Jesus spoke these words to Peter, James and John who were frightened when they saw Jesus transfigured and conversing with Moses and Elijah. Tradition holds that the Transfiguration occurred atop Mt. Tabor, a cone shaped, craggy mountain that juts up from the floor of the Jezreel Valley and overlooks Armageddon, the place of the final battle between good and evil. Lest we be too harsh on the three disciples for their fear and misinterpretation of the event, let us confess that we would probably have been half way down that craggy mountain before Peter spoke his first word.
That whole event on Mt Tabor is a reminder to us that we are constantly engaged in our own Armageddon – our personal struggle between good and evil, trying to fulfill our responsibility to be all that God created us to be and to do all that God gave us the talents, abilities and gifts to do. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail. But when we lay prostrate before Jesus, filled with fear and anxiety, we hope to hear him say, “Rise and do not be afraid.” And then, “Good and faithful steward, come into my kingdom.”
