This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!

Mark 9:2-13

I wonder if you have ever had a moment, a time within human experience when you were just so filled with a sense of awe, it caused the hairs on the back of your neck to rise – our passage today has this ‘feel’.

It begins ‘Six days later’ (NRSVA); linking back into the previous chapter when Peter ‘confessed’ Jesus as Messiah and Jesus foretold his death and now he and his companions are shown a new insight into who Jesus is.

The truth can dawn for us in our own experience, perhaps while we are taking tentative steps, or in a profound moment of inspiration. In some versions of the Bible, verse 5 is translated Peter answering said to Jesus yet, if you look carefully there was no question for Peter to answer. The word ‘answering’ might be seen in a broad sense: as responding, reacting to a situation; how does he react, other than to misunderstand?

Verse 6 using a paraphrase of the Bible known as ‘The Message’ reads, ‘he blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing’ (MSG). In other words, as on so many occasions Peter has not fully understood. He wants to build shelters so that they can stay there, as Jesus meets with characters of old. More about that tomorrow!

For me, this reveals something about how we try to follow Jesus. We too can misunderstand and in doing so, receive only a snapshot of truth and wonder. I am reminded of some more words in the passage, again offering them to you in The Message, ‘This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.’ (MSG)

We need to both respond to God’s glory and grandeur and to listen to what might be being said through Jesus.