Day 12: Fatherly Rebuke

2nd Tuesday in Lent

Scripture: Mark 9:5-7

^{NRS 5} Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." ⁶ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷ Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"

Devotional: In an effort to help Peter, James and John better understand, Jesus lead them up a high mountain. He was going to meet with God, but the three who followed behind did not know what to expect. Luke captures the tense surprise as the weary disciples witness their Master having a conversation with Moses and Elijah. He didn’t explain how they knew it was the deliverer and the prophet, just the fact that they did. When he saw them, Peter once again demonstrated his lack of understanding as he proposed to build equal memorials to each of the three in commemoration of the conversation. Matthew described a cloud overshadowing the vociferous Peter and a voice that interrupted him. It was a voice just like the one present at Jesus’ baptism, but this was the first time the three heard it, “This is my Son, the beloved; listen to Him!” The fisherman’s bold and impulsive behavior inspired rebuke by first Son and then Father. Even God the Father was exasperated by the disciple’s failure to understand what Jesus was teaching them. His rebuke, “Listen! Pay Attention! Make Sure You Understand, because YOU are the ones Jesus is going to leave in charge!” It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of ministry leaders having a right understanding of the things of God. They are called to use His great power to heal and save. Unfortunately, if they do not understand, they can cause great hurt and harm. Too many times the Church has cast out, alienated, and put down the very people Christ has called us to help because of a wrong understanding. The rock upon which the Church would be built needed to pay attention and we need to do the same today. God the Father’s rebuke to Peter is a rebuke to all of us, “Make sure you are listening. Pay attention, so you get it right!” Before John Wesley instructed his Methodists to “Do all the good they could,” he provided his first general rule: “Do no harm.” This rule acknowledges the spirit of the Father’s rebuke, by ensuring that we are aware of potential damage we can cause before we set about doing the good to which God has called us.

Prayer: God the Father. Loving Rebuker. You have entrusted us to bring Your Good News to a hurting world through Your Church. Lord we pray today, asking You to help us listen and learn rightly, so we may first do no harm and then do all the good we can, Amen.

Song of praise:            Transfiguration performed by Hillsong

                                                

Spiritual discipline challenge: We have been on this devotional journey for twelve days now, let us return to the discipline of fasting in an effort to keep this discipline fresh in our hearts. Today fast from breakfast and lunch.