is busy doing while the other is listening.

So today, I don’t want to answer or explain away the story of the Transfiguration, but I want us all to listen to what it is saying to us today. Listen to the importance Jesus places on prayer. Listen to the stories and conversations of one another. That sometimes we don’t have to fix or do, but as God suggests or even commands, just listen, children. We are given these incredible stories in this beautiful book that shares with us the words of God, Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, let us listen and soak in those words for what they are without trying to put too much into it. These words are gift, and a precious gift at that. Let us open our ears and our hearts to the words that have been shared today and the words we read so that we may listen to the incredible story of God’s love through Jesus Christ who did depart this world so that we might not perish but have eternal life. Amen.

Related Media

Related Sermons