Many of you know I am an amateur photographer.  I’ve dabbled with photography for years now and perhaps the greatest lesson I’ve learned from this hobby is the ability to see familiar things in a new and unique way.  In Matthew 17:1-8, Peter, James and John learn to see something, rather Someone, who was familiar to them became quite unfamiliar.  In verse 1, Matthew tells us that Jesus has taken these 3 disciples up on a high mountain.  While up on a mountain, Matthew says that Jesus was “transfigured”.  This Greek word, metamorpho, is familiar to us in that we use it to describe what happens to a butterfly.   The caterpillar first changes into a blob; then the blob changes into a butterfly.  Each time the change takes place it is a complete change- there is nothing left of the old form- it is entirely new.  In verse 2 Matthew tells us that not only did Jesus change physically, but that His clothes became “dazzling white” or radiant.  This Greek word depicts the shine of a brightly polished gold or metal.  It’s the type of solar flare you see when sunlight comes through the leaves of a tree, or that hazy glow of the sun on a hot summer’s day.  All three Gospels which include the Transfiguration (Matthew, Mark and Luke) point out this change in Jesus’ clothing.  Mark’s version of this event states that Jesus’ clothes were so bright no soap, bleach or launderer could have produced such a shine.  It was not humanly possible.  In other words, Jesus’ appearance was so different, the disciples barely recognized Him, yet they knew it was Him.

            As if a glorified Jesus wasn’t enough, in verse 3 we see that two “special guests” appear: Elijah and Moses.  To see Jesus in a glorified state with two of the greatest figures in Biblical history might prompt us to fall down and worship, but Peter offers to build 3 shelters (v.4).  This is not as crazy as you may think.  As part of the Law, God commanded Moses and the people to build Him a tabernacle (a big tent) so that He could dwell in the midst of them (Exodus 25:8).  The word Peter uses here (the Greek word “skay-nay”) is the translation of the Hebrew word “suka”- the type of “tent” constructed for the Feast of Tabernacles which celebrates the time when God dwelled in His tent with the people of Israel.  It is a temporary shelter to protect one from the heat of day or the cold of night and in this way Peter is acting as a gracious host by building three tents for three VIPs.  

            The backdrop of Old Testament history continues in verse 5.  There we read that a cloud comes and overshadows Jesus, His guests and the disciples.  The cloud is reminiscent of the time received the Law on top of Mount Sinai.  At that time the people witnessed a massive cloud filled with thunder and lightning.  A cloud and bright light also played a major role in leading the people through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud moving before them by day, and a pillar of fire leading them at night.  All this to say:  clouds plus bright light can mean only one thing- God is in the house!

            To make this fact even clearer, a voice speaks from the cloud- in the Greek it literally comes “out of” the cloud.  It cannot be attributed to human origin.  It’s not the man behind the curtain as in the Wizard of Oz, another disciple who’s come up the hill or even one of the dignitaries conversing with Jesus.  It’s God voice and no one else.  And what does God say?  “THIS is MY SON, whom I love”.  God has already declared this once before at Jesus’ baptism (Mt. 3:17), but in this scenario, it is even more emphatic with the command, “Listen to Him” added to it.  It could have been easy to get wrapped up in listening to Moses and Elijah, but the Lord says (literally), “You listen to Him.”   Or “Listen up!”

            Every now and then I give myself a litmus test to see how well I’m listening to Jesus.  I think about how I spend my free time.  Am I filling that time with Netflix, podcasts, social media, and other self-serving activities?  I compare it to how much time I’m spending in God’s Word, in prayer or serving Him.  The one which has the greater number indicates who I’m listening to.  Go ahead- take this test yourself and see how things add up.  The activity which has the greater number indicates who you are listening to.  It’s a sobering test, isn’t it? 

          There are many voices in our world today.   Some of them may seem interesting, even sensible.  But they are not the voice we should be listening to.  Peter had the advantage of physically seeing Jesus in a new and unfamiliar way which caused him to “listen to Jesus” more intently (2 Pet. 1:16-19) and he challenges us in 2 Pet. 3:17-18 to do the same.  We might try to use the excuse that we have not been privileged with the same experience, but we have something far greater.  God is in our house (1 Cor. 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 4:7), but are we really listening to Him? 

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            The disciple sat with his pen poised above the parchment.  He understood the significance of the words he was recording.  There was a passion and determination to present the truth to those who would receive this letter.  They needed to understand that the One of whom he wrote was not another man making a claim for popularity.  He was not merely a revered teacher, nor a false hero who aspired to overthrow an unwelcome military power.  No, He was more than that, better than that, above all that.  He felt as if an electric pulse stirred his memory.  “Remember that Sabbath when He healed the man with the shriveled hand?  Remember how He demonstrated the intent of the Law by talking about caring for sheep?  Do you remember Isaiah spoke of the same thing?  Do you remember what His Father said of Him at His baptism?”  The words of the prophet welled up inside him and flowed on to the page.  Matthew knew everything Jesus did, everything He said happened to fulfill the promises of God.

            If we were to assign a catch phrase to the Gospel of Matthew it would have to be, “This happened in order to fulfill the words of the prophet…”  Time and again Matthew uses those words or a variation thereof to connect Jesus with key passages of promise in the Old Testament.  Matthew 12:15-21 is no exception.  In its larger context the quote is attached to two significant events which took place on the Sabbath.  The first incident involved eating grains which were plucked off the heads of wheat and the second was the miraculous healing of a man with a withered hand (Mt. 12:1-21).  These controversial actions did not sit well with the Pharisees.  As sticklers for strict Torah observance (with their lengthy compromises to get around it!), Jesus, in their opinion, clearly violated the Law on all accounts here.  But Jesus counters with the correct interpretation concerning the Law’s intent for compassion, citing King David and the care of sheep as examples.

            While Matthew recalls the inevitable outcome after the healing (Mt. 12:14-15), he also recognizes a significant connection to a prophecy of Isaiah.  In fact, the prophecy which Matthew quotes (the longest Old Testament quote in his Gospel) is part of several prophecies which focus on “the Suffering Servant” (Is. 42:1-13; 49:1-13; 50:4-11: 52:13-53:12).   Spiros Zodhiates noted in his commentary on Matthew that “Jesus would be a servant to His Father” and that He was chosen (Mt. 12:18; Is. 42:1) for this task implying that Jesus was “suitable for the task”.  Jesus took on human flesh in order to accomplish the task of redemption.  He was specifically given this “job” and He accomplished it.  Therefore, God the Father also declares that “He is My Beloved”.

            The adjective “beloved” (agapetos) was first heard at Jesus’ baptism (Mt. 3:17; Mk.1:11; Lk. 3:22) and then during the Transfiguration (Mt. 17:5; Mk. 9:7; Lk. 9:35; 2 Pet. 1:17).  Jesus also uses it of Himself in the parable of the Vineyard and Vinedresser (Mk. 12:112; Lk. 20:9-18).  It signifies that something or someone is the object of a unique love, and in human terms peculiar to only that person.  Agapetos with the possessive “My” is never used of anyone else but Jesus in the New Testament.  Its Old Testament equivalent (ratsa, pronounced rate-zay) in Isaiah 42:1 comes from the verb which means to delight or take pleasure in.  Although there are many things that the Lord takes delight in (the Lord takes pleasure in uprightness in 1 Chr. 29:17 for example), there is only One Person that He holds as His Beloved and that person is Jesus.  And although the word is not found in the Passion narrative of John’s Gospel, Jesus’ sacrificial death is certainly the utmost demonstration of His love for us.

            How much do you love Jesus?  What place does He occupy on the list of people you might write down as those you love?  Where does He rank among the relationships you invest time in?  The Father’s love for His Son places Him at the center of all things and above all things (Phil. 2:9-11; Col. 1:16-17).  Is that the position He holds in your life?  I find it very interesting that Matthew includes no testimony concerning His relationship with Jesus within his Gospel.  But thankfully Mark and Luke do (Mk. 2:13-14; Lk. 5:27-32)!  Matthew’s profession put him at odds with his countrymen.  As a tax collector he had the legal duty of collecting money for Rome, but Rome often looked the other way if a tax collector decided to add on a few charges on for himself.  Yet one day when Matthew was on the job, Jesus walked by, turned to him and said, “Come, follow Me” and Matthew did.  How about you?  If Jesus walked by you at any given moment during your week and said, “Come, follow Me!” would you get up and go?  Would you call Him beloved and let Him assume a cherished and central place in your heart, in your life?  How you answer that question, is an indicator as to whether or not Jesus is your Beloved.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            My house is full of little things.  Some are valuable, some not so valuable, but the valuable things have been itemized and placed on our insurance policy.  The paper on which the policy is written is not valuable but it designates the things which are.  Some of those things have even greater value than their monetary worth because they have been handed down through our family.  Hopefully we will never need the money from our insurance to replace them because, truth be told, they are irreplaceable as far as our family is concerned.  Some people place a great deal of value on the “stuff” that they own.  I came across a sad confession some years ago as I read through the postings of my friends on Facebook.  A young father wrote of his feelings of failure in this life.  I sensed that they were due to that measuring stick we call "The American Dream".   A man is supposed to find himself a good job that pays well and allows him to acquire all the material pleasures of the good life- a home, a car, and of course, a big screen TV.  It is a common way of assigning worth these days.  People are valuable if they own things of value. 

            What we consider valuable has changed dramatically over the years.  Horses and log cabins have been replaced by electronics and stock.  The most valuable home at present is Buckingham Palace.  King Charles will move into a home that has been in his family since 1873.  With 775 rooms, 78 bathrooms, 92 offices, 19 staterooms and a 40-acre garden, the palace “lists” at 2.9 billion dollars, although it’s never going to be on the market!  If you place worth in the business world, you’d want to be the owner of Apple.  It's worth is listed at 2.8 trillion dollars, but if you’d rather invest, then you’d want to own stock in the holding company which owns it- Berkshire Hathaway.  You’d better save up though.  One share costs $429,200.00!  Collectibles still hold their fair share of value too.  Currently the most valuable Baseball card is the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card which recently sold for 12.6 million dollars.  But if you’re not a big spender and you still have an iPod Classic or original Sony Walkman lying around, these two technological wonders are selling on eBay for about the same price you paid for them the first time.  I often wonder how the monetary value of the items on this list are established.  I can’t even wrap my brain around most of those numbers, yet stocks and collectibles and more are bought and sold every day just because someone deemed them to have value.

            The psalmist warns us in Psalm 49:16-20 to remember that wealth accumulated on this earth cannot be taken with us when we die.  Our sense of value and accomplishment must be taken from a different set of criteria than that of the world.  Oddly enough, the story of Cinderella illustrates what the Bible teaches.  Cinderella's father had married a proud and haughty woman, who relegated Cinderella to servitude after he died.  The "wicked" stepmother repeatedly told Cinderella that she was "common" and of little value but when the prince enters the story all that changes.  The extent of the prince's love for Cinderella compels him to search the kingdom high and low until he finds her.  His persistent love demonstrates her value and he goes to great lengths to be reunited with her.  Jesus told a parable about the same kind of love in Mt. 18:12-14 (Lk. 15:3-7).  A shepherd with a large flock has lost one of his sheep.  Rather than leave it in the wilderness to succumb to the elements, the shepherd searches out the lost sheep and brings the little wanderer back to the fold.   This is a picture of God's love.  He has gone to great lengths in expressing His love for us and demonstrating our value to Him (see Phil. 2:5-8). 

            The greatest pitfall to emphasizing the monetary value of things is that it truly distracts us from what really matters in life.  Jesus challenged His followers to consider two examples from the world around us- the flowers of the field and the birds in the air (Mt. 6:25-29).  While each needs the basic necessities of food and shelter, neither stresses over those needs the way we do.  Jesus reminds us that God sees to the needs of His creation, which demonstrates how much He values us.  Therefore it is more important for us to strive for those things God values (Mt. 6:30-33).  In light of His love for us and the extent to which He expressed it, our perspective on earthly value should be drastically changed.  The author of Ecclesiastes understood that labor and the things we gain from it are only valuable if we keep our focus on the Lord (Ecc. 3:9-13) and Jesus also stressed that if we lose sight of our spiritual goals because of our need for profit and value, we lose something far greater (Mk. 8:36).

            In times of economic uncertainty it becomes easy to fall prey to calculating our value in terms of our earthly possessions and accomplishments as my friend on Facebook did.  Maybe you have been having similar feelings.  When those doubts come up, remember, God so loved you, that He sent His Son to save you (Jn. 3:16-17).   The world and its value system may lead you to believe that you are common.  That is not true!  The Prince has traveled throughout the kingdom to find you.  The Shepherd has searched the wilderness to bring you home.  There is no greater value than that.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; [email protected]; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre