"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"
Matthew 17:5
What do you think of when you hear the word "hero"? According to what age you are and where you are in life, I am sure that several different things come to your mind. For some there is the picture of a soldier that fought to defend the freedoms of their countrymen and even the citizens of another country. Others may think of a family member that bravely battled a disease for several years of their life while continuing to be a light to those around them. There are of course those that have accepted the role of helping and loving those who are helpless and hurting.
Unfortunately, the word has been cheapened to mean some very small things as well. I often hear young people say that their heroes are athletes and celebrities. However, it is not fair to place that on just our young people. Turn on the television any given day and watch a sporting event. You are almost guaranteed to see grown adults spending way too much money and time to celebrate the fact that someone can throw, catch, shoot, or hit a ball. They may not say those people are their heroes, but their actions say otherwise.
Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to a mountain to pray. This was not an unusual event, but little did they know how unusual things would get. Suddenly Jesus was literally shining like the sun, and He was not alone. There, standing beside Him, were Moses and Elijah. Here are three Hebrew men who have heard and read about Moses and Elijah their whole life. If they would have had Bible trading cards in those days, these disciples would have had their cards prominently displayed in the spokes of their bikes when they were boys. The word "hero" does not even begin to explain how highly revered these two men were. We know they didn't have pictures of them in their Torah. We don't read that Jesus introduced them to the disciples. We conclude that in the super-natural we will be able to automatically identify people. They were completely amazed. They were so amazed that in the excitement Peter expressed how great it would be to build three tabernacles to commemorate the moment: one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
That is when God the Father spoke. The purpose of this moment was not to glorify man. Moses and Elijah may have been used in powerful ways by God, but they were still men. There is nothing that they accomplished that they could have done apart from the power of God. God the Father is jealous for the glory of His Son. Our praise and adoration is never to be for men and their accomplishments however great they may be. All things are for God's glory, praise, and honor. The disciples fell to their faces humbled by the voice of God and His admonition. How wonderful it would be if we fell to our faces today before a God and gave Him all the praise that He deserves! Quit being so obsessed with man that you forget about the One who came to give you true life.
May you live in awe of the Messiah today!
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