The Transfiguration-Would I Be Left Behind?

G. B. Shelburne emails out nuggets of wisdom; with his permission I share this with you.


On the last day of his life, Peter waited in his Roman cell for the footsteps of the soldier who would take him to execution. He was sustained by what he had seen on a mountaintop with Jesus 40 years before. In his last letter Peter recalls that day. "We did not preach to you fables we cleverly made up. We really saw Jesus' shining majesty as God spoke from heaven about him."

If seeing the transfiguration of Jesus helped Peter live faithfully, why did Jesus give only three disciples that opportunity? Did he care less for the nine and for their faith? I think rather the nine were not ready to receive. Some blessings require a certain maturity. Before his death Jesus told the disciples, "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot receive it now." I am like that. Some things that used to wow me are no longer important. And things I couldn't appreciate then mean everything to me now.

Jesus said something scary yet wonderful: "Whoever has will receive more, but whoever does not have will lose even what he has." The more we grow, the more we can grow. The less we grow, the less chance that we ever will. What does that say about the growth opportunities we think we don't have time for?

If I had been there, would Jesus have invited me or would I have been left behind?

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Copyright 2006 by G.B. Shelburne, III. May be freely reproduced or forwarded for non-commercial purposes. To subscribe, email bshelburne@shbi.org

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