Today we studied the transformation of Jesus in Mark 9. This word transformed is the same word that we get when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. A morphing or a changing. And in the case of Christ, he went from God to God with style:) But at the end He left us with a message of change. A promise of a life after life.
So why is it that I don't seem transformed at times? The disciples themselves were already not understanding the life after death statement by the time they walked off the mountain. They had just seen life after death, yet they failed to see the transformation, or more clearly accept it's meaning. But ultimately for the disciples to transform into who they were in Christ, it took a lifetime. A lifetime of progress, self denial, failure, godliness, bible study and prayer to become the transformed men of God who changed the world.
So for these men the butterfly image doesn't seem to suit.If they could be completely transformed by climbing into a "spiritual" cocoon, they would have done so. But what we see is the reality for these men to grasp what transformation was, and who it was to be done for took their life to understand.
And in the same way for me, for us. We want transformation to be immediate. Like a cloud speaking from the sky kind of moment. But in truth our transformation is going to take a lifetime of pursuit for Him to be complete. And even then, even when we may have done everything in this life to be just like Him, we still will be short. The prize, the piece to the puzzle that solves it all, is the reality that our true transfiguration is waiting for us in glory. So live like you are working for glory, the glory of our King.
