Praying Together 11th February 2024

Sunday next before Lent

Collect

Almighty Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross: Give us grace to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

2 Kings 2: 1-12

2 Corinthians 4: 3-6

Marks 9: 2-9

‘He ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen’

… and perhaps Peter then said ‘Why not? Of course I should tell people what I’ve seen and heard!’

‘You will’ said Jesus. ‘But not yet. You’ll have to be patient. If you tell people now, at best, they’ll ask for evidence – some will dismiss you as deluded – and at worst, they will arrest you for lies and Blasphemy.’

Peter is to be the rock on which the Church is built – but he needs the full story before he is going to be capable of so doing. He has seen miracles. He has heard Jesus explain about the Kingdom of Heaven. He has experienced teaching about the coming Messiah. And now, he is present at the fulfilling of the prophecy of Elijah’s return before the day of the Lord arrives. All of these are things of wonder – but tempered by Jesus’ continuing to talk of His death. If Jesus is to die, how would Peter maintain his belief in the one who he proclaimed to be the Christ? It would erode just as the memory of Jesus would erode, and He would simply become understood as another in the long line of Jewish prophets.

The story has to be complete for Peter’s faith become integral to his very being – if Jesus dies and that is the end of it, so what? But resurrected, that’s what. It’s not the end. It’s the beginning of new covenant for all God’s created people. In the knowledge of Jesus alive and the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, Peter does now have the whole story and is equipped to be that rock.

It’s the same for us – we cannot build our faith on just one or two aspects of Jesus’ story. The fundamental truth we need to accept that He is risen from the dead and He is Lord, alive. Unless we believe that with our whole heart and mind, our faith is fragile. If we do believe – there is nothing we cannot do in His name.