Today’s passage is Luke 9:28-36. A week later Jesus goes up a mountain with Peter, James and John to pray. The disciples fall asleep. When they wake up they see Jesus looking like lightning and talking to Moses and Elijah. As Peter starts talking nonsense, God shrouds them all in cloud and says Jesus is his son and to listen to him. When the cloud lifts, Jesus is alone with them. The disciples don’t tell anyone about it.
Why do the disciples always fall asleep when they pray?
Why does God shroud them in a cloud?
A couple of weeks ago, I went to Sokcho for a three day break between Sunday and Wednesday worship.
My school had just finished for the year, and I wanted to look at the sea and maybe climb Ulsanbowi.
Because of MERS, my school nurse wife couldn’t come with me, so I went alone.
I was very tired and looked forward to a little break before going back to school for summer work. T
he day I arrived at Sokcho a big cloud came and shrouded the city and Seoraksan Park for three days. I couldn’t see anything!
My expectations of looking at the sea especially were dashed.
Because I couldn’t see out, I turned my eyes inward to reflect on the situation.
I learned that I couldn’t reflect very long, just like the disciples.
I took naps and read The Lord of the Rings and did my QT.
I didn’t have my computer so I couldn’t do any work or listen to the sermons again.
I went for little walks but even when I was beside the sea, I could only see a few meters. I missed my wife.
I’ve been thinking about those days in a cloud since I got back. F
irst I thought what a waste of time and money it was.
Then I thought I shouldn’t try to go on a break without my wife.
Then I thought about the work I could’ve done if I’d stayed at home and gone to school.
Then I thought that those thoughts were a good picture of my mind, always lost in a cloud of busy thoughts, not seeing what I need to see, not hearing what I need to hear, and frustrated because things aren’t the way I want.
When I shared some of this with my wife, she said I wasn’t supposed to do anything on my break, I was just supposed to BE, to rest in God and not think.
My wife and I are very good at giving each other good advice that we don’t listen to.
Peter, John and James found out who Jesus was a week after he asked them who he was, but they were so shocked that they couldn’t tell anyone.
They didn’t know how to accept it. It was too much for their minds.
That’s just like my trip to Sockcho. It was too much for me.
God didn’t want me to see the sea.
He wanted to show me something else that I needed more.
There’s a prayer center near Sockcho. I had considered going there. My wife and I talked about it.
But because I can’t see the sea from it, I chose not to go. Wrong choice.
I opted for the sea without seeking God’s will and I got cloud.
At the prayer center cloud would not have mattered, and maybe I would have got what I really needed.
There’s a lot of rest in prayer.
Application: stop trying to give myself my idea of rest.
Lord, let me not strain to see too far but let me rest content in the limits and circumstances you provide. Remind me to seek your will before I act.
