Men’s looking
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling bright, such as no one on earth could brighten them.
Mark 9:2-3 (NRSVUE)
I have been known to tease my husband when he can’t find something around the house by saying, ‘Is that men’s looking?’ He good naturedly replies, ‘No, my eyes are fine. It’s just not where you said it was.’ Occasionally he is right, and the object isn’t where I thought it was, but more often than not it is exactly where I suggested he look. Why can’t he see it when he seems to be looking right at it? We have discussed this phenomenon and can’t come up with a good explanation. Well, more accurately, one on which we can both agree!
I found it interesting reading Mark’s account of the Transfiguration, that it is bookended with two stories of Jesus healing blind men. The first healing took place in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26). The other man healed was Bartimaeus, as he was sitting on the roadside just outside Jericho (Mark 10:46-52).
This is significant when you consider it is the disciples who are the ones who are truly blind. Jesus has predicted his death not just once but three times. Yet they seem unable to accept the concept of a Messiah who is going to suffer and die. They are completely blind to the fact that the cross is where Jesus is headed. In their mind a saviour shouldn’t die, despite the fact that Jesus had been quite open with them about what was going to happen. When Peter rebuked Jesus for telling them he was going to die, Jesus sternly told him “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” (Matthew 16:23).
A revelation was needed to heal the disciples’ blindness to Jesus’s mission. So, Jesus took Peter, James and John hiking up a mountain where they supernaturally saw Moses and Elijah together with a transformed Jesus: ‘Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.’ (Mark 9:7-8).
Jesus was so much more than Elijah and Moses, the prophets of old whom they revered. Jesus alone was the Son of God and the disciples needed to listen and believe what he said. We too need a revelation of who God is, as revealed in Jesus, in order to heal our blindness. When we are blind to the identity of Jesus, we will remain in the dark about our own identities as well. We need to set our minds on the divine and look to Jesus – with eyes that truly see.
Prayer
Our heavenly Father, please open our eyes to truly see Jesus and believe what he says. Remove our blind spots and focus our minds on you, so that we may, in this life, serve you and others even if it means we may suffer. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Study by Jackie Mill
Jackie Mill is a minister in Grace Communion International and Co-Regional Pastor for Scotland, Ireland, and Northern England.
Local congregation:
Grace Communion International Central Glasgow
Garnethill Room
Conference Suite
St Andrews West
260 Bath Street
Glasgow
G2 4JP
Meeting time:
Sunday 11:15 am
Local congregational contact:
Peter Mill
Email: edinburgh@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church