Put Heaven In Your Heart
As we ponder the Advent season, a season of waiting for our King’s return, I reflect on the Transfiguration of Jesus. We looked at this passage in Mark 9 this past Sunday. These three disciples—James, Peter and, John get to see the kingdom of God in power on this mountain. Jesus changes right in front of their eyes and his divine glory breaks forth and is made visible. The Messianic secret is out for a brief moment to a selective audience. This mountaintop experience didn’t last long, but this moment would be unforgettable. The glory they saw on the mountain changed how how they lived down off the mountain.
I can’t help but make the connection to us. Every day we are invited to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus. In fact, as we behold the glory of Christ through spiritual eyes, we ourselves are transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). You see, the disciples tasted the kingdom of God in power. They got a window into heaven. The Transfiguration and the Resurrection were powerful anchor points for these three disciples. When they endured much suffering, when they were called to move forward with the Gospel in boldness, when they were asked to sacrificially serve, the vision of this glory—a glory Jesus promised they would share in (as will we) sustained them. Even for Jesus, it was the joy set before him that fueled the finishing of his work, namely, his crucifixion (Hebrews 12:2).
If we are going to be of any earthly good, we must know the future glory that awaits us. However, the clarity of heaven is often muddied by the demands, temptations, and promises—empty I may add—that the world offers us. We need to travel up the mountain so to speak and remind our hearts what will soon be ours.
We need to remind our hearts that one day we will give an account for every word spoken, every decision made, every dollar spent, every action expressed.
We need to remind our hearts that one day soon we will join the choir of elders and cherubim crying out “Holy, Holy, Holy!”
We need to remind our hearts of Jesus’ worthiness, for only He has the ability to open up the scrolls and ransom people for God from every tribe and tongue and language and people (Rev. 5).
We need to remind our hearts of the new society God promises where every sickness will be eradicated, every tear will be wiped away, and a perfect and just government will be established.
We need to remind our hearts how our faith now influences our eternal reward.
We need to remind our hearts of the vindication of the saints—when God’s wrath will be finally be poured out in judgement against all wickedness and he will bring relief to those suffering for his name’s sake
We need to remind our hearts of the resurrection body God will clothe us with—a body free from indwelling sin and a body that can fully, without diminishment or hindrance, enjoy God’s glory.
We need to remind our hearts of that day when our faith becomes sight and we audibly hear the voice of Jesus and tangibly feel his arms around us.
In other words, we need heaven in our hearts.
Perhaps there is a lack of boldness and courage in the church, a certain tightness to our wallets, a dominating sin pattern to our lives we can’t seem to break, an absence of a burning, consuming holy ambition that drives us because our hearts are too in love with this world. Maybe you’ve heard it said you can’t be of any earthly good if you’re too heavenly minded. The opposite is true: the more heavenly minded you are, the more earthly good you’ll be. Each morning, there is a fight. The things of heaven and the things of earth can’t both fit into our hearts.
But let the Transfiguration—the glory of Jesus breaking through—get your attention. Let the Resurrection—Jesus conquering sin, Satan, and death cause the eyes of your heart to look up. Behold the glory of God on the mountain—those secret, worshipful, intimate times of fellowship behind closed doors—so that when the doors open and you come off the mountain and step into the world, you will of service to our King until he comes back.