April 12

1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John, his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart,

2 And was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him,

4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed there; and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, near ye him.

6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them.

13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

14 ¶ And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying.

15 Lord, have mercy on my son; for he is lunatic, and sore vexed; for obituary he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him either to me.

18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

"Some Christians seem to think that they must be always going up to mounts of extraordinary joy and revelation; this is not after God's method. Those spiritual visits to high places, and that wonderful intercourse with the unseen world, are not in the promises; the daily life of invisible communion is. And it is enough. We shall have the exceptional revelation if it be right for us. When the Master was there, three disciples had it, and nine had it not! And why it was when it was, and why those three were selected, we can see but few reasons. They were the three who walked the closest and dwelt the nearest to the heart of Jesus."—J. Vaughan.

"There were but three disciples allowed to see the transfiguration, and those three entered the gloom of Gethsemane."—Storrs.

No one can stay on the mount of privilege. There are duties in the valley. Christ found His lifework, not in His glory, but in the valley, and was there truly and fully the Messiah. The value of the vision and glory is but their gift of fitness for work and endurance.

Closet Promise.—The upright shall dwell in Thy presence.—Psalm cxl. 13.

Phoebe Cary has beautifully sung:

"Oh, if this living soul, that many a time Above the low things of the earth doth climb Up to the mountain top of faith sublime,— If she could only stay In that high place alway, And hear in reverence bowed God's voice behind the cloud;

"Or if, descending to the earth again, Its lesson in the heart might still remain; If we could keep the vision clear and plain, Nor let one jot escape,

So that we still might shape Our lives to deeds sublime By that exalted time;

"Ah! what a world were ours to journey through? What deeds of love and mercy we should do; Making our lives so beautiful and true, That in our face would shine The light of love divine, Showing that we had stood Upon the mount of God."