A Divine Interruption
“It’s not polite to interrupt!” “Don’t interrupt me when I am speaking!” Have you ever heard something along those lines, maybe when you were younger? To interrupt someone usually carries a negative connotation. However, there are instances where interruptions are necessary, even life-saving. Back in the day, you might be watching a show or game and an alert would pop on the TV, “We interrupt this programming to bring you a special report.” While we don’t see that as much, we still get interrupted when scrolling on our phones when there is an Amber Alert or a message from the National Weather Service regarding severe weather. The idea behind an interruption is that the person doing the interrupting has made the decision that what they have to say is more important and necessary than what was being said or happening previously. That may or may not actually be the case!
In the Gospels of Matthew (17), Mark (9), and Luke (9), we find an interesting event where there is a Divine interruption. Jesus had taken Peter, James, and John to a high mountain and before them he is transfigured, and for a brief moment, the curtain of flesh and humanity is pulled back off of Jesus, and the disciples see Him in all His glory with Matthew 17:2 describing the following: “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” This is similar to the conquering King of Kings version of Jesus we are described in the Book of Revelation. The disciples are awestruck. If that wasn’t enough, Elijah, a representation of the Prophets, and Moses, the representation of the Law, both appear next to Jesus and talk with Him. Oh to be a fly on the wall for that conversation! Peter could hardly contain himself! He had a front row seat to the Hall of Fame of their faith and was so excited at the prospect of sitting at the feet of all three and basking in the presence of Jesus, enjoying the profound theological conversations to be had, and of course, bragging rights on all the other disciples! (I say that last part in jest).
Peter decides that this can’t be a one-time thing and without thinking too logically or practically, he says to Jesus (most likely interrupting Jesus’ conversation with Moses and Elijah), “4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
Again, not too practical. However the next thing that happened is where I would like to land. Matthew 17:5 says: “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” WHILE Peter was STILL SPEAKING… God’s tangible presence filled the mountain and He spoke from the clouds INTERRUPTING Peter. God once again proclaims his love for Jesus the son, and gives a command: LISTEN TO HIM! Many Israelites would have argued that the LAW was to be listened to above all else. Some might have argued for the prophets and the majority for both. Some, like Peter, were spouting off their own opinions about “what is good” and would be the best thing to do without consulting Jesus himself. God the Father had to interrupt Peter in the middle of his grand idea and say simply, “Listen to My Son in whom I am well pleased”. We have a better chance of pleasing the Father by following the Son’s footsteps instead of our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV says: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
What would it look like if we took a moment to not be the first to post about everything that happens, every issue? What if we took a moment to breathe, to seek God’s face, to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His voice. To filter our responses not through just our emotional filter but by the filter of the WHOLE Word of God. I say the "whole Word" because we can take a passage here and there to justify just about anything we want to. It has been done by many to the detriment of the church and the world. If we are being genuine, our outlook and worldview must be shaped by all of what God says, not just the parts we pick and choose to avoid the rest of the scripture that is confronting us. I pray God continues to interrupt our opinions, our programs, our planning, our comfort, and our high-horses. And in the middle of so many opinions, voices, and noise that have their own agendas, what God said on that mountain still rings true, above all else, “Listen to Jesus!” That message is worth the interruption of our regular programming.
In Christ,
Pastor Javier Batista
In the Gospels of Matthew (17), Mark (9), and Luke (9), we find an interesting event where there is a Divine interruption. Jesus had taken Peter, James, and John to a high mountain and before them he is transfigured, and for a brief moment, the curtain of flesh and humanity is pulled back off of Jesus, and the disciples see Him in all His glory with Matthew 17:2 describing the following: “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” This is similar to the conquering King of Kings version of Jesus we are described in the Book of Revelation. The disciples are awestruck. If that wasn’t enough, Elijah, a representation of the Prophets, and Moses, the representation of the Law, both appear next to Jesus and talk with Him. Oh to be a fly on the wall for that conversation! Peter could hardly contain himself! He had a front row seat to the Hall of Fame of their faith and was so excited at the prospect of sitting at the feet of all three and basking in the presence of Jesus, enjoying the profound theological conversations to be had, and of course, bragging rights on all the other disciples! (I say that last part in jest).
Peter decides that this can’t be a one-time thing and without thinking too logically or practically, he says to Jesus (most likely interrupting Jesus’ conversation with Moses and Elijah), “4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
Again, not too practical. However the next thing that happened is where I would like to land. Matthew 17:5 says: “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” WHILE Peter was STILL SPEAKING… God’s tangible presence filled the mountain and He spoke from the clouds INTERRUPTING Peter. God once again proclaims his love for Jesus the son, and gives a command: LISTEN TO HIM! Many Israelites would have argued that the LAW was to be listened to above all else. Some might have argued for the prophets and the majority for both. Some, like Peter, were spouting off their own opinions about “what is good” and would be the best thing to do without consulting Jesus himself. God the Father had to interrupt Peter in the middle of his grand idea and say simply, “Listen to My Son in whom I am well pleased”. We have a better chance of pleasing the Father by following the Son’s footsteps instead of our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV says: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
What would it look like if we took a moment to not be the first to post about everything that happens, every issue? What if we took a moment to breathe, to seek God’s face, to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His voice. To filter our responses not through just our emotional filter but by the filter of the WHOLE Word of God. I say the "whole Word" because we can take a passage here and there to justify just about anything we want to. It has been done by many to the detriment of the church and the world. If we are being genuine, our outlook and worldview must be shaped by all of what God says, not just the parts we pick and choose to avoid the rest of the scripture that is confronting us. I pray God continues to interrupt our opinions, our programs, our planning, our comfort, and our high-horses. And in the middle of so many opinions, voices, and noise that have their own agendas, what God said on that mountain still rings true, above all else, “Listen to Jesus!” That message is worth the interruption of our regular programming.
In Christ,
Pastor Javier Batista
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