Spaces And Shapes

Jesus was so human and down to Earth. There was nothing alien or strange about Him.

"And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him... And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, 'Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.'... And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, 'Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.' And Jesus answered, 'O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.' And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly." - Matthew 17:1-3, 9, 14-18 ESV

The disciples saw Him transfigured but He didn't want them to tell anyone. Why?

I think it is because He wanted His identification with people to be a full identification. He trusted that those three, flawed as they were, knew who He was because the Father had revealed it to them. But, He also knew that if these three, who were recognized as close to Him, started telling 'He Glows Like The Sun When No One Is Around' stories that it would distance Him from the people in the valley.

"Neither give place to the devil." - Ephesians 4:27 KJV

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." - 1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV

Spaces and shapes. The word 'appearance' in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 is Eidos (Strong's G1491) and it speaks about a shape or outward form.

Jesus didn't want space between people and Himself. He moved in ways to prevent space. He didn't want to let a perception of His shape publicized by people who represented Him create space between people.

Others were trying to shape perceptions about Christ in a bad light. The religious people were already saying that Christ was connected to demons and that He was too human to be Messiah. Jesus knowing the hearts of men did not want to detract from His humanity or feed the rumor mill.

We all know that if someone is close to a famous person and something happens to that famous person suddenly it is the people close to them that get quoted in the articles written.

Jesus knew that knowledge of His transfiguration would be a comfort after His death and a distraction from His present ministry.

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;" - 1 John 1:1 KJV

"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,' we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts," - 2 Peter 1:16-19 ESV

What distracts from grace being presented in our lives? What makes a person say, 'You are unapproachable.' I want to put those things far from me. Holiness does not have to be far away. Jesus never sinned but He put Himself near people in the market place and in their homes.

God, Give us creativity to minister and wisdom to know the stumbling blocks that can't be removed and the ones that can be and make the decisions necessary to close the spaces and reveal the form of Jesus Christ.

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