Keep Your Eyes Fixed On The Lord
“Remember that vision on the Mount of Transfiguration; and let it be ours, even in the glare of earthly joys and brightnesses, to lift up our eyes, like those wondering three, and see no man any more, save Jesus only.” ~ Alexander MacLaren
It is difficult to keep oneself focused, is it not? After all, there are so many distractions in our lives that keep us attending to many things, people, and experiences. To remain focused on one thing takes a lot of concentration and a lot of dedication.
I was on Mount Tabor, the Mount of Transfiguration. I was actually privileged to visit it on four different occasions. I have to admit, it was hard to focus. As the tour guide was telling us about the place and we were reflecting about the whole experience of the three with Jesus, my eyes were wandering because the views are phenomenal and my mind was wandering as well thinking about the way up.
You see, to get to the place of the Transfiguration, you have to travel up a high mountain with very narrow roads and hairpin curves. We often joke that the taxi ride up will test one’s faith more than any other experience in the Holy Land. When you get out of the taxi, it is hard to focus on what the tour guide is saying. You are still thinking about the trip up, thanking God that you made it up alive, and dreading the trip back down.
Peter, James, and John were taken by Jesus up a high mountain (Mt. Tabor). When they got to the top, they were most likely looking all about as the views of Galilee are amazing. To walk up takes at least an hour. They were probably thinking about the return trip whenever Jesus was done speaking to them. They never expected to see the Lord transfigured in front of them.
What was happening? What did it mean? What were the implications of their experience? All these questions they were most likely pondering when a voice thundered from the clouds, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.” That would have been a game changer. Wanting to hold tightly to that experience, Jesus told them that it was time to go back to reality, to their daily lives.
There are many times that we are distracted by what is going on around us. We have a hard time focusing on what is truly happening. We might be completely overwhelmed by an experience in which we encounter the Lord. Wanting to savor those experiences, we find that they do not last and that we are called, once again, to our daily lives. Make sure to live those lives with faithfulness and trust. Never worry. God will reveal Himself to you when you most need.
FAITH ACTION: Live as faithful followers of Jesus Christ and trust that He will show you what He wants you to do.