WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Jesus, help me study even things I don't think I need to learn! Amen.

Jesus, Peter, James and John went up a mountain. All of a sudden, Jesus' face and clothes got as bright as the sun! Moses and Elijah, famous prophets, appeared with Jesus, and God's voice said, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him." Then the light went away and the disciples were alone with Jesus. "Don't talk about this until I'm in heaven," Jesus told them.

What every kid suspects is probably true: There are some things you learn in school that you might never need to know as an adult. Depending on what career you choose, you may never use your skills at diagramming sentences or solving tough math problems again.

On the other hand, it's impossible to know what job you'll have 15 or 20 years from now, so teachers have to teach you everything. You need to be prepared so you don't grow up and say, "Aaaah! I want to work with computers, but I never learned how to use one!"

This week's Gospel (Matthew 17:1-9) is about preparation. Jesus knows He won't be on earth forever, so He wants to make sure the disciples have the skills they need to keep His work going: teaching people about God.

The first thing they'll need is an understanding of who Jesus is. Peter, James and John have been hanging out with Jesus for a while, but that doesn't mean they really get that Jesus is the Son of God.

Just like you learn basic math so you're ready to learn complicated stuff if you decide to be a scientist someday, or diagram sentences in case you decide to be an English teacher, the disciples learn important things about Jesus: that He came from heaven, that He's God's Son, and that God the Father wants them to listen to Him.

To prove it, they get to see what Jesus would look like in heaven -- as bright as the sun, surrounded by people like Moses. No matter what they do with their knowledge, that's a lesson they won't forget!

(02/14/08)