Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:01 Welcome to Lent Meditation and Worship with Westside Church during this lentin season. Meet us here each day as we read scripture, worship, and rest in the presence of God together. Know that as you listen today, you are doing so with others, whether in the same places you are not, and we pray that the Holy Spirit permeates the places we each find ourselves in right now. For more resources and to find each week's prayer and song, visit westside church.org/lent. Let us start today by clearing our minds and opening our hearts to what the Lord wants to speak to us through His word. Take a deep breath in and out and another in and out.
Speaker 1 00:01:05 Have you ever thought about the kind of faith the disciples must have had to follow? Jesus. When Jesus meets most of them, they're going about their day-to-day life and he calls them to follow him and just like that, they drop everything and do. But why? Jesus hasn't performed miracles yet. He hasn't been known throughout the land yet. He just was, and they followed him for the next three years. Their eyes would be opened to many things. They would come to believe him to be the son of God. There's an interaction that three of the disciples are witness to that confirms in the moment everything they had believed about Jesus. Let's read this story. Matthew chapter 17, verses one through nine.
Speaker 1 00:02:03 Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and let them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him. Peter broke in master. This is a great moment. What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. While he was going on like this, babbling, a light radiant cloud enveloped them and sounding from deep in the cloud of voice. This is my son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him. When the disciples heard it, they felt flat on their faces, scared to death, but Jesus came over and touched them. Don't be afraid. When they opened their eyes and looked around, all they saw was Jesus. Only Jesus coming down the mountain. Jesus swore them to secrecy. Don't breathe a word of what you've seen. After the son of man is raised from the dead. You are free to talk.
Speaker 1 00:03:37 What a meeting to show up to, to be standing with your friend Jesus. And then all of a sudden he's glowing. In this moment, Jesus divinity that has been veiled comes into full view for these three disciples. And then Moses and Elijah show up in her talking to Jesus As all this is happening, the disciples take this as confirmation that the kingdom of God was about to be ushered in with full glory. This was the moment they had been waiting for. The Messiah was here to rule and reign and overthrow the government. Peter wanted to memorialize this moment by building them tabernacles, and then the voice of God intervenes, bellowing from the heavens. This is my son, marked by my love. Focus of my delight. Listen to him and the disciples fall down in fear. No, this is not at all what they had thought.
Speaker 1 00:04:52 They still didn't get it. Jesus is a gentle friend who meets us with tenderness and care the same way he cared for Peter, John, and James. In that moment, he reaches down to touch your face to say, don't be afraid. Our weaknesses may be glaringly more apparent than our faith, but Jesus still meets us where we are. In the fear, in the doubts, in the chaos, in the promises that sound too crazy to be possible. He's here and he knows us. Jesus knew that the disciples wouldn't be able to fully understand what had just happened on that mountain until they saw Jesus later on a different mountain, hanging on a cross and then raised from the dead. Then they would begin to understand the way of the kingdom of God.
Speaker 1 00:05:59 Jesus knows you and knows sometimes there are things in this life that don't make sense. The way of Jesus doesn't always make sense, but he's asking for your faith no matter how tiny. Do you have the faith that Abram and Sarah had to follow God where he led? Even when it sounds preposterous? Do you have faith that Jesus promise of redemption is real? And for you right now while Pastor Lindsay sings today, listen and contemplate on where your faith is at this moment, whether nearly non-existent or as all encompassing as a cloud falling on you. Talk to Jesus about it. Be honest. Be open. He doesn't need the right answer. He wants the honest one. He wants you to show up right where you are today just as you are. Will you let him gather you into himself in tenderness today? Let's pray. Hope beyond all human hope. You promise descendants as numerous as the stars to old Abraham and baron. Sarah, you promise light and salvation in the midst of darkness and despair and promise redemption to a world that will not listen. Gather us to yourself in tenderness. Open our ears to listen to your word and teach us to live faithfully as people confident in the fulfillment of your promises. Amen.
Speaker 2 00:07:59 When you look at me, you don't see we bear the image of Christ. Oh, he doesn't look the outside to see how you see how many times I've been blind to this. Move me to compass cause we
Speaker 0 00:09:24 Bear
Speaker 2 00:09:25 The image of Christ. Oh, he doesn't look on the outside to see how you see. So in your soul, there is the reflection of God. Find him inside of the way that we love. In your soul, there is the reflection of God. We find him inside of the way we love. We bear the image of Christ. Oh and outside to see how you see brothers.
