Mack's Minute February 28, 2020

The Gospel text from this last week (Matthew 17:1-9) appears a bit odd and confusing. Jesus takes three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John, up on a high mountain. Then Moses and Elijah show up. Peter suggests that he should make three tents or dwellings to mark the occasion, and then before he can finish speaking, a bright cloud appears and God speaks. God’s words here are the same exact ones spoken at Jesus’ baptism back in chapter 3. The disciples fall to their knees in fear and reverence. Jesus walks over to them, and touches them, while telling them not be afraid. Moses and Elijah have mysteriously disappeared. The four them then head down the mountain and Jesus casually mentions that they need to keep quiet about this until he has been resurrected.
                            
Wow! That’s a lot to take in! First, I want us to notice who comes with Jesus and who speaks. Peter, who will deny his relationship with Jesus three times, is present and active. So Jesus, knowing that Peter will deny him in the future, wants him to come with him. Next, they go up on a mountain and there are bright lights and two other important figures in the Jewish history: Moses and Elijah. This shows that Jesus is similar to them, in that they all are chosen by God and have done miraculous things. The difference is that God then appears and claims Jesus as God’s son. “Why would Peter have wanted to make three tents?” you may be asking. It was a common Israelite practice to mark the locations of encounters with God. So this was a good thing that Peter was trying to show the significance of the event. After all this, Jesus touches his disciples and tells them not to be afraid. Then they walk down the mountain like nothing has happened; Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone yet.