Journal Mk 9 (all references are from the ESV; changes in punctuation are mine)
Scripture: “And he (Jesus) was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah…” (for he did not know what to say (he was babbling), for they were terrified).
And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
And as they were coming down from the mountain, (Jesus) charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So, they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And (later?) they asked him… Mark 9:2b-11a
Observation: Good example from Peter, James, and John (however accidental this may have been): Think before you speak, ask questions, don’t take a stand too quickly… “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Prov 29:20)
Analysis: Am I susceptible to read Scripture by myself and come to a snap conclusion of what it means? And worse yet, develop a (gasp) firm conviction without further pursuit?
Here are these 3 guys, witnessing something miraculous and astounding, scared out of their gourds, and regulated to babbling uncontrollably or standing in stunned silence. After God speaks out of the clouds, they shut up. (Hopefully I would have too.) Then Jesus told them to keep this as a secret until after the Ascension.
Side note: Would I have kept this secret? After all, it was just the Three: would I have whispered to any of the other Nine? “Psst: Keep this to yourself but I really think you ought to know—Guess what I saw with Jesus…”
My point would be that I would tend to be quick to develop a position on what I just was told (or read)—being hasty. What I see reported about the Three is that they “kept the matter to themselves, questioning what…this might mean”, and asked for clarification later.
Jumping to a conclusion and quickly making it a conviction to be argued about is a tendency for Man. We are so quick to develop a “conviction” that suits us and is maybe only part of the Story we need to know about. Perhaps it is directionally tantamount to “…having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions…” (2 Tim 4:3) This doesn’t mean to develop protections from false teachers/teaching, but it does mean to ask questions to trusted partners in Christ, and that frequently. The Word of God should not be far from our mouth and frequently spoken of.
Example: Who ponders “why did Jesus have to die?” and the follow up, “why did He die for me?” Just asking these two questions affects how the Holy Spirit, through the Bible, speaks…
Prayer: Speak to us, Holy Spirit. Let the Word of Life spill from our lips, daily…
I have encountered that this kind of reflex only happens with practice and reinforcement. Help me to continue to dig into the living water that is Your Word.
AMEN
Ricky Two Shoes…