I’m not always a patient person. I always skip through the ad reads on whatever podcast I’m listening to. I watch most YouTube videos at least one and a half times the speed, sometimes even faster. I want the good stuff, and I don’t want to endure anything more than I have to in order to get it.
This is why Peter’s response in Luke 9:28-36 has stuck with me. You may know this passage as the transfiguration. Jesus revealed himself to a few of his disciples in his full glory, accompanied by Moses and Elijah. It’s an intense description! Peter was so impressed that he suggested breaking out camp and staying put, only for the narrator to interject and tell us that Peter didn’t really know what he was asking for.
What did Peter do wrong? It only really makes sense in contrast to the verses just before. In Luke 9:21-27, Jesus told his disciples that he would die and rise again and that anyone who would follow him should expect the same. Glory’s coming, but suffering comes first. But on the mountain of transfiguration, Peter wanted to skip to the end. Like an astronaut who wants to walk on the moon without experiencing all the pressures of takeoff or the cramped living conditions on board the shuttle, Peter wanted to get to the glory and skip the suffering – totally forgetting what Jesus had just recently told them.
I won’t be too hard on Peter because I get it. If I could get the glory without the suffering, I’d want it that way too. “Let’s just stay on the mountaintop.” But if Jesus didn’t die, then he wouldn’t rise, and if he didn’t rise, then there would be no salvation for his people. The suffering was a necessary part of the glory. If Jesus had been persuaded by Peter and skipped all the suffering, then there would be no glory for Peter or any of us in the end. Peter didn’t really think it through.
There are no shortcuts to the Christian life, and there is no substitute for faithful perseverance. Thankfully, we have a Savior who doesn’t take shortcuts. He willingly suffered so that, through faith in him, we might be glorified. He did it the hard way precisely because it was the only way.
It’s a tough time to be a leader, and I’ll wager that many of you reading this are facing challenges in your ministry. Relationships between colleagues are strained. Decisions are paralyzing since any choice feels like the wrong choice. The people you serve are having a rough time and you feel inadequate to the task before you. Leadership can be a source of great joy, but it’s also a fount of intense suffering. In these moments, it’s tempting to be Peter: Can’t we just stick our heads in the sand and stay on this mountaintop? In these moments, remember the story of the Bible and how it is best displayed in Jesus. Suffering precedes glory. In fact, the suffering leads to glory. As we suffer with Christ, so too will we be glorified with Christ. Your Savior knows because he’s been there, and he’s promised to take us with him.
Tom is the Pastoral Advisor at the One America Movement. He is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and previously served as the Associate Pastor at Grace Community Church in Charlottesville, VA, where he led the church’s efforts in adult discipleship and community engagement. Tom is passionate about the work of reconciliation and the building of relationships across divides. But when he’s not pursuing such lofty goals, he likes watching superhero movies, training martial arts, and hanging out with his dog. Tom holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Virginia, an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary – Washington, D.C., and is currently pursuing a Th.M. in Historical and Theological Studies at Westminster Theological Seminary.
Tom is the Pastoral Advisor at the One America Movement. He is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and previously served as the Associate Pastor at Grace Community Church in Charlottesville, VA, where he led the church’s efforts in adult discipleship and community engagement. Tom is passionate about the work of reconciliation and the building of relationships across divides. But when he’s not pursuing such lofty goals, he likes watching superhero movies, training martial arts, and hanging out with his dog. Tom holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Virginia, an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary – Washington, D.C., and is currently pursuing a Th.M. in Historical and Theological Studies at Westminster Theological Seminary.
