It seems lately that sleep is a luxury the
disciples can ill afford. Between the constant presence and intrusion of the
crowd and the urgent pace set by Jesus, there’s just no time to sit
back and grab a nap. What’s a bunch of hardworking fishermen to do?
Jesus pulls the three aside for a quick run up
the mountain and a quiet time of prayer. Exhausted from the non-stop work of
the last few weeks, Peter, James and John quickly and easily succumb to sleep while Jesus
prays alone.
The low murmur of voices causes Peter to stir.
Opening his eyes, he is immediately blinded by a glorious light. Three men – one
dazzling white – are finishing a conversation and preparing to part company.
And not just any three men: it’s Jesus, Moses and Elijah. And this isn’t just
any conversation: they’re talking about Jesus’ Exodus.
Peter (kicking himself because he definitely
just missed out on something major) tries to inject himself into their conversation
and awkwardly blurts, “Gee, it’s a good thing us grunts are here. There’s three
of us and three of you. How about each of us set up a tent for each of you?”
Before he can finish his thought, the mountain
is enveloped in cloud (“Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory
of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.” Ex 40:34) and the very voice of God
says, “Shut up Peter. Remember who you’re talking to – that’s my Son, and I
could not be more pleased with Him.”
Luke says that Peter did not know what he was
saying – but what if he did? What if he was offering to put up tents for Jesus,
Moses and Elijah because he thought this was the new plan or, rather, that this
was a literal intersection and fulfillment of prophecy concerning the promise of
a Savior, the coming of a prophet like Moses, and the return of Elijah. What if
Peter’s first thought upon opening his eyes was to scream, “Jackpot!”?
Whatever he knew and whatever his intent, he is
rebuked and corrected once again (this time by the very voice of God). Closing
and opening his eyes once more, Peter (and the other two disciples) are left
with “just” Jesus. Are they disappointed we wonder?
If anything, they are unnerved by what they’ve
seen. It’s clear they don’t understand it. Did this count as the return of
Elijah as foretold? Did this count as the coming of the prophet like Moses?
Afraid of asking stupid questions – and of receiving answers they cannot
comprehend – the three remain somewhat subdued as they walk down the mountain in
search of the other disciples. It’s only later (after they’ve received the gift
of the Holy Spirit) that this experience will become more fully clear.
At the foot of the mountain is the crowd,
demanding Jesus’ attention and healing. The crowd is losing patience with
Jesus. He, for His part, is starting to return the favor.
Fully mindful of how the crowd will soon spit
upon Him while they demand that Barabbas be released, Jesus names them
faithless. Fully aware of how easily the crowd is swayed by the promise of
fleeting, temporal things such as money and status – and how they have chosen
these things over the free gift of eternal life – He names them twisted. And
then, cryptically, He hints that His time is brief and that He will not bear
with them much longer.
The father of a demon-possessed boy steps out
from the crowd. He’s out shopping for a faith healer. For whatever reason – maybe
he’s tired, maybe he’s burned out – the father sounds jaded and defeated, and
he has little compassion for his son. There’s an underlying disrespectful tone
to his plea – one to which Jesus immediately takes exception.
“Hey Teacher,” says the father, “I’m beggin’ ya
to take a look at my kid, eh? You wouldn’t believe what I have to put up with –
all the yelling, the spitting up, the shaking. I can’t take it. And this is my
only kid, so what am I supposed to do? I was beggin’ your disciples to fix him
but – just like I figured – they couldn’t do it. How’s about you give it a try?”
(If the disciples have any real grasp of the
situation they should be standing there horrified. But because they don’t, they
lean in to see what “trick” Jesus will use to fix “da kid” so they can prevent
a repeat of their own failure to heal the boy.)
Simply, cleanly, quickly Jesus rebukes the
unclean spirit, heals the boy and returns him to his father.
As Jesus raises the little boy to his feet,
Peter considers the mountaintop visitors and what might have been a missed
opportunity to electrify the nation. Slowly, he begins to realize that having “just”
Jesus means far more than he could ever imagine.
