December 14, 2017 - - Mark 9:2-4 Transfiguration and Human Understanding

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.

His clothes became shining, exceedingly white,

like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.

And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

Mark 9:2-4 NKJV

Have you ever pulled on a loose thread dangling from your clothing only to find that pulling it caused more problems? Consider these lyrics

"If you want to destroy my sweater

Hold this thread as I walk away

Watch me unravel, I'll soon be naked

Lying on the floor (lying on the floor)

I've come undone."

— Weezer, "Undone (The Sweater Song)"

Now consider what is happening in the Bible the text above. Jesus met on the mountain top with Elijah (who represented the prophets) and Moses (who represents the Law based on God's covenant faithfulness from creation, through the Exodus to the Promised Land). His glory, already hinted at the prophets and the law, is now revealed and Scripture pictures His glory ever increasing for those who are beginning to perceive Who He Is. His glory is also revealing the great glory of the Father.

If you pull a thread of teaching from the Old Testament and disregard it, then you'll see the unity of the Bible unravel. Ignore the literal six day creation and Exodus 20 makes no sense, nor does Jesus' teaching on the Sabbath (Matthew 12, Mark 2 et al).

If you pull on the thread of Adam and Eve, as our first parents, uniquely created, then you see the teaching on marriage unravel (as it is in our times), you'll believe in evolution and accommodate godless "science" which is historical science, not operational (measurements and repeatable, observable experiments) science. And life is no longer valuable: evolution does not teach man made in the image of God, but as the product of time and endless death. Lose the historical Adam and there is no need for the final Adam, Jesus (Romans 5).

Of course "science" and all other fields of human searching for knowledge have made many, many adjustments and course corrections. For example, it is interesting to me that Math has five axioms that are unprovable, but are taken as the foundation of mathematics. One of them, has to do with triangles. All triangles, when you add up their three sides, have 180 degrees. Except when you are dealing with curves; suddenly triangles have three sides that equal more than 180 degrees (consider that our earth is a globe with a curved surface!) Consider how many variables that have not even been considered yet, let alone calculated. One simple variable changes everything. This beautifully, complex creation requires the revelation which the Spirit of God can show us, He Who knows the deep things of God and shows them to the believing heart.

Science, math, philosophy, all human knowledge in fact is always a work in progress because there is so much that is not known and new information can make everything else obsolete. Only the Word of the Lord, the Bible is utterly trustworthy as it the Truth given by Him Who is infinite in power and knowledge and is the source of all Truth.

It is sad that many Christians willingly pull on the sweater of their faith, while vehemently refusing to consider pulling at the accommodations they have made in order to hold to their tattered, cherished views on evolution or whatever other human views are current. What is stranger still is that Christians, who are so divided and illogical in their thinking, are surprised that their children cannot see the value of holding onto the nakedness of their parents' unraveling faith and abandon it for the very teachings which compromised the Christian faith.

We confess with Paul, O God, "let God be true and every man a liar!" With the Psalmist we declare "Against You, You only have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight--that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge." In the tangled cords of human reasonings and rebellious ideas which would strive to define You out of Your own universe, help me to hold ever closer to Your Word. You alone, oh Jesus, are the Light of the World. By Your Spirit continually teach me and cause me to live in confident, obedient faith. Amen.

Prayer includes quotations from Romans 3:4 and Psalm 51:4)