28-31 About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along. While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white. At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.
32-33 Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep. When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him. When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking.
34-35 While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them. As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God. Then there was a voice out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him.”
36 When the sound of the voice died away, they saw Jesus there alone. They were speechless. And they continued speechless, said not one thing to anyone during those days of what they had seen.
It was a mystical, spiritual, psychic, weird, crazy, spooky experience; too big, too powerful, too unreal for them to talk about. It couldn’t be communicated with words. Words could not contain it, describe it, pass it on. So they said nothing.
Such moments- holy moments - are not so much to be talked about as lived out. And we all have them if we will only stop and see them.
They also are not to be lived in; we can’t stop the world and just stay in the holy moment. This would make an idol of that experience. Rather they are to be windows through which we see more clearly the road we are to travel and the presence of a loving God for our journey.
the laundry.”
A Zen proverb
Prayer thought: “Thank you Lord, for those moments of enlightenment
which show the way I am to go. And be with me after they are over and I am back to the mundane.”
A moment which cannot be captured with words can only be lived out with deeds. I’m glad they couldn’t talk about it. To talk about it would cheapen the experience and make it less real. Something this sacred you don’t cheapen with words.
To do so is to end up worshiping the experience rather than the God who created it.
It is to have pride in our great experience with God; and even gloat over it, rather than be humbled by God’s grace.
What counts is genuine human beings whose lives reflect that something great has happened to them. They may not be able to talk about it; but their lives reflect it. It is felt more then heard. This is what really counts with God. What we do outwardly, because of what has happened to us, often in secret.
p.s.
29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.
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