"As the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will not leave you." Elisha became a great prophet through the repeated tasks given by his teacher Elijah. Perhaps a slow process but perfected under loving and watchful eyes. The pair walked, talked, and listened to each other; teaching and learning. Their relationship was so strong that even witnessing his teacher taken directly into heaven on a celestial chariot could not stop his grief, nor stop the teacher's desire for one more gift of learning to the student as he departed. The love between teacher and student prompted the student to request twice the spirit of the teacher. Sufficient spirit to deliver the teaching to the generations. Sufficient Love to lift the generations to heaven.
"Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them… And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus" The hillside was darken by a cloud and voice from within the cloud tells them "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." The three turned around and "they saw no one with them anymore, but only Jesus". Scripture tells us that they were afraid, and likely were completely dumbfounded by what they had just experienced, but "only Jesus" was their last remembrance? These men had just seen the prophet who was full bodily assumed into heaven, had seen G_d's giver of the Law, and had heard the voice of the Creator! They were instructed by Jesus to tell no one what was seen until after the resurrection, and this request puzzled them as well. Waiting to reveal their experience must have been difficult, but they did honor the Messiah's request.
If the same had happened to me, maybe I could have kept secret the experience; But I am certain that what I had seen would have filled more lines of scripture than seven verses. Yet, perhaps their remembrance is what we are to remember; while each messenger of G_d brings us closer to truth, everything that we shall need is "only Jesus"; that "only" is "everything." Looking towards Jesus is to see more, not less; the innermost being of G_d; what is true and good and beautiful. Giving us His only Son, His only Word, G_d spoke everything to us at once. G_d from his throne bends down to speak to us. He has nothing more to say for our transformation— "listen to him," listen to His "beloved."
Pax,
jbt
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