Do We Get It?
Lk. 9:28-43a NIV
Purpose: Never give up on
ourselves or on anyone else.
The
Transfiguration
28 About eight days after Jesus said
this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to
pray.
29 As he was praying, the appearance of
his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared
in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.
32 Peter and his companions were very
sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men
standing with him.
33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter
said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three
shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what
he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud
appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
35 A
voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen
to him.”
36 When
the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to
themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
37 The next day, when they came down
from the mountain, a large crowd met him.
38 A man in the crowd called out,
“Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.
39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly
screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It
scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.
40 I begged your disciples to drive it
out, but they could not.”
41 “You
unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay
with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 Even while the boy was coming, the
demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure
spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.
43 And they were all amazed at the
greatness of God.
Footnotes:
Luke 9:31
Greek exodos
This is the Word of God,
for the people of God.
Praise be to God,
Amen.
Do We Get it?
Lk. 9:28-43a NIV
Purpose: Never give up on
ourselves or on anyone else.
Outline
I.
The need of understanding
something
II.
Why do we need to understand?
III.
Explanation of the biblical text
IV.
Conclusion[s]
V.
Prayer
Do We Get It???
Lk. 9:28-43a NIV
Purpose: Never give up on
ourselves or on anyone else.
Have you been in trouble or conflict
when you try very hard to understand something? In my case, I get so frustrated that
my English begins to stumble because I know, I am very capable to understand
explanations, situations, and people but not at this moment. When I am in this
situation, I need repetitions and that the person who is explaining needs to
slow down in his/her speaking. I know myself. I can get it and everybody involves in the explanation needs to be
patient.
Now,
not always I have been in this way. I remembered when I was growing up that
with my dad used to tell me, “Claudita, you are very intelligent, don’t tell me
that you don’t understand such and such thing.” Of course, I didn’t want to
disappoint my father, consequently, when I didn’t understand something I didn’t
ask. This wrong perception placed me for years in many wrong situations, gave
some bad grades and misunderstandings to the point that I started having panic
attacks. I was so afraid to clarified and asked when I didn’t understand
something. I just gave up.
Have you been in some similar situations? Have you
understood everything through your life? Or
you always get it? What about in your school years, or in your jobs, and
with your spouse and children, with your parents and family members?
I bet
that many other times, we have encountered people who are very, very smart but
they cannot explain such and such concept. Then, they get very frustrated with us or with whoever doesn’t get it! Have
you had the need to experience the learning of another language? When one is
learning another language that is not the mother language, one can get very,
very frustrated and upset to the point to almost quit talking. What about when
we know that someone is two faces or hypocritical and we get it, a gut feeling tells us that this person
manipulates very well but other people don’t get it. My point is, I have
had the experienced and I have seen the great need of people for understanding
the majority of other people and situations and teachings. This common need
raises the question of why, why for us
is so important to get it? Why for us is so essential to understand? I
think because through our life, we have learned that misunderstandings can
easily be very painful. I think, mainly when someone doesn’t get can betray us so bad. Maybe that is why there
are so many divorces. When one spouse gets the importance of the seriousness of
the covenant of the holy marriage and the other spouse doesn’t get it. If there
is not a mutual understanding sooner or later they are going to end in a
divorce.
So, I
think that all of us can easily agree that no one in a healthy mind wants to be
hurt, or wants to be cheated, no one wants to be misunderstood. We like
transparency and honesty and understanding. We want to get it!!! Because, we consider ourselves rational
beings, beings who like to use their mind to think, to analyze, to accomplish,
and to explain.
However,
and trying to put ourselves in the place when people don’t get it. What happens when people don’t get our
explanations, or interpretations, or perceptions of something? We get
frustrate, upset, and eventually we give up.
We don’t have patience, we don’t breathe or slow down and of course,
eventually, we give up. We finish saying, “Ok. I can explain you later.” Consequently, the other person feels dump and
doesn’t want to ask again. Either way is
uncomfortable, when we don’t get it or when other people doesn’t get it!!! It
seems like it is one of this situations when is a lose-lose way.
Here is Jesus with
His three closer disciples, Peter, John, and James. He took them to the top
of a mountain to be with Him. Have you noticed that Jesus is always patience
and gentle and always He wants to shows or teaches something? Here is Jesus talking with God, and Moses and
Elijah appear as part of this holy meeting. They are speaking very important things
that are going to happen to Jesus. His departure. Jesus knows that He as a man,
in blood and flesh, is going to leave them pretty soon. The crucifixion is
coming closer and closer. And, His
closer disciples don’t get it!!! First,
they fell asleep. Second, one of them just started talking no sense. Peter
wanted to be there. Actually, he suggested to build three shelters. I imagined
that Jesus’ frustration was just getting bigger and bigger because Peter was
serious. Not just, Jesus was amazed of Peter’s suggestion to be on the top of
the mountain, because with such suggestion Peter not just showed his little
understanding, he also showed the lack of interest for the other disciples who
were on the bottom of the mountain waiting for Jesus. Jesus was also
emotionally tired. I am talking in His humanity; can you just imagine the inner
turmoil that Jesus had to experience of knowing that you are going to die in a
few days. And your death is one of the cruelest and embarrassing ways to die.
I can warranty you that
this attitude, of Peter, John, and James, hurt Jesus. Even though, Jesus was at some point unsatisfied, disappointed, and
sad very sad, to the point to be hurt. He never, never quit or gave up on any
of His beloved disciples. His disciples
didn’t get it, that is why they couldn’t help the boy with the bad spirit.
If Jesus never gave up in any of His
disciples. If Jesus never gives up in any of us. Do you think we have the moral
and ethical responsibility to give up in ourselves or in another person??? No,
I don’t think it is morally or ethically right to give up on any human being.
So, here we have a
very difficult situation, if are not going to give up on any person, including
ourselves, how are we going to handle all the people who we encounter and love
and they don’t get it??? Well, the answer is in the text. When we get it,
it is when we don’t give up on anyone else, then and just then God will use and
will work through us amazing things for the fulfillment of His Will and the
spreading of the Kingdom.
Let us pray,
Dear Father
Thank You for Your
amazing grace and love in each one of us. You never give up on any of us. Help
us to never give upon ourselves whatever is our situation and never give up of
any of our human fellows. In Jesus name. We pray. Amen.
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