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March 12, 2013

Mark 9:2-13

I don't know about you, but for me, this journey through Mark has made me very reflective.  I've always been a read big chunks of Scripture kind of a guy.  This slower, section by section journey while blogging has been a shot of fresh air into my system.  I hope your journey here with me and on your own has been as enlightening.

South's SOAP for the Day
S-Read Mark 9:2-13.
O-Jesus was not discreet about having to die and come back to life, but the disciples had a hard time grasping it.
A-What is one thing from God that you over complicate?
P-Pray for clarity and understanding when spending time in the Bible.

Today's passage has a ghostly feel to it.  Jesus takes his top three disciples with him to the top of a mountain and is transformed into shiny Jesus as he talks to ghost Elijah and ghost Moses.  Its understandable to hear Peter, the unscripted loudmouth of the group, try to say something to Jesus during all the commotion.  "Jesus, this is good (cool).  Let us build you guys some tents!"  Then it gets even spookier with God enveloping Jesus and his discussion partners in a cloud and saying to the three disciples, "This is my Son, whom I love.  Listen to him."

If I'm with the disciples during this event, at any given moment I'm off back down the mountain.  I'm not into ghosts.  If I had the courage to make it to Peter trying to butt into the conversation, I would have definitely bailed out when God started talking.  I know the Old Testament.  I know what type of power and respect God commanded.  I wouldn't risk it for fear of ending up charred and crispy.

Yet, the three disciples stay put.  They take in the scene in front of them.  They feel the cloud that envelopes Jesus on their face.  They hear God's voice and live to tell about it.  Even more, they ask Jesus questions about what they saw on the way down the mountain.  Maybe there's hope for these guys after all?

We need to dig into this passage to make it not so spooky, at least for me.  As we dig in, we are going to find some huge parallels to a story about Moses in the book of Exodus.  We need to set some background of that story.  Then, we'll look at our story, and hopefully it will all make more sense.

We need to start in Exodus 19.  If you remember back a few posts, we talked about God saving his people, Israel, from Egypt.  The descendants of Abraham had ended up in Egypt because of severe drought.  You can read all about that in the end of Genesis.  While they are in Egypt, God blesses them.  They become many and they have favor with the Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt.  Unfortunately, when a new Pharaoh comes along, they lose that favor.  The new Pharaoh oppresses them.  God intervenes and saves them.  He uses Moses to do so.  You can read all about this in Exodus 1 through 18.

This brings us to our story.  In Exodus 19, God tells Moses that he wants to enter into a covenant with the Israelites.  A covenant is an agreement/relationship between two people/entities.  One entity normally has something that the other entity needs.  They agree to partner together.  Think of it.  God wants to become partners with Israel, just like he promised their ancestor, Abraham, that he would.

Moses tells Israel what God wants to do.  They agree to enter into this covenant.  Then the action starts happening.  Moses goes up on Mount Sinai.  There he meets with God.  God gives Moses the Law--the new way of life that he wants the Israelites to live by so they can be in relationship with him.  Once he's done giving him the law, Moses goes back down the mountain and shares what God has said with the people.  All that God said is in Exodus 20-23.

Then we come to Exodus 24.  The Israelites have heard the Law of God.  In Exodus 24:3 they respond "with one voice, 'Everything the LORD has said we will do.'"  To confirm the covenant, Moses and Aaron, Moses' second hand man, and Aaron's two sons Nadab and Abihu go back up the mountain with the 70 elders of Israel.  They see God.  They eat and drink on the mountain top.  I imagine it was an incredible scene.

Then God tells Moses to come farther up on the mountain.  He clouds over the mountain and makes Moses wait 6 days before coming up all the way.  When Moses enters the cloud on the 7th day, God begins to give him all the details for the tabernacle, the place where God's presence will reside among the people.  He's coming to live in the middle of them!  Scripture says that Moses us on the mountains for 40 days and 40 nights.  Because he has been on the mountain and conversed with God, his face is radiant (Exodus 34:29)

I know.  Its a lot to take in.  See the big picture here.  God wants a relationship with his people.  He gives them a new way of life to live.  Moses is the spokesperson in the middle of it all.  Moses directly interacts with God and his presence was changed because of that.  Now lets look at our passage and pull out some parallels.

Mark tells us that it was 6 days after Peter's confession about Jesus being the Messiah and Jesus telling his disciples that he was to go to Jerusalem, be killed, and then raise from the dead that Jesus and James, Peter and John head up the mountain.  Mark is never concerned about telling us specifics about time.  Yet, in the passage, he clearly wants his reader to understand what is going on by giving specifics.

Another parallel is Jesus going up the mountain.  He takes his top three disciples with him, just like Moses did with Aaron and his sons.  And, just like Moses, Jesus begins to converse with God via Elijah and Moses, maybe talking about establishing this new covenant--one where God's people live out the life of Jesus.  During the conversation, Jesus becomes brighter than anything.  Think of the brightest light you have ever seen.  I would guess that it is dim in comparison to how Jesus is shining.  It is certainly a sight to see.

We don't know what Jesus and his guests were talking about.  We do see Peter become uncomfortable with the conversation.  His statement to build tents possibly points back to an Israelite idea of rallying the troops for war.  Maybe, as I have speculated before, Peter in naming Jesus as Messiah, is thinking the nation hero/messiah that many are waiting for.  Maybe he's just talking to talk because he is uncomfortable.  What is interesting is that God says to them.  God covers Jesus and his guests in a cloud and then says, "This is my son, whom I love.  Listen to him."  Not follow.  Not obey.  Not see.  No, the statement is to listen.

What has Peter had a hard time doing?  He hears Jesus, but he has not fully listened.  He heard Jesus say that he has to go and be killed and resurrected, but he did not fully hear and understand.  This is similar to the other times when they don't get it as Jesus is teaching them, helping them to understand what the Kingdom really is.

Even more, after all is done on the mountain, Jesus tells them to not tell anyone about what has happened until after he has risen.  When I read this this morning, I couldn't help but think that they actually get it right.  They don't talk about it.  I think they partly don't do this because they still don't fully see and hear all they need to.  Yet, after Jesus comes back to life,  they can't stop talking about it...even to the point of being threatened with losing their lives (book of Acts).  Though in this moment there is still confusion in them, we know that they eventually fulfill the following that Jesus has called them to in yesterday's passage.

One more comment and then we'll reflect.  What is the purpose of this whole event?  In the OT, Moses, Aaron and the boys went up on the mountain to confirm the covenant.  In doing so, they saw the glory of God in some way--the OT says that the ground was like the blue sky (Ex 24:10).  Moses is the central character then.  He does all he can to be the go between for Israel and God.  Jesus is the central theme in our passage.  He is the go between for us.  He is the Messiah.  He is showing how to live out the good news.  He is the good news.  He's establishing a new covenant--a new relationship between God and his people.  One where the presence of God is AMONG his people--via Jesus and via the coming Holy Spirit.

The question that comes to mind in all of this is how do I see the bigger picture.  Jesus had a grand idea of what life was like because his life was totally transformed by the Kingdom.  His prayers I'm sure were shaped by the Kingdom and directed at the Kingdom/for the Kingdom.  The disciples, as we see in the book of Acts, get it.  Their lives are transformed and reshaped by the gospel and the kingdom.

Are we transformed?  Do we allow the Kingdom to reshape our lives.  Does it affect our prayers?  What are we praying for.  Do we have long sighted goals or are we simply praying to get through today and tomorrow.  Are we existing and maintaining or are we moving forward?

I feel like I need to stop this journey we are on.  My brain hurts.  My soul hurts.  I see things that need changed in me.  It makes sense that I don't want to change.  Comfort is a place of peace at times.  But is it the right peace?

Lord, give us stamina and tenacity for your word.  Give us stamina and tenacity to live out the good news.  Make us strong for your glory.

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