Mark 9, Luke 9, Matthew 17
October 29, 2014

Matthew 17
The transfiguration gives us a clue as to what we may look like in our glorified bodies.  That is, our bodies once we are in heaven.   It also offers a tantalizing mystery: If the dead in Christ will someday rise from the dead and face judgment, then how is it that Moses and Elijah already appear in human form?   Could it be that they are exceptions?  No one can argue that if anyone should be, they should.   Could it be that they are simply spirits at the moment, and will receive bodies later?  I suppose...but wouldn't they have already passed in front of the Judge, in order to do so?  

Beginning in verse 14 we have the account of a demon that the disciples couldn't drive out.   These must have been the disciples left behind while Jesus was transfigured, because the ones who went with Him would have sufficient faith.   There is a correlation between faith and healing.   Faith; the decision to accept as truth that which we cannot see or prove, is greatly valued by God.  But it should be informed faith, not blind faith.   Our faith should be an expression of our reading and studying of God's Word, and our research of his past actions, both ancient and recent.   God does not change, so we can make some pretty good assumptions about what He wants.   Faith is not a means to a miracle, it is the fabric of our relationship with Christ.   The relationship will take us to places where miracles occur, and it will be by faith.   There were those in Jesus' day that shortcut the process by proclaiming by faith what God could do, and they saw demons flee and the sick healed.  However, without the relationship with God they still didn't gain heaven.   Which is a real tragedy.

The temple tax was a levy on all Jews to help maintain the temple.  No one expected the pagans to contribute towards it, so it wasn't like the tribute you bring to a king.   The Romans didn't enforce it, or come up with the idea...so it wasn't like the tax you pay to a government.   The temple tax would be more like a mandatory gift over and above your tithe.   Jesus gave to it, even though his suggestion was that it was misdirected.   It seems that he felt that the sons of the kingdom would be exempt.  Can you imagine charging the one who filled the temple with His presence a fee to use the temple?  Or to charge his disciples for the same?    Jesus however, did not protest loudly about something so insignificant.  He kept His focus on what was really important.   He was no stranger to offending the temple leaders, but chose not to in this instance, because His goal wasn't ever to pick a fight, but rather to proclaim the truth.   In this case, there wasn't a great doctrine at stake.  

Luke 9
In order to be seen as great in the Kingdom, we must be servants here.   Those who vie for position and status, power and fame are motivated by something other than godly values.    Certainly many godly people rise to positions of power, but the lust for it is what we are warned against.

Mark 9
verse 23:  "everything is possible for him who believes".   I don't think I fully appreciate that statement.  "Everything?"  Wow.  Everything.    The father wanted to believe, and did in his heart. He knew that Jesus could help.  He had probably seen the miracles, and heard of many more.  But his head was in the way.   Sometimes science is the greatest challenge to our faith.   God is above science, so He does things that science cannot explain, or that science says are impossible.    The father had the right solution.   Ask Jesus to fix our head!  "Help me overcome my unbelief" was his cry.    We should say the same  "Lord, help me unlearn what I have been taught about what is possible and impossible"    Jesus just said a second ago that everything is possible.   Nothing is impossible.

Do you believe it?    I suspect that we could meditate on, and act on that verse for a lifetime, and never fully realize the truth that Jesus spoke.

PR