JESUS SHOWS DIVINE GLORY Matthew 17:1-8 _Moses'_ face shone after having absorbed the divine glory, as some diamonds burn with sunlight after being carried into a dark room. _Stephen's face_ shone because for a moment he had seen the Son of man. But the face of _our Lord_ shone, not from without b... [ Continue Reading ]
LACK OF FAITH REBUKED Matthew 17:9-21 As Raphael suggests in his great painting, there is a close connection between the mountain and the valley. The glory of the one did not make our Lord indifferent to the bitter need of the other. It seems as though He desired to impress on us the great truth,... [ Continue Reading ]
PAY TRIBUTE WHERE IT IS DUE Matthew 17:22-27 All Jews were required to pay the half-shekel for the maintenance of the Temple services. See Exodus 30:13. As God's own Son, our Lord might surely have claimed exemption from taxation for His Father's house. But He waived His claims, that He might not... [ Continue Reading ]