March 11 – Mark 9:2-13

“Be still and know that I am God…” ~ Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

In Psalm 46, God tells both Israel and Israel’s enemies that He is the one in charge. He is in control, and He is good. He is both “refuge and strength,” peace and protection. His glory fills the heavens and the earth.

We are His creation. It is our job to listen to Him, to receive from Him, to be nurtured by Him, to be redeemed by Him, and to be obedient to the work He wants to do in our hearts. But the listening, the “being still,” comes first. Peter got it backwards in today’s passage, so we can learn from him what not to do in our encounters with God, especially those encounters where we are left in awe—those “mountaintop experiences” of the Christian life.

In the verse just before today’s passage, Jesus promises that some of the people listening to Him “will not taste death before they see that the Kingdom of God has come with power” (Mark 9:1). Peter, James, and John then become those blessed people. Jesus takes them to the top of a high mountain, where they witness His Transfiguration. They see a display of His glory, and they are “frightened.” (The Greek word here is ekphobos, and it has the connotation of being “frightened out of one’s wits.”) Jesus’ power is more than awe-inspiring, and the appearance of Moses and Elijah, the representatives of the Law and the Prophets, indicates Jesus’ authority and His fulfillment of the Old Testament. So, Peter starts talking about building them shelters…

It is a human tendency to want to be an active participant in grand events. We often want to do rather than just be. Peter seems to have been uncomfortable as a witness. Verse 6 tells us that he “did not know what to say.” So, instead of remaining silent, he says the first thing that comes to mind—he offers to do something that he thinks will be helpful, productive, and reverent. But, in this case, the proper response would have been stillness, silence, and attentiveness.

The Father responds to Peter, saying, “This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!” (v. 7, emphasis added). In other words, “Peter, this is not the time to talk and do. This is the time to listen and be still.”

This experience was a gift to Peter, James, and John. Jesus tells them to keep it confidential until after His Resurrection, though the disciples don’t yet understand what that means. Jesus tries to show them that His rejection, death, and Resurrection will soon come as fulfillment of prophecy and that He as the Messiah was preceded by Elijah (John the Baptist), who prepared the way for Him—also in fulfillment of prophecy (vv. 11-13). So, the Transfiguration and Jesus’ subsequent teaching were gifts that strengthened the three disciples’ faith and, later, their understanding of Jesus. Divine gifts like this are meant to be received with reverence. When God inspires this kind of awe, it is best to “be still and know” and “listen to Him.”

In your time with God today, practice stillness and silence as you sit in His Presence for a while. Make yourself completely available to Him and then listen. Sometimes we can’t hear God very well because we are doing so much talking. So, today, learn from Peter and don’t talk. Just listen. Be still and know.