Jesus says He will be ashamed of any who are ashamed of Him and His words. When we want to dance around issues like hell and sin, we’re being ashamed of the truth, and Jesus is the Truth. He is the Word. We need to proclaim it. We want to join Him in His glory.

Peter, James, and John were the first to behold the glory of Jesus after the incarnation. Jesus transforms, shining His glory, a brilliant light. But it doesn’t just happen. What was Jesus doing?

It says, “As He was praying, the appearance of his face was altered.” He was transformed in prayer. There’s motivation for you. Prayer has impact on your life. If you want transformation in your life, it happens as you are praying. Spend TIME in prayer.

One transforming work we read about in Luke 9 is the deliverance of the epileptic boy. The father doesn’t say, “Please heal my son.” He says, “I beg you to look at my son.” He’s asking God to take notice of their plight. Jesus stopped and listened to the story and saw what happened to the boy. He acted on their behalf and the boy was free.

We’re all to be as free as children. We’re to come to God like children. We’re to count ourselves as the least. The least need Jesus. The great are sufficient in themselves. Be needy.

James and John weren’t thinking themselves the least. They were embracing Christ’s authority and power as their own and want to call down fire on those who rejected Jesus. They are soundly rebuked. They don’t get to act as judge and proclaim verdict and carry out punishment.

Jesus’ response to rejection is patience. The town of the demoniac at the tombs sent Jesus away, but Jesus sends the man back as a missionary. Jesus will send James and John first to Jerusalem, but then to Samaria. Jesus sends missionaries back to this village. He’s not willing for any to perish.

There’s a cost of following Jesus. We need to allow all our pride to be killed off, to be like children, to be the least, to love those who have rejected us, to recognize our need for Jesus in all things.