Wishing I Could Just Stay Right Here

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.

Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.

Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them.  Mark 9:2-8 (NLT)

I’ve had a couple conversations lately about the Transfiguration.  In a passage like this there are probably hundreds of lessons, sermons…theologies.  But reading this passage again tonight, I kinda get what Peter might have been saying.  One way of reading Peter’s reaction is to see him scared and just blurting out the first thing that came to mind.  It’s almost comical to think of it (if it weren’t such a serious and treasured moment I suppose).  I mean really!  At least he didn’t say some of the things I probably would have – Oh &%#$! 

But I think I can relate to Peter in another way here.  Peter was really the first of the disciples to truly understand that Jesus was the long-waited-for Messiah.  Yeah, he was a hot-head and always getting scolded by Jesus, but He was starting to get it.  But in the back of his mind must always have been Jesus’ veiled references to His coming death.

Then, here they were on a mountain and they see these incredible things.  All the old stuff, the Law, history, Peter’s life as a fisherman, struggling to barely provide for his family, his waiting and searching for the Messiah as he had been taught in synagogue – all of this comes to an end at this moment.  Maybe he really wanted to build tabernacles right then and there as a marker, a monument if you will, to all that went before and to remember this most precious of moments.  The future was unknown, even scary.  Maybe he just wanted to stay in the world of the transfiguration instead of going back to a world of pain, sickness and death.

I think I feel a bit of the same thing.  My own transfiguration has been a precious moment.  A part of me just wants to sit here and savor the feeling of genuine closeness to Jesus.  To move forward is scary…will I always feel this way?  Will Jesus always seem so near?  Oh, I know I can’t stay here, but there’s a part of me that, like Peter, James and John, just wants to stay right here where I can “see” what I believe.