DAILY LENTEN DEVOTIONS 2019
Friends,
This Wednesday we will begin our daily devotions through Lent. The scripture for the day will be posted followed by my personal comments about the verses. You are urged to add your own to share with others. This has been a meaningful and enriching practice for many years at our church. I hope you will offer your wisdom this Lenten Season.
Peace, Keith
Gospel Lesson for Sunday, March 3, 2019
Luke 9:28-36
28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31 They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” 36 When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
Dear Friends,
This is a more difficult passage for adults than it is for children. Young ones’ awareness of the world is still largely fantasy and imagination. We tend to grow out of that and become more concrete.
This story more closely relates to a fable: how did the animal get its tail and so forth. Here we can see “how the disciples came to believe in Jesus as God’s son.”
Luke carefully places them in a semi-dream-like state: “weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake.” Notice how they didn’t tell anyone who might have told them to “wake up!”
This is a helpful story when we wonder about our own coming to faith in Christ. As adults we may have trouble with the miracles of healing and walking on the water. They rarely convince us to believe. This story reminds us that we come to believe through our imagination. Our story of conversion is more cloudy than concrete.
Peace to you, Keith
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