Stroll through Scripture for March 2, 2025

Based on Luke 9:28-45

“They were terrified.”  “The demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions.”  “They were afraid to ask him.”  

I pulled three quotes from the selected passage of Scripture for this Sunday.  There are three distinct stories going on.  But it seems that fear runs through all of them.  There is fear for different reasons of course.  The first fear happens during the transfiguration of Jesus.  Jesus changes right before Peter, James, and John.  They see the glory of Jesus.  They are afraid as they enter the cloud that overshadows them.  This is a fear of the Lord type of fear.  A ”what are we getting into???” type of fear. How often does God call us to do something or say something that leaves us afraid of what might happen?  Maybe we are supposed to speak up for someone.  Maybe God is calling on us to do something.  

When I was discerning a call into ministry, I quickly got comfortable with not knowing what was going to happen next.  Faith can be scary, terrifying even.  Because faith is about reliance on God.  We walk by faith and not by sight.  We don’t know what’s going to happen.  We trust that God has us though.  With faith, we are not in control.  And that is one of the scariest things that a human can come to terms with.  Of course, we’ve never really been in control anyway.  With faith, we drop the pretense and embrace this reality.  

In the second story, Jesus casts a demon out of boy.  It’s a scary sight.  The son’s father approaches Jesus saying that he begged Jesus’ disciples to cast the demon out, but they couldn’t.  Jesus responds with a statement that could almost be accompanied by a heavy sigh – “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you?”  

In the last story, Jesus foretells his own death, and the disciples are afraid to ask him about this.  Maybe they don’t know what to ask.  Maybe they feel like if they ask, they will be bothering Jesus.  We don’t know, but they keep quiet.  

There are themes that run through these stories.  Fear is one.  But also, the contrast between the people Jesus is with and Jesus.  In all three stories, those accompanying Jesus are left speechless.   It is God who has the final quoted word in all three stories – whether that be the Father or Jesus.  What more could possibly be added?  

Questions for further reflection:

• Most people struggle with the sense of wanting control over their lives.  But God calls us away from this desire.  How has God called you to answer the call?  And how did that make you feel?
• The voice in the cloud said of Jesus “Listen to him!”  That can be difficult.  And scary.  What is Jesus saying in your life now?