“As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what ‘rising from the dead’ meant. And they asked him, ‘Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?’ Jesus replied, ‘To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.’” (Mark 9:9-13)
In Mark 9:9–13 Jesus refocused his disciples’ attention in the afterglow of his transfiguration. Having just experienced connection with his Father and the prophets Moses and Elijah, Jesus could have easily basked in the joy of that moment or let his disciples concentrate on his greatness. Instead, the text notes that Jesus forbade them to tell anyone about their experience until after he had risen from the dead. He was rapidly approaching his death on the cross. He had come to the earth to die as a Savior, not to win a popularity contest. On this, he remained focused despite the disciples’ misgivings or their inability to understand. They wanted to know why Elijah would return. Jesus confirmed that he already had, alluding to John the Baptist, but more importantly, that it was written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected. Jesus kept bringing them back to this reality, refusing to be distracted from his mission.
KEY QUESTIONS: How easy is it for me to get distracted from the big picture and my main mission in life? How should I respond to those who praise me for my accomplishments or virtues? What one thing do I need to focus on today to keep the main thing the main thing?
