Monday, March 02, 2020

In their own words. Day 6


Day 6 - Matthew 17.4

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.’

Jesus takes his three closest friends, Peter, James and John, up a mountain to pray. While he is there, they see him transfigured, glowing brightly with the glory of God, and two figures appear – identified as Moses and Elijah, There are deliberate echoes here of the stories of Moses on Mount Sinai, where God gave him the Ten Commandments, and Elijah’s encounter with God’s “still, small voice of calm” on Mount Horeb (which is probably another name for Sinai). Peter, as usual, leaps in with what seems like a sensible suggestion to him, to make some “dwelling places”, temporary shelters, for them. He wants to hold onto this moment of glory. Perhaps it is a way of denying the reality which Jesus has hinted at, that he will be arrested and crucified.  As soon as he says this, though, Moses and Elijah vanish and the glory is gone.

·         Have you ever had an experience which you wanted to last forever? Why might it be important for us to realise that this can’t happen?

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