Many of us like to talk--and we like to talk about interesting things. Sometimes that can approach the realm of "gossip"--where we have interesting things we want to talk about that maybe we shouldn't talk about. Often gossip is telling something that we don't really have complete information about, such that we ought to wait until we DO have more complete information. That is kind of what Jesus is warning about here when he says to his disciples "Tell no one . . until . . ." in the passage from Matthew 17:1-9.
Three of his disciples have just seen something amazing. Peter and James and John have been on a mountain with Jesus--and have seen him with Moses and Elijah, two of the heroes of their faith heritage (who have both been dead for hundreds of years). Jesus was talking with them, and " his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white" as he was "transfigured" (Matthew 17:2b). Plus, as if that weren't unprecedented, "a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!'" (Matthew 17:5b). For people without the benefit of the kinds of special effects we see regularly on TV, in movies, and even on videos on our phones, that had to be like nothing they had ever experienced. Of course they will want to talk about it! "Hey--you won't believe what happened!"
But Jesus tells them not to talk about it. Not yet.
Obviously they eventually talk about it--after all, three of the four Gospels tell this story. But Jesus doesn't want them to talk about it--"until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead".
They probably didn't understand what he meant by that--but they would. And once they understood what it meant that he would be crucified and raised to new life, only THEN would they understand what what they had just experienced really meant.
Many times in our own lives we tell what we know--when we don't really know enough to know what it really means. I had an experience like that earlier this week--I jumped to a conclusion a few years ago, and discovered recently that I didn't have the whole story, such that the conclusion I had drawn was not correct. Sometimes we need to realize that we need more information, more understanding, more perspective. Sometimes we need not to talk until we get that. And with our faith, sometimes we need to have a little more faith and trust that it will be OK even if we don't fully understand, rather than trying to figure it out when we don't have enough information.
Faith is trusting while we wait patiently for it all to be made clear.
Matthew 17:1-9
1 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ 8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’