Just as a quilt is made up of little pieces that fit together to make a pattern that is pleasing, God's rules help us live our best life and fit into the quilt of God's love. That's a beautiful and useful thing!
Our lives involve a lot of planning ahead, don't they? We have to be ready to do certain things - and if we aren't ready then some things just don't work out well at all. In today's gospel reading Jesus tells a story about being ready.
There are so many beautiful things in this world. If we are to enjoy all that God has created we must be attentive. That means we must take time to look and see what is around us. We must pay attention so we don't miss God's blessings. Jesus tells a story in the Bible that teaches us about attentiveness. The story goes like this:
There were two people that night that we need to look at. The first person was Judas. Judas said what will you give me? He was thinking only about himself; he wanted to be given money to buy stuff, so he did the wrong thing. The second person was Jesus. Jesus didn't take. Jesus gave.
Few people have ever heard of the "green flash" and even fewer have seen it. It is an event that happens just as the sun is setting. At the exact moment the sun drops out of sight beyond the horizon, there is a sudden flash of brilliant green, right in the middle of the red and orange colors of the sunset. It is an exciting, surprising sight. In the Bible, Jesus talks about being ready for a surprising event.
Today Jesus tells us that we should live humbly. That means that instead of calling attention to how special we are (and showing-off for others), that we should be modest and remember that in God's eyes we're no more - or less important - than others.
Children's Sermon Matthew 17:1-9 Jesus' Transfiguration Check out these helpful resources Biblical Commentary Sermons Children's Sermons Hymn Lists Matthew 17:1-9 Jesus' Transfiguration By Dell Smith Klein SPECIAL SCRIPTURE: "This is my beloved son....Listen to him." Matthew 17:5 WEB OBJECT: Something to do with baseball––a ball, a bat, or a glove SERMON: Kade [...]
Let's think about "the things that are God's." What would that be? Yes, everything. God created everything - the colorful sunsets, sunshine, raindrops, ladybugs, eagles, forests, mountains, friends, bananas, tomatoes, roses, - everything. The way to honor God is to give back to God what he has given us. The way we do that is to let him know that we are thankful for the gifts he has given us.
This is an example of how Jesus felt the need to go to a quiet place. While he was there he was changed; God's Spirit spoke to him. Today and every day we all have the opportunity to find a quiet place, listen for God's Spirit and be filled with God's love.
On this occasion, God spoke from heaven and asked one thing: “Listen to him.” God is asking us to listen to the words of Jesus. Those words are recorded in the Bible and are there for us to read and hear. We can learn how to make our lives and the lives of others better by listening to the advice and lessons we find there. Let's use our wonderful ears and listen.