Why enough is enough
This Sunday is the last Sunday in the season of Epiphany and traditionally we hear the account of Jesus’ transfiguration. Peter, James and John are on the mountain with Jesus, when all of a sudden they see him morph into all of his glory and standing next to him is Moses and Elijah, the two most significant figures in the Old Testament. Peter is so moved by this that he offers to build three dwellings or places of rest. However, at that moment, the glory of the Lord overtakes the disciples and they are suddenly left alone with only Jesus and they hear a voice from heaven state, “This is my well beloved son listen to him.”
One of the lessons being conveyed in this moment is that Moses and Elijah—the Law and the Prophets—ultimately point to our rest, however they do not nor can they offer rest.
I recently saw this illustrated in the new Taylor Swift documentary Miss Americana on Netflix. I have a tween daughter so Taylor Swift is all the rage in my household. There are two subplots in the documentary that struck my attention:
The first was Swift’s relentless quest to earn a Grammy.
The second is her constant desire to be loved and affirmed by the crowd.
Whenever we find ourselves attempting to become something to fulfill an unmet need, we have entered into the realm of the Law and the Prophets. The Law and the Prophets reveal to us perfection and they always demand it, therefore the horizon for satisfaction always seems to be moving away from us.
At the age of 21, Swift earned her first Grammy and the first thought that went through her mind was not, “Wow, it is finished. I am done.” Instead, it was more like, “Is that it? Shouldn’t I have someone to share this moment with?” With sold-out stadiums worldwide filled with adoring fans, the documentary revealed a few nasty comments from TV hacks and Kanye West got so under her skin that it caused an eating disorder and a relentless schedule in order to receive a sense of approval that was never coming.
The point is this: there can’t be three places of rest because only Jesus is our rest. The nag of the Law and the Prophets will never go away. They will always call into question if you have actually done enough. There is only one place where true rest is found, and that is in Jesus.
“This is my well beloved son listen to him.”
Jesus says to you: in me you are enough. In Jesus, the accusation of Moses and the Prophets disappears and you discover that, while you may not be enough, Jesus is enough for you.
See you this Sunday.
Pax,
Jacob