2-4 "Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.
5-6 Peter interrupted, “Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing.
7 Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.”
8 The next minute the disciples were looking around, rubbing their eyes, seeing nothing but Jesus, only Jesus." -Mark 9:2-8
Typical Peter. Wanting to impress Jesus like Andrea Saks wants to impress Miranda Presley. (If you don't get the reference, you're clearly more productive with your time, and for that, I salute you.) I've read the Bible. This should come as a relief to most of you, judging by the contents of this blog. Or maybe, I am just making all of this up as I go along, which, let's be honest, is a much more believable tale.
Every year I try and read through the Bible in order to uncover more and more mysteries buried in this love story. But the first time I started reading the full Bible I had a reading plan. And I loved it. Checking off the little boxes of books I'd read, seeing my percentage read go up every day...ahhh an OCDers dream. And each night I had this blissful alone time with Jesus where I would read and study, and block out anyone who tried to interrupt my Jesus time. And I soon began to see my devotion time as homework time. No one could bother me while I was studying the Bible. HOW DARE THEY! But while I was too focused on checking off boxes, I missed certain trials going on around me. People in my life needed me; people in my family needed me. And when they saw how arduous and exclusive reading the Bible was, Christianity looked a lot like a college course with lots of homework. I wasn't taking the time to sit still with Jesus and simply be in awe of him. I wasn't allowing myself to be stress free. I was making the Bible stressful.
Jesus doesn't need to see our homework. He doesn't require us to read a specific amount of The Word everyday, or that we pray a certain amount of time. Jesus is not hiring an intern or looking for Bethlehem's Next Top Model.
If we can stop "building memorials" and simply stare in awestruck wonder of Jesus, we will allow room for peace in our lives, and in turn, bring peace to others. No need to impress Jesus with our human efforts when He has already saved us from our human mistakes.