Today’s Gospel gives us a memorable story about the transcendent glory of God, made manifest in the radiance of Christ on the mountaintop. But what I really love about this story is the human fallibility of the disciples who witness the miracle, especially dear impetuous Peter. When he sees Christ’s dazzling brightness and the sudden appearance of Moses and Elijah beside him, Peter falls all over himself with eagerness to do something and starts babbling about building three shelters to preserve the moment. The scene is especially funny in Matthew’s version, where he is still talking when the cloud appears and the voice from heaven cuts him off, telling him almost literally to shut up and just listen to Jesus. As soon as they hear the voice of God, Peter and the other disciples collapse on the ground in terror, unable to move until Jesus touches them and tells them there is no need to be afraid.
Such stories about the disciples’ weaknesses can inspire as well as amuse us because they urge us not to write anybody off. Each human being has more dignity and worth in God’s eyes than our worst moments, or even our worst decades, might suggest. When we are tempted to give up on ourselves or someone else, we might ask ourselves how much potential we would have seen in Peter, who babbles in this story, sinks when he tries to walk on water, and wimps out so completely when Jesus is arrested that he denies knowing him three times in a single night. And yet this is the disciple whom Jesus calls “the rock” on which He will build His church, and who emerges after the Ascension as a wise and courageous leader of the early Christian community. His transformation is a wonderful illustration of this blessing (from the end of Evening Prayer II in the BCP): “Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to Him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.”
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