Glory and the Mundane
Read Matthew 17.
I can't help but be struck by the intense contrasts in this chapter. At the beginning of this section, Jesus has taken three of the disciples up a mountain (important things, remember, happen on mountains in Matthew's Gospel) and there they have seen Jesus transfigured. The veil has been lifted and they have gotten a glimpse, but only a glimpse (because no one can see the full glory of God and live) of his glory. It is, undoubtedly, a high point in the life of these disciples. It is a moment they are unlikely to forget. In fact, it's so glorious that Peter wants to stay on the mountain. "Let's build shelters," he says. Let's not leave this place.
But leave they do, and when they get to the bottom, they find a crowd gathered (as there always seems to be a crowd wherever Jesus is). And yet, even though it's a lot of people, there is glory here, too. Maybe not (on our scale of "glory sightings") quite as glorious as what happened on the mountain...but for the father whose son is healed, it may be the most glorious moment in his life. (Glory is perhaps best measured relatively.)
That moment, then, leads them back to Capernaum, where the tax collectors surround Peter, demanding to know where his tax return is. Is there anything more mundane than taxes? Peter has to be thinking, "This morning I was witnessing a glimpse of heaven, but tonight I'm paying taxes?" From the glory to the mundane, all in one day.
And yet, Jesus is present in both of those. Maybe the mundane isn't so mundane...especially when Jesus essentially does a miracle to pay his and Peter's taxes. (Don't you wish he'd do that when you need to pay your taxes?) But no matter what happens, when Jesus is present, there is glory, even in the midst of paying bills or driving from here to there or changing diapers or working in the garden. When Jesus is present, there is glory.
Some days, at the end of the day I will reflect on all the places I was in that particular day and the things I have done. I've tried to train myself over the years to look for the presence of Jesus in everything. I seek to remember... In the days when I'm doing Annual Conference reports that are somewhat mind-numbing...Jesus is there. When I'm standing beside the bed of a hospital patient...Jesus is there. When I'm driving my daughter to her next event...Jesus is there. When I'm waking, when I'm sleeping, when I'm resting and when I'm working...Jesus is there.
I had a friend whose response to everything was to cry out, "Glory!" I didn't get it then, but I think I'm beginning to get it. Everything is glory. It might do us well to remove "mundane" from our vocabulary because wherever Jesus is, there is glory.
I can't help but be struck by the intense contrasts in this chapter. At the beginning of this section, Jesus has taken three of the disciples up a mountain (important things, remember, happen on mountains in Matthew's Gospel) and there they have seen Jesus transfigured. The veil has been lifted and they have gotten a glimpse, but only a glimpse (because no one can see the full glory of God and live) of his glory. It is, undoubtedly, a high point in the life of these disciples. It is a moment they are unlikely to forget. In fact, it's so glorious that Peter wants to stay on the mountain. "Let's build shelters," he says. Let's not leave this place.
But leave they do, and when they get to the bottom, they find a crowd gathered (as there always seems to be a crowd wherever Jesus is). And yet, even though it's a lot of people, there is glory here, too. Maybe not (on our scale of "glory sightings") quite as glorious as what happened on the mountain...but for the father whose son is healed, it may be the most glorious moment in his life. (Glory is perhaps best measured relatively.)
That moment, then, leads them back to Capernaum, where the tax collectors surround Peter, demanding to know where his tax return is. Is there anything more mundane than taxes? Peter has to be thinking, "This morning I was witnessing a glimpse of heaven, but tonight I'm paying taxes?" From the glory to the mundane, all in one day.
And yet, Jesus is present in both of those. Maybe the mundane isn't so mundane...especially when Jesus essentially does a miracle to pay his and Peter's taxes. (Don't you wish he'd do that when you need to pay your taxes?) But no matter what happens, when Jesus is present, there is glory, even in the midst of paying bills or driving from here to there or changing diapers or working in the garden. When Jesus is present, there is glory.
Some days, at the end of the day I will reflect on all the places I was in that particular day and the things I have done. I've tried to train myself over the years to look for the presence of Jesus in everything. I seek to remember... In the days when I'm doing Annual Conference reports that are somewhat mind-numbing...Jesus is there. When I'm standing beside the bed of a hospital patient...Jesus is there. When I'm driving my daughter to her next event...Jesus is there. When I'm waking, when I'm sleeping, when I'm resting and when I'm working...Jesus is there.
I had a friend whose response to everything was to cry out, "Glory!" I didn't get it then, but I think I'm beginning to get it. Everything is glory. It might do us well to remove "mundane" from our vocabulary because wherever Jesus is, there is glory.
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