Listen to Him

 In This weeks gospel Mark 9:2-10   The transfiguration takes place.  Jesus took Peter James and John up a high mountain so they can be away from everyone. At that point Jesus was transfigured. His clothes shined bright white, while Elijah and Moses appeared. Elijah and Moses spoke with Jesus. A voice spoke from the clouds saying “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him” The  three disciples reacted probably no different then any of us with excitement and also fear.   When they were heading back down the mountain Jesus told the disciples that they were not to speak of what they had just  witnessed until the son of man had risen. 

           I have given many hours of thought as to what may or may not have  happened on top of this mountain.   I love that Jesus was a man like us and we are able to relate to him in some ways. We know he dealt with temptation just as we do. He wept, he suffered like most men. Obviously Jesus is much more than a man,  but during his time on earth with us he still had a very human experience. Knowing this makes me wonder if Elijah and Moses appeared to Jesus to give him the guidance and support the he may have needed to move forward with the next part of the “mission”   Did they appear to him to let him know that he was about to enter a season that required more faith than ever? It seems very possible.  Jesus goes  up the mountain into solitude , possibly looking for some answers and…What does  God do?  He sends the prophet Elijah and Moses to give him the strength to move on. It doesn’t seem that far fetched. 

      I have had times in my life when I needed answers and I’ve gone into prayer, hoping for an answer or some kind of sign from God.  Have you ever needed a prayer answered? Have you ever been a situation that only God can get you through?   I’ve been there a few times in my life and without fail... the Lord has carried me through. I don't always get exactly what I want, but I do have my prayer answered. I believe that there are times when we need to step away from the world and be with the lord in  deep prayer.  I think in those quiet moments we can hear and see what God has planned for us.  I think that the guidance and support that we need from the lord shows up when we make the effort to get away from it all.  Thats when the lord shows up no different then Elijah and Moses did on the mountain. The world is filled with distractions and its  all too easy to lose sight of the lord.   It’s too easy to get caught up in our daily routine.  We forget about our relationship with the lord and it’s importance.  We forget how important it is to build and work on our relationship with God. My experience has been that my relationship with the lord deepens when I close out all the noise of the world and open up my heart. I find that extremely hard to do when we are in middle of work, or dealing with family pressure and a pandemic. Luckily, the Lenten season and  this gospel provide us with a reminder of how to get closer to God. No, different than Jesus, we can also seek solitude. We can  go into prayer.  We can ask for answers and most importantly like the voice from the cloud says.. “we listen to him”. The transfiguration is  a great reminder that the lord can shine brighter than ever in our lives if we take the steps to see and hear him. 

-Anonymous