Week of September 27

We so often presume to know Christ and His purpose when, in fact, we are not listening to Him. We take up path-making by hacking our way through spiritual jungles while the trail He has blazed rests beside us. Luke shows us how we as disciples may completely miss the nature and purpose of Christ’s ministry—and its power—while He lays the groundwork for His kingdom right beneath our eyes. Our devotional today shows us how to find and remain on Christ’s kingdom path.

The disciples dreamed of an earthly messianic reign, but God had cosmic plans. Luke records a series of events in the earthly ministry of Christ that demonstrate how easily people misunderstand Jesus’s purpose in coming to earth. Ponder the mountain-top experiences over the course of a week. Five thousand men and their families were fed bread by the Bread from heaven (9:14). Militarists believed that Jesus could feed an army while overthrowing the Romans.

Next, the disciples have a spiritual encounter, where they confess that Jesus is the Christ and their lives explode with messianic hope (9:20). Short-sighted hope sees Him as the anointed one who would unite all Jews. Spiritually-open eyes see Jews and Gentiles as citizens in Christ’s kingdom.

At last, these transformational events are followed about a week later with the Transfiguration, where Jesus’ Divine glory is fully revealed to His closest disciples (9:28). Aspiration exclaims, “Let’s make three tents” (9:33). Attention to God’s voice means something else. Their earthly goals blinded them to the true point. We often do the same, so let me explain.

Truly listen to Christ. Association with Christ changes a person often in ways they do not expect. A mountain-top moment like this is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. The traditional approach to this moment was that Moses and Elijah represent the Law and Prophets (NAC). Others recognize, however, that Moses was not only a lawgiver, but a prophet; indeed, a prototype of Jesus (Deuteronomy 18:18, EBC). Elijah was not only a prophet, but he also was related to the Mosaic law as the one who would turn people’s hearts back to the covenant (Malachi 4:4-6; EBC). He also was associated with the end times in Jewish thought. It may well be that Moses represented the past (Exodus), Elijah signified the future as a forerunner of the Messiah, and Jesus was the One who would bring to fulfillment the redemptive plan of God (cf. EBC). Regardless, the word from the Father was, “Listen to him” (9:35). Then and now, many confusing messages about times and seasons exist, but we slip off-track when we listen more to commentary than to Christ. 

Absorb His words. The time had come for the disciples to lay aside ambition and begin to assimilate the truth about Jesus. His road was the way of suffering and death (9:21-22), and all who truly follow Him take up their crosses daily and follow Him (9:23). I am not at all inclined to criticize the disciples for attempting to initiate a small-group study on the mountaintop (9:33), nor am I interested in shaking them from their slumber (9:32). “Sleepy” may very well be a polite way of suggesting that they simply had not processed fully the Divine reality “Who” stood before them. 

Live the resurrection life. It would take an empty tomb, resurrection appearances, too many in number to fake, and the coming of the Spirit for the disciples to get the point. Integration of the Truth into one’s life takes time. Nevertheless, the results are world-changing in scope (Acts 2:1-28:30). Truth-warping ambitions steer people off the way to lasting hope, while world-shaping encounters with Christ center them in the Gospel path Jesus established.

Have you seen the social media picture where a man took a “selfie” picture with a widely known star in the background, but he did not recognize the celebrity? To make matters worse, he was wearing a T-shirt with the famous person’s picture on it! 

Here is the spiritual point. Our phones are jam packed with all sorts of ministry selfies, but we too often miss needlessly the Divine presence in those moments. God speaks of His Son when He instructs our heart today: “Listen to Him!”

1. Take a few moments to scroll through the picture albums on your phone, or in your photo album. How evident was Christ’s presence in those events? Invite Him to make His Divine presence and redemptive path clear through all your daily life moments.

2. For Families: This message is very simple and clear, isn’t it? We are to listen to Jesus, God’s Son. To help your kids grasp its importance in a fun way, make some initial preparations and then invite your kids to join you in the living room. 
 
Prior to your meeting with them, gather some sidewalk chalk, a small bowl full of fruit, a handful of bandanas, and head for the driveway. Now, hide the bowl of fruit out of sight, around a tree or bush near the driveway, so that it cannot be readily seen. Then draw a line with the chalk, with an arrow leading to the place where the fruit is hidden. When you have completed these steps, call your kids to meet you.
 
Share with them about how God wants us to listen to Jesus, even though sometimes we forget to do so or just choose not to pay attention. Ask your kids to play a blindfold game of “Seek the Snack.” Blindfold your first volunteer, and give them one minute to go find the bowl of fruit while blindfolded, but give them no other instructions. Then, when the time is up, bring the child, still blindfolded, back to the starting point. 
 
This time, guide your child by holding their arm and whispering in their ear how to follow the chalk-line and get to the bowl of fruit. When they have found it, distribute the fruit snack and explain that when we don’t listen to Jesus, we wander and are not on the right path. But when we listen for His whisper, we will be exactly where we are supposed to be each day.

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock