Sunday Readings: Genesis 22.1-2, 9, 10-13, 1-18; Romans 8.31-34; Mark 9.2-10
“This is my son, my beloved. Listen to him.” – Mark 9.7
Shortly before Jesus leads Peter, James, and John up the mountain, he alerts them that his ministry is turning from preaching and healing in Galilee to confronting religious authorities in Jerusalem. Jesus has asked the disciples who they think he is. Peter has answered, “the messiah.” Immediately after Peter’s answer, Jesus makes his first passion prediction. Peter objects to a messiah who suffers. Jesus rebukes Peter. On the way down the mountain, Jesus insists the three tell no one what they have witnessed until “the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
In Mark’s gospel, Jesus’ disciples are fearful and amazed, curious, bewildered, confused. They ask dumb questions. The three talk together as they go down about what “risen from the dead” can mean.
In these eyewitness disciples, we Christians today see people whose faith flounders, flops, and fails but also slowly develops and grows. Theirs become the voices that call others to believe in the good news of Jesus’ resurrection to new life. Our faith can strengthen as theirs does. Our faith tethers us to the mystery of the risen Jesus present in our lives, of the Spirit blowing the embers of our hearts into flame, of creation coming to life in spring and after the long pandemic perhaps we with it.
What experiences of God’s presence have opened your own?