Luke 9:32-33

Luke 9:32-33

And Peter – and the ones with him – were having been weighed down in sleep.  And after waking they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  And it became in their departure from Him, Peter said to Jesus, not knowing what he was saying, “It is good for us to be here and we should make three tents: one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Peter, James, and John were weighed down in sleep.  They were tired.  This description gives us the idea that they were exhausted to the point of not being able to keep their eyes open any longer.  They didn’t choose to sleep because they were being disrespectful.  They didn’t sleep to ignore Jesus.  They were exhausted.  Ministry exhausts us.

When have you been tired after doing ministry?  When have you needed sleep so badly that you had to stop doing ministry and rest?

Second Thought:

Notice that Jesus doesn’t chastise Peter, James, and John.  We should be careful to not compare this story to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus doesn’t mind Peter and James and John sleeping while He is meeting with Moses and Elijah.  Their presence was not required; it was not necessary.  They were invited to come, but they really had no significant role to play except to witness the encounter.

How does this passage show Jesus’ compassion?  If you were meeting with Moses and Elijah and those close to you were sleeping through the encounter, how would you have felt about their action?

Third Thought:

This story teaches us a great lesson about human beings.  Most of us aren’t really all that comfortable in the silence.  When we don’t know what to say, we usually just babble.  We tend to speak nervously.  Peter does that here.  He wakes up.  He’s probably a bit flustered and embarrassed that he almost slept through his opportunity to meet Elijah and Moses in person.  He doesn’t know what to say, so he speaks.  He tries to prolong the encounter while his brain catches up to the situation.  He would have been better served to be patient and accept the moment that God created in the manner that God created it.

How many times have you spoken when you should have kept your mouth shut?  When are you most likely to say something that shows your ignorance?

Passage for Tomorrow: Luke 9:34-36