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Mark 9:14-16: The valley of need.

^“14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. ¹⁵ As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.  ¹⁶ ‘What are you arguing with them about?’ he asked.” NIV UK

As I read this story today, my heart prayed, ‘Don’t let us be a powerless church down in the valley of need.’ God has not placed us here to show off our impotence.  We are located in the valley of need. It’s a dark valley – afflicted by demons. It has people in it who are Satan’s victims; they are damaged by him. The situation is desperate. It calls for prayer, faith and fasting, as we will see. ‘’The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…’ (John 10:10), and this is his patch.

There is a form of religion that doesn’t really care about people (14). It finds fault and picks fights. It is miserable and grumpy and mean-spirited. It loves an argument much more than loving fellow needy humans. The teachers of the law weren’t getting on with healing the boy; they were just criticising and talking. There is a form of churchianity that does just the same in the valley of need. It is useless, and I want no part in it.

But real Christianity shows people Jesus (15), and when he is seen things happen. Jesus divides of course. He disturbs some (20-22; see also 17, 18); deeply disturbs them, and destructive forces are unleashed at the sight of Jesus. This is demonstrated by the worldwide persecution of the church. It’s never gone away. The demons hate Jesus; they fear Him. They are disturbed by His presence. They loathe the sight of Him and they fight like mad. They hiss like snakes and bark like dogs. So you can see a fiercely negative response to Christ. But for many others, when they see Him, they run to Him (15). They are ‘’overwhelmed with wonder’’ (15).

May the beauty of Jesus be seen in His church. Jesus magnetises. Just let Him be seen.

‘There is a new surge of interest in the impact of an attractive Christian life these days, as a major instrument in evangelism…Sheer friendship is at the heart of it, friendship for people whether they come to faith or not. And we take into that friendship a vibrant, though unvocalised, friendship with Christ. In due course it is bound to show…We have got to be living close to him ourselves, and that simply has to show in the way we behave.’ Michael Green: ‘Evangelism through the local church,’p.405.

Mark 9:9-13: Ordinary days.

Christians do not live on the mountaintop. Although we may have mountaintop experiences, sooner or later we have to come back down. We return to ordinary days and mundane realities; to wet Monday mornings, to mysteries, to unanswered questions, to hostility. (Consider what happened to ‘’Elijah’’ – John the Baptist in other words: the forerunner of the Messiah. He was a good man and he got treated very badly. This is the kind of thing that awaits us in the valley). We have to come down from the mountain of glory to the valley of knotty problems, as we will see (14-29). But when we do come down, may we carry something from the mountaintop with us, and bring it to bear on the desperate needs in the valley below. If we have seen something of Jesus’ glory, we know just where we need to reflect it.

PRAYER: Help me, Lord Jesus, Light of the world, to shine for you in earth’s darkest valleys.

Mark 9: 2-8: If you know what’s good for you

^“2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵ Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ ⁶ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) ⁷ Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’ ⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. NIV

‘’Rabbi, it is good for us to be here’’ (5).

For obvious reasons, this must go down as one of the greatest understatements of all times!  Only three living men (plus two already dead) got the opportunity to be on the mount of Transfiguration. Nevertheless, every time we are able to meet in fellowship with other believers, and with the Lord Himself, we can say in faith: ‘’…it is good for us to be here.’’ We may feel nothing, of course, but chances are we will catch a glimpse of Jesus’ glory, and hear the Father’s voice (7). We will become re-focussed on Jesus (8) and His cross. Luke’s account tells us that Moses and Elijah ‘’appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem’’ (Luke 9:31). They were literally talking about ‘’his exodus’’ – the deliverance He would enact by His death.

So, when we gather together, around Jesus, centred in His cross, we can truly say, it is ‘’good for us to be here.’’

 PRAYER: Thank you Lord for worship, prayer, fellowship and teaching, down at the feet of Jesus.

Mark 9:1-4: Go with Jesus

“9 And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power”. 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

The transfiguration of Jesus was the divine confirmation of Peter’s affirmation (8:29). It made an indelible impression on the apostle. Years later he was to write:

‘’We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘’This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain’’ (2 Peter 1;16-18).

Are you ready to go with Jesus wherever He wants to take you? (2). Why would we fear to travel anywhere He might lead us? You may find He takes you right into His glory cloud. But not all Christians have the same experiences of Jesus. All are saved; all are equally loved by God and find themselves the recipients of His grace. Yet in the sovereign purposes of God, some people see things others do not. God has His reasons. Ours is to trust Him. Not all the twelve got to experience the mount of transfiguration, just these three. Do you envy Paul’s ‘’visions and revelations from the Lord’’ (2 Corinthians 12:1)? Well, would you also like to share his sufferings (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)? Some believers are given unusually vivid and ecstatic encounters with Christ in His glory. God knows why He chooses to bestow these on some and not on others. Our task is to fix our eyes and ears on Jesus, and go with Him when He indicates it’s time to move.

I have to lead and speak at a Christian funeral tomorrow, and I’m heartened by what I read here (4). From this verse we see that believers who have left the earth do not die (1 Thessalonians 4:13,14). Also, as the disciples recognised Moses and Elijah, men they had never met, so we will know one another in heaven. This thought transfigured my heart with glory today, even as I considered it. What a hope we have with which to ‘’encourage each other’’ (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

In verse 1 of this chapter, Jesus may well have been referring to His transfiguration. Or it may be about His resurrection, ascension and outpouring of the Spirit. But it can’t be a reference to His second coming, because the people who heard Jesus’ words that day have long since died.

PRAYER: Lord, I want to go with you wherever you want to take me. May I see more and more of your glory.