If the King is speaking, then the subjects of the realm should not be. The King’s speech is an occasion for everyone else to listen. That is not just basic courtesy; it is the only sane response to the situation. If the King is speaking, and we see people paying less and less attention to Him, we can by that measure observe our civilization’s descent into insanity. The three words of today’s command summarize my philosophy of ministry. The gathering together of God’s people is not merely to get self-help strategies or emotional self-satisfaction or baseless community involvement. It’s not about us. We come together to hear from the King.  In hearing Him we will know what we need to know, and that will often equip us to do what He wants us to do.  God’s Word is a marvelous expression of His grace to us.

The God of Heaven had special instructions in Matthew 17:5 (and Mark 9:7 and Luke 9:35) for a special person in the ministry of the Lord Jesus during his earthly sojourn. That special project was Mr. Stone, the man called Peter (Petros in Greek, Kaipha in Aramaic—never pronounced “Cephas” in his hearing!). The command follows a very intriguing conversation between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Peter was privileged to be invited to the event we call the “Transfiguration,” in which the Glory of God shown through the Humanity of Christ. This great moment of revelation in the ministry of Christ remains one of the Scriptures’ greatest mysteries, prompting several unanswered questions. Apparently, God intended to open His stores of hidden knowledge concerning Christ for the benefit of those disciples closest to Him. Their intimacy with Jesus gave them special access to this meeting between their glorified Lord and His prophets of old.  It did not really go well.

Matthew 17:1–5 (NASB95)

¹Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

²And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

³And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

⁴Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

⁵While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

As we read the words of this story we might want to ask so much that the Text does not answer. So it is at times with other areas of life. Relationships that fracture, circumstances that spiral out of human control, and tragically missed opportunities all drive us to prayer and require our faith in the God Who is love. Disappointment and heartache may suggest that we ask “why?”.  Often the most comforting answer is that God knows even if we do not.

The stark point I want to bring out in this command is how it so simplifies the believer’s life. Peter in verse 4 makes a proposal grounded in baseless conjecture, showcasing his ignorance.  He needed to listen and learn.   He was understandably excited, and after all, he did ask if it was Jesus’ will for him to act. Nevertheless, verse 3 tells us why the Father’s words were a rebuke.  Jesus was speaking to Moses and Elijah. Peter interrupted!

Have you ever noticed someone in conversation just waiting for you to finish your remark so that they can say what they want to say? Really bad conversationalists will sometimes not even hear what you’re saying because they are so wrapped up in their own thoughts. We should strive to be better listeners.  I think we often come to the Word of God this way.  I don’t just mean when we read the Bible per se. This happens when we hear it read and taught by those “who stand in front.” Trained pastors who actually exposit God’s Word so that the hearer can understand its contents and relate them to his life will see something that baffles them every Sunday. Churchgoers, more in some churches than in others, will at times be locked up in their own heads, clueless about what is being said from God’s Word. Some do not listen, perhaps, because it never occurred to them that they should.

I said that the Father’s command here in Matthew 17:5 has been a defining statement for my philosophy of ministry as a pastor. You see, speaking in the pulpit for the edification of God’s people should not be focused on mere human correlations and theological abstractions, much less a “tell them what they want to hear” ditty that is long on shallow  and short on Bible. Our goal is to “listen to Him!” This command should drive everything we say and do in Christian ministry, for we are of Christ, and He is speaking. How will we know that Jesus is speaking? You will hear Him in the Word of God, for He is God the Son, the Word Who “became flesh.”