Mark 9:7-11: a reflection

7A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” 8Suddenly looking around, they saw no one with them any more, except Jesus only. 9As they were coming down from the mountain, he commanded them that they should tell no one what things they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10They kept this saying to themselves, questioning what the “rising from the dead” meant. 11They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

On the mountain of transfiguration, as Jesus is revealed in glory, a cloud overshadows the disciples, and a voice comes from it, the voice of the Father: This is my beloved Son. Listen to him. Of all that could be said, the Father's command is simple and direct: listen to him. Whatever else the disciples might attend to, whatever other voices might claim their ear, they were to listen to the beloved Son, to give him their attentive, obedient hearing above all. The Father's word directs all attention to Christ: listen to him, heed him, above every other voice.

Notice the Father's command: listen to him. Amid the glory of the transfiguration, the Father's word is not a long discourse but a simple, pointed direction: listen to the beloved Son. Of all the disciples might do, this was the command: to listen to Christ, to heed him, to give him their attentive, obedient hearing. The Father directs all attention to the Son; whatever other voices compete for our ear, we are to listen to him. To listen to Christ is to attend to him above all, to heed his word, to give him our obedient hearing. The Father's command centers everything on Christ: listen to him, above every other voice that would claim our attention.

That is worth taking to heart, for the Father's command to us is to listen to Christ, heeding him above all other voices. Many voices compete for our attention and our obedience, the voices of the world, of others, of our own desires; but the Father's command is to listen to his beloved Son, to give Christ our attentive, obedient hearing above all. To listen to Christ is to heed him above the other voices that claim our ear. Do not let the many competing voices drown out the one you are commanded to heed; listen to Christ, the beloved Son, above all, as the Father commanded. Listen to Christ, the beloved Son, heeding his word above every other voice that competes for your attention and obedience, as the Father commanded from the cloud, this is my beloved Son, listen to him; for the Father directs all our attention to Christ, and we are to give him our attentive, obedient hearing above all the other voices that would claim our ear.

Lord, on the mountain of transfiguration, as Jesus is revealed in glory, a cloud overshadows the disciples, and a voice comes from it, the voice of the Father: this is my beloved Son; listen to him. Of all that could be said, your command is simple and direct: listen to him. Whatever else the disciples might attend to, whatever other voices might claim their ear, they were to listen to the beloved Son, to give him their attentive, obedient hearing above all. Show me the Father's command: listen to him. Amid the glory of the transfiguration, your word is not a long discourse but a simple, pointed direction: listen to the beloved Son. Of all the disciples might do, this was the command: to listen to Christ, to heed him, to give him their attentive, obedient hearing. You direct all attention to the Son; whatever other voices compete for our ear, we are to listen to him. To listen to Christ is to attend to him above all. Take that to my heart, for your command to me is to listen to Christ, heeding him above all other voices. Many voices compete for my attention and my obedience, the voices of the world, of others, of my own desires; but your command is to listen to your beloved Son, to give Christ my attentive, obedient hearing above all. Keep me from letting the many competing voices drown out the one I am commanded to heed; help me listen to Christ, the beloved Son, above all, Lord, as you commanded from the cloud, this is my beloved Son, listen to him.