Tag: Matthew 17

Stop! And Just Listen to Him…

Old Testament: Genesis 49 & 50

Poetry: Psalm 22

New Testament: Matthew 17

We live in a very busy culture in America. For those that are students, you are expected to fill your schedule with 8-hour school days, additional homework when you get home, some extracurricular activity after school, and then sometimes a part-time job on the side. Then, you are also expected to have some time on Wednesdays and Sundays to give to God at the church. For adults, if you aren’t spending at least 40 hours at work, plus some additional overtime, you feel like you didn’t accomplish much. Although, you also have to prioritize keeping up on your house, caring for your family, finding some sort of hobby to enjoy yourself, and also dedicating some time to serving at your church. If we have any “dead time” in our schedule, we feel like we wasted our day.

Did Jesus intend for us to be this busy as disciples? Did he want us constantly running, even when it comes to serving him?

In our passage today in Matthew 17, Peter acts very much like we do. On the top of a high mountain, as Jesus is transfigured before him, James, and John, and they are witnessing a glimpse of what the kingdom of God will be like with Moses and Elijah, Peter immediately wants to jump into action by building some shelters for these great heroes of the faith. At that moment, God speaks up (which is VERY rare in the Bible) and says to simply listen to Jesus, His beloved son. God stops Peter from acting too quickly and slows him down so that he can truly embrace what is happening in front of his eyes: He didn’t want Peter missing the moment by doing something about it.

We are encouraged today that discipleship with Christ isn’t only “doing” something for him: sometimes it is simply “being” in Jesus’ presence and listening to his voice (does this sound like Mary and Martha in Luke 10?) One of my “life-verses” right now has been Mark 3:14, which I used to read over without really reading it. It states, “And Jesus appointed twelve, so that they would be with him and that he could send them out to preach.” Did you catch that? The first thing that a disciple is supposed to do is “be with Jesus”, even before we “do” anything for him. We need to understand that time spent “with” Jesus fuels everything else we “do” for him. We need to re-learn Jesus’ words in John 15: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing… abide in my love.” (John 15:5, 9)

Brothers and sisters, break away from the rat-race of life today and do what Jesus commanded us to do first: sit and listen to his voice. Spend some time today simply “being” with Jesus, realizing that you can do nothing without this dedicated time with your Savior. He loves you as you are, not for what you do for him: abide in his love today.

Talon Paul

Reflection Questions

  1. Is being with Jesus and listening to him important to you? Why or why not? 
  2. If it is, how can you make time to be with Jesus and listen? What can you rearrange (or eliminate) in your day to make a better space of time to listen?
SGLCalendar2024Download

Listen to Him

Today’s Bible Reading – Genesis 33 & 34 and Matthew 17

Here we are beginning the 3rd full week of 2021 and so much has happened already. 7 days of careful investigation revealing solid scientific evidence supporting a Biblical view of a miraculous creator (and destroyer) God. And then 7 days of the Old Testament patriarchs of Genesis and fathers of the faith: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – and what they teach us still today about following God with the faith of Abraham. This week our devotions will be following our New Testament readings in the book of Matthew (one chapter a day) to see what God is doing…

Matthew 17 begins with an awe-inspiring mountain-top experience (often called the Transfiguration) in which God’s glory radiates through and around Jesus Christ – showing a snippet of the beauty, majesty and glory of God’s coming Kingdom which will feature His dazzling Son amongst the risen heroes of the faith. Peter, James and John were there to see it – and they were shaking in their boots at the power of the moment and the voice of God heard from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” (Matthew 17:5)

But wait…we really can’t start there. Our spiritual journey doesn’t exist only on the glorious mountaintop. What comes before the glory? About a week before the events of Matthew 17, Jesus was telling his disciples that he would face much persecution and even death (before being raised to life) (Matthew 16:21). Bold, strong, impetuous Peter who thinks he knows better than the Son of God tries to correct Jesus – Peter would never let that happen to Jesus. But Jesus isn’t encouraged or amused by Peter but rather calls him “Satan…a stumbling block….you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23). Jesus continues to prepare his disciples, letting them know that he would not be the only one expected to suffer – but that they too would be required to endure the agony of “taking up their cross” to follow him.

It doesn’t sound fun or exciting. It is hard to get people to sign up for suffering. Peter and the disciples didn’t like the sound of it. Most people today don’t. But it is not suffering without a goal. It is a fight worthy of the cause and the prize. Jesus said those who would suffer for him and lose their life would find it – because after the suffering for Christ – comes the glory. Jesus explained, “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:27-28 NIV)

And, a week later, Peter, James and John found themselves on a mountain-top getting a taste of the splendor that will be when God tells His Son, Jesus, it is time to go to the earth to set up a kingdom like none have ever seen before. A kingdom greater than anything set up in the time of the Law (Moses) or the prophets (Elijah) or Jesus’ first coming. God was revealing His perfect plan for His perfect Son and all those who will listen to him.

Contrary to both today’s “prosperity gospel” and Peter’s human thinking, God’s perfect plan does not consist solely of beautiful, bright mountain-top experiences. There is also the ugly, dark and painful cross. For Jesus – and for those who listen to him and carry their cross. But don’t fear, God’s got this. He’s got those who listen to His Son. Our trials will not last forever – but His Kingdom will. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV)

How can you be sure your suffering will have a reward? Are you suffering for Christ – or yourself? Is your master plan for your life from the mind of man (how can I get ahead and protect myself best?) or from the mind of God (suffer for the sake of God’s Son and look forward to the reward to come)? What will listening to Jesus look like for you in 2021? What will suffering before glory look like for you today?

-Marcia Railton

2021-seekgrowlove-bible-reading-plan-1Download