EPIPHANY • 6

How are we to respond to the glory of God?

This week’s readings invites us to see and respond to the glory of God.

reading for: 10 february

Mark 9:2-9

Responding with attention to the beloved Son

  • READ

The story begins with Jesus and his disciples, Peter, James, and John being led up a high mountain. Jesus was transfigured right before their eyes(v2) and his clothes were bright white and radiant(v3). Elijah and Moses appeared, and they were talking to Jesus(v4).  Moses and Elijah represented the law and the prophets.

In verse 7, we hear God speaking from a cloud. This is similar to the people of Israel hearing the voice of God from a cloud in Exodus. God responds in two ways, first by repeating the affirmation of Jesus as his beloved Son first said at the baptism and then asking the disciples to listen to the Son. We need to remember that as these words were spoken, Jesus was still shining with glory right before the eyes of the disciples. The disciples were to listen because he was the beloved Son of God who was about to go on his mission of dying on the cross, resurrection from the dead and his coming again with glory. The transfiguration contains only a foretaste of the glory of the Son which will be shown in fullness when he comes again. Moses and Elijah then disappear (v8) and the words of the God indicates that the Son was the fulfilment of the law and the prophets and that it was imperative to listen to the Son.

Peter reflected on this occasion years later in 2 Peter 1:16-21 when he challenges his readers to pay attention to the prophetic word that speaks of Jesus, the beloved Son of God who died, rose again, and will come again with glory. In other words, they were to pay attention to the Gospel of the beloved Son.

  • REFLECT

    Do we pay attention to the beloved Son? Do we pay attention to the death and resurrection and the second coming of the Son? Let us reflect and remember to set our focus and attention on the beloved Son. Pray for focus and strength to help us to set our focus on Jesus.

reading for: 11 february

2 Kings 2:1-12

 Responding with focus on our prophetic mission

  • READ

    Elijah and Elisha were at Gilgal when Elijah was about to be taken up by the Lord to heaven. Elijah wanted Elisha to stay at Gilgal because God was calling Elijah to a faraway place Bethel. Elisha refused to leave Elijah and went with Elijah to Bethel. (v1-2)

    These sequences of events were similarly repeated in Bethel and Jericho where Elisha refused to leave Elijah. (v4-6) After some time, Elisha and Elijah were standing by the Jordan river where he saw Elijah part the waters of the Jordan so that they could go over on dry ground. (v8)

    After they crossed, Elisha asked for a double portion of the Spirit that was on Elijah when asked. Elijah replied that if Elisha were to see him being taken away then Elisha would receive a double portion of the Spirit. (v8-10)

    As they continued on, Elisha saw chariots of fire and horses of fire separating them, and Elijah was taken up into heaven. (v11-12)

    Why was Elisha so persistent to follow Elijah? The story lists multiple occasions at Gilgal, Bethel where Elisha could have left Elijah. He could have stayed where he was, just as Elijah told him to.  When Elisha was given the opportunity to ask for anything he wanted, he asked for a double portion of the Spirit. He did not want wealth, health, or other things. He asked for a double portion of the Spirit so that he may be empowered in his mission to be the prophet of Israel, the successor of Elisha. Elisha was focused on his mission and he wanted to be empowered for it.

    As Elisha saw Elijah taken away in a spectacular and glorious fashion, Elisha exclaimed for a moment, and then he saw Elijah no more. (v12) Elisha did not wallow in pity or amazement but he continued in his mission of serving God and the people of Israel as the prophet of Israel.

    Just as Jesus was given a prophetic role (Luke 7:16, John 6:14) to call Israel to repentance and fulfil their calling as God’s prophetic people, we too, as Jesus’ disciples, have also been given a mission by the Lord, the beloved Son in Matthew 28:18-20, to call the world to Christ. Let us stay focussed on the mission that the Son has given us. Let us receive the power of the Spirit as the Spirit empowers us to carry out the mission that God has given to us.

  • REFLECT

    Are we focused on the prophetic mission that the Son has given to us? Pray to the Lord that he may help us to focus on continuing His mission. Pray that the Lord will empower us for the mission that he has given to us.

reading for: 12 february

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 

Responding by radiating & reflecting the glory of the Son

  • READ

    In Mark 9:2-9 we saw the glory of the Son displayed for a moment, that was only a foretaste of who this Son truly is. Paul in verse 4 sees the Son not just as any other Son but the glorious Son who is the image of God. Colossians 1:19 makes it clear that fullness of deity dwells in this glorious Son. The gospel is not any other gospel but the gospel of this glorious Son. 

    The minds of unbelievers who are perishing have been kept from seeing the glory of the Son. They have been blinded by the god of this world. They reject the knowledge of the gospel of God.  They are still in the darkness for they do not see the light. (v2-3)

    Paul does not proclaim himself, but he proclaims the glorious Christ as Lord. He shines forth the light that has shone in his heart. (v5-6) Paul in Acts 9 saw the glory of Christ on the road to Damascus.  This glory that he has received and experienced, he takes it and proclaims it. He does not remain silent, but he boldly proclaims the gospel of the glory of the Son so that they may open their minds and respond to the gospel.  Or to put it in another way, they may be brought from darkness into light.

    Many in the world today are still blinded, they are kept from seeing the glory of the Son. They run around from place to place trying to find meaning in life, yet they do not find true meaning in those things. The gospel of the glory of the Son is the light that shines forth in the darkness. Yet the gospel of the glory of the Son must first shine forth in our hearts just as it has shone forth in the heart of Paul. We can only shine forth like Paul what we have received.

  • REFLECT

    Is the light of the glory of the Son shining forth in our hearts? Have we taken the light of this glorious Son and shine it forth to others? Pray to the Lord that he may continue to shine forth in our hearts and that we will not keep the light to ourselves but shine the light to others so that they too may receive the light of the glory of the Son. What is one way that we can shine as individuals and as a LG in the neighbourhood or to those around us?

reading for: 13 february

Psalm 50:1-6

Responding with thanksgiving and right living

  • READ

    This is a psalm where God speaks to the community of faith. The scene first starts with God gathering the earth from the rising to the setting of the sun. Verse 2 and 3 brings back memories of the people of Israel in Exodus where they saw the glory of God at mount Sinai. God is portrayed as a God who does not keep silence and before him is a devouring fire and around him is a mighty tempest. God gathers the heavens and the earth to mount Zion.

    Why then does the Lord do that? Verse 4 gives us the answer. The reason why God has gathered the heavens and the earth is to be witnesses. They are to witness God judging his people. Israel who became the people of God when the covenant between God and them was made at mount Sinai, were to be judged with ‘heaven & earth” as a ‘merism’ for Creation – meaning that all Creation is called to be a witness to the Covenant between God and Israel.

    The rest of this psalm contains words of admonition and judgement that God indicts his people for their behaviour and attitude. Verse 7 to 15 broadly is about right sacrifice and 16 to 22 is about right living. Israel saw the glory of God at mount Sinai but they have forgotten God. Their hearts are far from God. 

    Like Israel, we also have encounters with God in our lives of how he helps us through a difficult situation or of how he has healed us from sickness or disease. We may have times in our life that we have received great revelation from God. We should not be like the people of Israel who have forgotten God, whose hearts are far from God. Let us remember these occasions and give God praise for what he has done for us. Let us learn to order our lives rightly. To this kind of people, God will show the salvation of God. (v23)

  • REFLECT

    Remember and thank God for what he done for us. Reflect on how we are ordering our lives. What is one thing that we can do to order our lives right? 

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