When and where do you show your glory?

Luke 9:28-36

About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along. While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white. At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep. When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him. When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking.

While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them. As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God. Then there was a voice out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him.”

When the sound of the voice died away, they saw Jesus there alone. They were speechless. And they continued speechless, said not one thing to anyone during those days of what they had seen.

Food for thought!

The Gospel says, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves. And He was transfigured before them. In other words, the Jesus changed forms on the mountain. The glory that was concealed within Him was revealed on that mountain. You see, this was not the first time Jesus had experienced a transfiguration. When He was born in Bethlehem, Jesus concealed the glory of His deity behind the veil of His human body. On this occasion, the glory on the inside burst forth to the outside.

Jesus had twelve disciples, so why just these three? Why did Jesus choose to show his glory to a few and not to the many? Jesus showed his glory not before a crowd, not even before the twelve disciples, but before only three people. It means that Jesus was at his best before just three of his twelve disciples. As you know, many of us are at our best away from home; we show our true colours at our place of work, at the church, at where there's a gathering, and never at home, never before the spouse and children. Unfortunately, our dear ones never come to see our glory, but the outsiders. Jesus showed his glory to three people.

Some people are very good as professionals, they're very good people at work, but at home, they shout at and harass, and sometimes beat their spouses and children. If you smile all the time at your place of work, but frown all the time at home, please, do change. Your Peter and John and James are your spouse and children; show your glory first to them before you show it to the rest of us. Have you ever noticed the kind of clothes you use at home and at work? 

(Home work: when and where do you show your glory? When and where are you at your best? When you're with the twelve or when you're with the three? When you're at work, or when you're at home? When and where do people say that it is good to be in your company? At home or at work? WHO SEES YOUR GLORY?)

We normally say, charity begins at home. I go further: love also begins at home; forgiveness begins at home; our glory also begins at home. But does not end there. It only begins at home but does not end at home.

Peter and John and James were chosen on this day to experience something special and later to witness; they were especially chosen to go thru an experience and later witness to others. The Gospel says, "he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along."

As you know, the Lord continues to choose us for special experiences; He selects us to make and have special experiences. Your kind of experiences, your kind of life, your kind of problems and joys and suffering, all you are going thru is what the Lord has chosen you to experience AND witness. So next time you wonder and ask yourself why you're going thru that experience, next time you wonder and ask, but why me, why this one on me again, remember that Jesus carefully chooses us for special experiences in order to witness, in order to tell of our tale, in order to, when it is all over, tell others of our ordeal.