Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of a mountain!

Mark 9:2-10

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of a mountain. No one else was there. Suddenly his face began to shine with glory, and his clothing became dazzling white, far more glorious than any earthly process could ever make it! Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus! “Teacher, this is wonderful!” Peter exclaimed. “We will make three shelters here, one for each of you. . . . ” He said this just to be talking, for he didn’t know what else to say and they were all terribly frightened. But while he was still speaking these words, a cloud covered them, blotting out the sun, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Then suddenly they looked around and Moses and Elijah were gone, and only Jesus was with them. As they descended the mountainside he told them never to mention what they had seen until after he had risen from the dead. So they kept it to themselves, but often talked about it, and wondered what he meant by “rising from the dead.”

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, Jesus changed forms on the mountain. The glory that was all along concealed within Him was eventually 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. At birth, the glory of Jesus was concealed; at the mountain his glory was revealed; the glory on the inside burst forth to the outside.

The day Jesus revealed his glory, he was in the company of just three of his disciples. As we know, Jesus had twelve disciples in all; 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 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 only 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 are of those poeple who do smile all the time at work, but frown all the time at home, consider today's gospel reading. 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. Jesus showed his glory first to three before he showed them to the whole world at the resurrection. 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.

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.

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.