Transformed

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

TRANSFORMED

Luke 9:28-36

28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.) 34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.

NIV

We are what is referred to as transfiguration and it simply gives us a clue what will happen at some time in our future. The appearance of Jesus’s face changed while he was praying. Matthew includes that the face of Jesus shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as light. Luke uses as bright as a flash of lightning. Two truths we should explore. First, this being transformed into a glorious form as the three saw Jesus at that moment, will happen to us when we are resurrected and changed from this corruptible body into one that is incorruptible, and we will also be transformed from this perishable body into one that is imperishable. According to the revelation of Jesus that was given to John, we will be clothed in a white robe and walk with Jesus. There is no doubt that we will appear glorious in this new place Jesus has prepared for us. The fact that Moses and Elijah were also in glorious forms, gives us more reason to believe that is how we will be when we see Jesus. However, there is something else, a second truth. We cannot be sure if this actually happens because we are not looking in a mirror when we pray. But we do wonder how much the appearance of our face changes as we are fully engaged through the power of the Spirit in prayer, or having a conversation with Jesus. We know whenever we pray in public it seems that there is no change in our faces, but what about in the time when we are in our prayer closet, at least figuratively, and we have shut out all the distractions of this world.  After all, we are full of the Holy Spirit, or maybe we should say the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Once again, we could liken having the Spirit within us to a tank of helium in a room. The tank is in the room, but it is contained. We might have the Spirit within us, but we may well be containing him, even when we pray. When the tank of helium is released the whole room is filled and anyone in that room has a changed voice. Perhaps,  if we released the power of the Spirit while we prayed, we too would have a changed voice. That is our words would be those of the Spirit speaking through us. Those who are of the Pentecostal persuasion referred to that as the gift of tongues, that is the Spirit is speaking through them, giving them the power to use a language not their own, so their words are coming through the Spirit, as he has been fully released. But, even if some do not believe that way, letting the Spirit free during our prayer time would have the same result. Let us release the power of the Spirit, not just in prayer, but in the whole of our life so that will be transformed, reflecting the glory of God in ever-increasing glory.