The Coming of Elijah

 

And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.” (Mark 9:9-13 ESV).

 

Continuing to read in this chapter of Mark’s Gospel we see the disciples on their way down from the mountain where they'd seen the glory of Jesus, and where they had seen Moses and Elijah. The disciples had some questions about Elijah. They had been taught since they were young that Elijah would come back in a dramatic way to prepare for the coming of the Messiah (cf. Malachi 4:5-6). On the mountain, they saw clearly that Jesus was the Messiah. They wondered where had Elijah been?

 

In response, Jesus said Elijah had come, and he was referring here to John the Baptist (cf. Matthew 17:13). But what did it mean that Elijah (or John, in the spirit of Elijah) would restore all things?

 

Elijah, along with Moses, was one of the great prophets in the history of God's people, Israel. Elijah's calling was to challenge people to give up false faith and religion and turn back (be restored) to God. Before he went up to heaven, Elijah passed along his mantle, or cloak, to Elisha, who would carry on this work in God's name (cf. 2 Kings 2). In the spirit of Elijah, John the Baptist brought the same message, calling people to repent and turn back to God (cf. Luke 1:17).

 

In the spirit of Elijah, we also call men and women to prepare for Christ's coming into their lives. And we have more good news: Jesus has come, and all who believe in him as Savior can be restored to God. We are not waiting for our redemption… it has already come!

 

Seeing the Real Jesus

 

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. (Mark 9:2-8 ESV).

 

There are those times in our lives when we see something in person for the first time and simply cannot understand the magnitude of it until that moment. Some years ago Mary and I traveled with her sister and her husband to visit Yellowstone National Park. Of course, one of the sights we had to see was Old Faithful. This geyser, which is just one of many in the area, has been erupting at regular intervals with its boiling water. These eruptions regularly reach more than 130 feet and typically last for several minutes. It is difficult to understand the scale from the photo I’ve included. However, we were nearly 100 yards away from the actual eruption site. It was an awesome display of God’s power in nature. You truly must see it to believe it!

 

In our reading, Peter, James, and John experienced such a sight. They experienced the Son of God like no one else ever had. They witnessed a conversation between Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Jesus invited the three disciples to hear and see that God had confirmed and affirmed that Jesus was the fulfillment of the promise of grace and mercy shown through these Old Testament representatives. The voice of God, who has the last word, declared, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

 

Jesus wanted his disciples to remember from this event that God had come down to us in the person of Jesus to suffer and die and then rise again. His death and resurrection changed everything! While we cannot literally see Him, He is closer to us today than we might think. He has given us the Holy Spirit. He lives in us, knows us, and reminds us that we are in a vital relationship with him. And we don’t need to travel to a specific location to see and know the only Savior we will ever need. He is as close as your spirit!

 

The Voice of Satan

 

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you bare not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:31-38 ESV).

 

Our reading today is very insightful as we determine what the “voice of Satan” sounds like. It concerns Peter, who certainly meant well. He was drastically mistaken, however. Peter didn’t like it when Jesus talked about his approaching death and resurrection.

 

A short time earlier, Peter had made the bold profession, “You are the Christ.” But now Peter couldn’t accept Jesus’ words about suffering, rejection, and death. Peter’s vision for Jesus and his fellow disciples was far different from that. So, Peter took Jesus aside and tried to set him straight.

 

Jesus rebuked Peter in the strongest possible language: “Get behind me, Satan! … You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Peter had replaced God’s will with his own. Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth was to “save his people from their sins” (cf. Matthew 1:21).

 

In thankfulness to him we are called to follow his lead, whatever the cost may be. We must honestly admit that we are a lot like Peter. We easily yield to the temptation to make the Christian faith something different than Jesus intends it to be. We want the benefits of Christ’s cross, but we resist the price of following him. Again and again we need to be reminded that in God’s kingdom, life follows death and victory follows surrender. And we will only save what we are willing to lose.

 

Who Do Say that He Is?

 

And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. (Mark 8:27-30 ESV).

 

In our reading for today we encounter the central question of Jesus' ministry. This is a question that Peter must answer. It is also the question that every person who has ever lived must answer when Jesus asks, "Who do you say I am?"

 

This is a fascinating question, because Jesus focuses not on his teaching but on himself. In our day this often gets confused. We must remember that our Christian faith is not just based on a set of propositions but on a Person. Without Jesus himself, our faith crumbles. Without Jesus, our faith is empty.

 

That's why it doesn't work to dabble in just a little bit of the Christian faith, taking in a little of this or that and ignoring the rest. We cannot settle for a little bit of Jesus. We must accept him as he is, on his terms.

 

Peter, with guidance from the Father (cf. Matthew 16:17), jumps in with an answer that was wiser and more profound than even he realized at the moment: "You are the Christ." In other words, Peter was saying, "Jesus, you are not just a great teacher or prophet. You are the Messiah, the promised one sent by God who has come to save his people. You are the One who will rescue us from the consequences of our sins."

 

Jesus wants to hear your answer to his question too. Who do you say he is?

 

Poor Vision and the Right Doctor

 

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.” (Mark 8:22-26 ESV).

 

Not long ago I went to an ophthalmologist to check my eyes. I had a slight episode that concerned me in reference to my retina in the right eye. Going through the exam, which was thorough, I was a bit surprised that my vision was not nearly as much of a concern to the doctor as it was to me. Ultimately, we got to the issue of cataracts and I was told that I was not old enough to do anything about them. I said, “You do remember that I am 75, right?” He replied, “Really? Your eyes are much better than I would have expected. My thought then was that since I am legally blind (correctable so far) this doctor has no interest in my vision getting better. I do find my vision getting a bit worse as the months pass, so another visit to the doctor is in order, although a different doctor is in the plan.

 

Our reading today tells us of Jesus’ healing of a blind man. Jesus healed the man, but asked how well he could see. The blind man in our story today had the choice to tell Jesus the truth or to go through life seeing a blur. Because of the man’s honesty, Jesus touched him a second time and brought him from blurry vision to clear sight. I bet he was beyond overwhelmed at what he could see.

 

There are times when we have been blinded by our circumstances, our pain, or all the distractions around us. A friend may step in and invite us into a conversation with Jesus. If we accept the invitation, we may have an opportunity to be healed by Jesus. Sometimes our healing can take place progressively rather than instantaneously. Jesus walks with us. He continues to engage in the conversation, and he asks for our honesty. When we admit where we are in our circumstances, Jesus continues taking us from blurry sight to clarity. He is the right doctor!

 

The Power of a Little Yeast

 

Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive for understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” (Mark 8:14-21 ESV).

 

Mary and I don’t eat a lot of bread; however, we both like the aroma and taste of fresh baked bread. There’s nothing quite as good as fresh baked bread. The “store-bought” bread just isn’t as good. I typically bake a one-pound loaf when I bake. It is remarkable how little yeast is necessary to permeate the entire loaf. Watching it rise is wonderful. This is the background for Jesus’ story in today’s reading.

 

The disciples were worried. As they traveled by boat, they discovered they didn't have enough bread. Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said something that sounds strange to us: "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." This sounded strange to the disciples too. It started quite a discussion among them because they didn't understand it.

 

Jesus went on to explain that their worry was directly connected to the unbelief of the Pharisees and Herod, the religious leaders and the local king who refused to accept that Jesus was the Son of God. Twice the disciples had watched Jesus take a little bread and feed huge crowds. And yet they were anxious when they didn't seem to have enough to eat. They knew who Jesus was, and yet they were still worrying about their everyday needs. In that sense, said Jesus, "the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod", the poison of unbelief, was flowing through their veins.

 

Worry can be a form of unbelief, and there's still plenty of that poison around today. If Jesus is Lord, why are we so anxious about the details of our lives? Why do we worry so much about our finances or relationships? Why are we so concerned about the future?

 

Jesus offers the antidote to our anxieties. Trust in Him!

 

The Abundance of Jesus' Provision

 

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. (Mark 8:1-10 ESV).

 

In today’s reading, Jesus has compassion for a huge crowd of people again—and this time it’s simply because they are hungry! When the disciples raise the question of available resources, Jesus begins with a resource inventory. Seven loaves and a few small fish are way too few for feeding so many people. But what the disciples are not counting, of course, is the compassion of Jesus. What’s more, he only asks us to give what we have, and he will provide all that is needed.

 

I often find that there’s a big gap between my available resources and the needs I hear about. In effect, the disciples have asked a particularly critical question: How can the needs of the world be met? They see the gap and do not yet see that the answer is standing right in front of them. This is a lesson I am forever learning. I tally up what I have, and it is not enough for all the needs around me. I do not have enough time, patience, hospitality, skills, wisdom, energy, or finances. But Jesus doesn’t ask me if I have enough; he asks what I have—and in his hands he will make it enough.

 

What about you? I hope you know that Jesus will take and use what you have to extend holy compassion to others.