Thoughts for the Day

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

In the Second Epistle of Peter we have an account of the Transfiguration that we looked at yesterday ('Taking it to God') as remembered by Peter who was present when God affirmed Jesus with the words "This is my Son, the Beloved". We can't be sure that Peter wrote this himself, so scholars estimate the date somewhere from 60 to 150 AD. It was written in Koine Greek or what we might call 'common Greek'. We know Peter's mother-in-law lived in Capernaum, but John's Gospel says he and his brother Andrew came from Bethsaida further along the north-eastern shore of the Lake (see John 1.44). It was an area inhabited by many gentiles who would have spoken Greek. Either way, this has the feel of an original mind of someone who was present on that mountain when the glory of Jesus shone like the sun!

For Peter the vivid memory of the Transfiguration would have stayed with him all his life, as a witness to these events. In a court of law a witness is called to share what they have seen and heard, and in our reading Peter calls himself an "eye-witness" of these events. He must in all conscience share this with the churches in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) who were struggling under false teachers! This was no myth, he infers, but truth that he witnessed!

Today, is no different. If we have faith in God and in Jesus Christ, then we too must be witnesses to what we know!

Lord Jesus,
when You put the Truth into our heart,
may we be strong enough to witness
to what we know and believe,
not wearing it like a cloak,
that hides our faith,
but open and transparent
about what is important to us.
May our faith infuse our whole life,
in what we say, think, and do,
as witnesses of Your glory.
Amen.