When Peter, James, and John were taken to the Mount of Transfiguration with the Savior, I found their response interesting. Only a week after he had testified of the divinity of Christ, Peter seemed to put Him on equal footing with the resurrected prophets. How could a senior disciple make such a grievous error? Perhaps because he was, like the rest of us, only human.
Only one chapter prior, Peter had declared Christ to be the Son of God. Why, then, would he suggest an alter be built to worship the Savior, Moses, and Elijah? Shouldn’t he recognize that Christ was far different than these two great men? I struggled with this for a little bit; it seemed ironic so soon after Peter’s testimony.
As I thought about it, the juxtaposition made a little more sense. Peter, after all, had not yet fully comprehended the depth and breadth of Christ’s mission. In fact, he didn’t quite realize the fullness of it until Christ bade him to leave his fishing nets and testify of the resurrection to all who would hear. If he didn’t understand it then, why would he have fully comprehended it six months prior?
Furthermore, when I turned to read the corresponding section in Mark, things felt a little clearer. In Mark 9:6, after Peter declares that an alter ought be built to worship Christ, Moses, and Elijah, the scriptures note that the disciples “wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid” (this was stated before Heavenly Father revealed His presence in Mark). In short, confronted with a transfigured, glorified vision of his friend Jesus, standing in the presence of two great prophets, Peter was uncertain of what his response should be. Did you ever have moments that you look back on and could kick yourself for? I’m sure this was one for Peter. In his uncertainty, he stuck his foot in his mouth.
What of us? Are there times when you perhaps don’t fully comprehend all that the Lord expects you to do in a situation? Perhaps you take your eye off of the Savior only slightly to marvel at what happens around you, and miss fully understanding all that you need to understand. Isn’t that what Peter did? He was so busy staring at Moses and Elijah that he missed – only slightly – the full glory of the Savior. And so we should make sure to keep our eyes fully on the mark, our minds focused on Him. He will lead and guide us down the paths that we need to travel, and help us know what He expects, if we continue to watch Him while proceeding through our mortal ministry.
Related Articles:
Gospel Doctrine: Wandering Through the World
Gospel Doctrine: Straightway & Immediately
For other talks relating to this week’s lesson, check out the Gospel Doctrine link.