Matthew 17:1-9
“Lord, it is good that we are here.” (Matthew 17:4)
Peter says this as he, James, and John see Jesus transfigure. He then proposes what he thinks the next step of the plan should be, which I find so human. Some scholars theorize that Peter thought this was the moment that the Messiah was going to start the campaign to save the Jews from their oppressors, so suggesting that they make tents might have been Peter believing that Moses and Elijah were going to stay. Whether this was what Peter was thinking isn’t as striking to me as the fact that Peter felt that he knew what God wanted and was suggesting to the Lord how he should proceed.
When something big happens in our lives, we don’t always feel comfortable waiting for the next steps. Before we can even process what happens, we feel like we need to start doing something or we’ll be paralyzed by just how powerless we are. But when we try to assume what is next, we are trying to mind read God instead of directly communicating with him. This doesn’t work in our human relationships and it certainly won’t work in our relationship with the Lord.
It's telling that right after Peter speaks (in fact, while he is still speaking) God interrupts to say that they need to listen to Jesus. At this point, Jesus has already told the disciples that he was going to Jerusalem to suffer, die, and rise from the dead. Peter also said heaven forbid that happen, so maybe this was him hoping that Jesus would go with a different plan over the original one. But while God may work in mysterious ways, he doesn’t ask you to be constantly guessing what he is calling you to do. He just wants to form a relationship where you can listen to him when those moments come, even if the full plan doesn’t make sense to us.
It’s hard to wait to hear the Lord, especially when he feels far away or silent. But on the other hand, we know that it’s not on our shoulders to guess and hope for the best when it comes to what we are being called to do. It takes vulnerability and trust, but the more you see how letting the Lord lead you brings peace and joy, the easier it is to let go of unnecessary control over your path in life.
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