Posts Tagged ‘ Doth not your master pay tribute ’

Matthew Chapter 17: Mount of Transfiguration, Casting out Demons, Paying Taxes

Mar 19th, 2010 | By | Category: Matthew, Verse by Verse --Studies led by Br. Frank Shallieu (Click on Book name)

“A bright cloud overshadowed them.” This phenomenon was awesome in itself, but then a voice thundered out very majestically, “This is my beloved Son, … hear ye him.” This scene was so impressive that Peter referred to it in his epistle but said that despite its awesomeness and positiveness, the “more sure word of prophecy” was superior (2 Pet. 1:16-19). Do we have such a conviction? Is God’s Word more “sure” to us than if we had witnessed the transfiguration and heard the voice coming from the cloud? We should have the same reverence and respect for the Word of God that Peter had—regardless of the degree of our comprehension.

Being familiar with the account of the bright cloud over the nation of Israel and the Tabernacle in the Wilderness of Sinai, the disciples would have had no difficulty realizing that the message, or voice, came from God. Also, “Hear ye him [Jesus]” was almost like a reprimand, for earlier Peter had been arguing with the Master (Matt. 16:22). Now the Father was saying, “This is my Son. I am well pleased with him. You had better listen to him.” In other words, in listening to Christ, we are really listening to God, for the Son is the true and highest representative of the Father.

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