The Journey (short version)

by Don Hatfield

Mark Chapter 9

  The Road of Transfiguration

  Then He said to us, "there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God after it has come with power." Much of what He said to me at that time confused me then but as I write this it has become much clearer with the passing years. As I sit here in this cell awaiting my execution I will tell you of a most fantastic thing that James, John and Peter were able to witness which to me explains the preceding statement that Jesus made.

  The Transfiguration (2 - 13)

  I was almost asleep when Peter came and sat down next to me. He had a look of wonder on his face. I asked him where Jesus had taken him, James and John. I suppose I was a little hurt that I had not been asked to go. Peter very quietly began to whisper the following account to me. He said that Jesus had led them up on a high mountain. As they stood there with Him his clothes began to change into the purest white they had ever seen. He said he had to shade his eyes from the whiteness of Jesus clothes. Then all of a sudden two men appear out of nowhere and began talking with Jesus. He said he almost fainted when he heard Jesus speak to them calling one of them Moses and the other Elijah. He said that he was so unnerved that he just began to ramble saying stupid things like it is good for us to be here. Peter then looked at me shame faced and told me, "I then said Rabbi let us make three tents one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." What was I thinking he said, did I think that we were going to camp out together? Peter said that no sooner were the words out of his mouth than a terrifying voice came out of nowhere saying, "This is my beloved son listen to Him." Then all grew quiet and when he opened his eyes only Jesus was standing there. Jesus helped him up and as they were walking down the mountain told him not to tell anyone until He had risen from the dead. Then he apologized for telling me this but he said he had to share it with someone. Peter said that James asked Jesus why do the Scribes say that Elijah must come first. Jesus said he has already come and they ignored him just as they are going to ignore me. Peter said that Jesus then looked off into the distance and said to himself, yes they will scorn me as they did Elijah. Peter then said that he thought he saw a tear run down Jesus’s cheek but was too embarrassed to ask Him about it.

  Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit (14 - 29)

  I must back up to what else had happened that day. It just that Peter telling me about Jesus on the mountain with Moses and Elijah made me forget about the little boy and the faith of the little boy's father. Jesus came walking back into a hornet's nest of arguing and squabbling, you see while He was up on the mountain down here in the valley a storm was brewing. A father had brought his son to the disciples and asked if they would cast out an unclean spirit that had been torturing the boy for some time. The disciples seemed helpless to do anything so when the crowd saw Jesus coming everyone went running to Him. Jesus asked, what are you arguing about and the boy's father said, I brought my son to your disciples but they could not help him. Jesus said to all of us, "O faithless generation how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? He then said bring the boy to me. They brought the boy and as soon as the boy saw Jesus he fell on the ground rolling over and over and began to foam at the mouth. The women were screaming, and the men were shouting what we shall do, what shall we do? All was chaos except for Jesus who grabbed the father by the arm and asked how long has this been happening and the father said from childhood. The boy's father also cried above the crowd that the unclean spirit would cast the boy into fire and water and try to destroy him. He begged Jesus if you can do anything have compassion on us and help us. Jesus calmly said to him amid all the noise and chaos. "All things are possible for one who believes." The father and said," I believe help my unbelief." Jesus look at the boy and calmly said." you mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." A dreadful scream emitted from the boy, he jumped up and then fell to the ground as if he was dead. As a matter of fact some in the crowd began to murmur He has killed him. Jesus then reached down and gently took the boy by the hand and lifted him up and the boy arose with a smile on his face. The father took his boy and headed for home, we all entered the house and the disciples asked Jesus privately, "why could we not cast it out?" Jesus said to all of us," this kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." Not one of us had even thought about praying when the unclean spirit did not come out we just stood there defeated and dejected. After all the time we had spent with Jesus watching His example I am dumbfounded that not one of us gave any thought to praying or fasting to the God who has everything under His control. Another slip up another mistake another lack of faith. I sometimes wondered how Jesus ever put up with us like He did.

  Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection (30 - 32)

  As we were passing through Galilee Jesus had us keep to ourselves as He seemed very intent on teaching us something. He kept telling us that He was going to be delivered into the hands of men and that they would kill Him. It was hard to understand or comprehend this because I had seen Him do so many miracles I wondered how could just a plain man like myself be powerful enough to kill Him let alone take Him captive. He further confused me when He said that after three days He would rise again. I wondered rise from what if He was going to be killed a thought which I refused to believe, but let's just say He did get killed how He could raise Himself from the dead. I saw Him raise others but how could the dead raise the dead. I wanted to ask as the others did but we were too afraid to ask.

  Who is the Greatest? (33 - 37)

  When we got to Capernaum we went into a house to rest and after we had washed up and eaten we were all just sitting around talking when Jesus asked us "What were you discussing on the way here?" As it so often happened when He asked us one of His penetrating questions everything grew silent and no one said a word. Why the silence this time? Because we had been arguing about who would be the greatest in His Kingdom. After a long silence when it was apparent that no one was going to answer Him, Jesus said to us, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." Red faces, hung heads, averted eyes small sighs all came into to play after He said this. I think every one of us realized that is exactly what Jesus did all the time. He put us and others first and Himself last. Then He took a little girl and picked her up and sat her on His lap. She was sleepy and just laid her head against His chest in restful dreams. Jesus in a soft voice said to us, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but Him who sent me." We were looking for the big things not realizing that the big things were found in the small things. We were looking for crowns to place on our heads while He was looking for children to sit on His lap. This was another one of those times of insight for me when my eyes were opened a little to realize that I just might be missing everything He was trying to teach us. I prayed that night that I could have the attitude of a small child and just follow Him not so much for all He was going to do but just for the fact that I loved him and for some reason He loved each of us ragged men that were with Him.

  Anyone not Against Us Is for Us (38 - 41)

  John then changed the subject so he thought but now I realize he only changed the focus. For the subject never changed it was always follow me and learn of me and my Father. John said that they had seen someone casting out demons in Jesus name and they had tried to stop him because the man was not following them. Jesus again began to teach us about our attitude. He said if someone is for us how can they be against us. Just because they are not standing right here beside us does not mean that they are not with us in Spirit. He then said something that it took me a little while to understand but after much prayer I began to see more light in His words. Jesus told us that whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward. My first thought about this statement was that almost anyone except the meanest of the mean would give a person a drink of water but as I thought about this I do not think that is
what He was talking about. I think He meant that the poorest follower of His could do good things if they were done for the sake of Jesus. We His close disciples were no closer than the widow lady sitting by herself on her porch praying. We were no more important to Him than the man with no legs who offered a drink of water because He was doing it for Jesus. What a change my heart must make to follow Him for He cares not for the things that seem so important to us. He cares not for position, fame, money, stature but over and over proves and shows us that He cares for each and every person in the same way that comes to Him. I guess for the first time in my life I have met a person who truly plays no favorites. I and the others have walked a lot of miles with Him but again I see how far my heart has to go.

  Temptations to Sin (42 - 50)

  Jesus then began to talk about a place of outer darkness, a place called Hell and how terrible it would be to spend eternity there. Some of the illustrations He used were so very graphic. I know He meant it to be that way to warn us and also to warn us about leading others the wrong way. He spoke to us first of all about our role in the life of another, a little one at that. He said if we were to lead them into sin we would have been better off if we had a millstone tied around our necks and were thrown into the sea. It would be better to be thrown in the sea to drown and be eaten by the fish than to spend the rest of our lives in this outer darkness. Then He really got down to the bottom line when He said the following. If any of the following causes you to sin or to lead others to sin then do the following if it is your hand causing you to sin cut it off if you are using it to do wrong, if your feet keep leading you to wrong places then make yourself lame so that you can no longer walk there, if your eyes continually look upon the wrong thing causing you to imagine the wrong things pluck them out. His talking about this outer darkness, this Hell scared all of us who were there because you could have heard a pin drop when He told us of the maggots which attack the dead but these dead must not die for He said the worm dies not. The hair on my arm stood up when He told us of the fire that never goes out and it scared me even more when I thought of running from the worms only to be caught in the flames or trying to hide from the flames only to be plunged into a darkness so dark that you could feel it around you and hear others in their misery. The way around this was salt, good clean, pure, salt that was used to preserve and season things with. Then it struck me like a flash Jesus was like salt His words continually changed my thinking, His kindness continually changed my actions, His patience with me made me overlook the faults in others. He was the salt that I wanted to be with me always.