“Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’ ” (Matthew (l7:4-5).

Jesus had just been transfigured in front of His three disciples, Peter, James and John. Peter spoke up and suggested something that was so off the wall that God interrupted him. In Peter’s defense, we only have to imagine how shocking the scene would have been to any of us. There was Jesus, with whom they had traveled for nearly three years now shining with glory they had never seen before. There were the two Old Testament heroes, Moses and Elijah talking with Him. No one had ever seen anything like this.

Peter, caught up in the moment, made a rash suggestion focusing on the three men he had just witnessed. God interrupted him because Peter was distracted by the two mighty characters of the Old Testament and God emphatically brought the focus back to Jesus. “Listen to him.”

We are aware that there are many amazing individuals around us who are used by God in especially noteworthy ways. Our focus, God reminded Peter (and us), is to not be distracted by others but to remain focused on Jesus. There are many voices around us that try to gain our attention. Some of them are worth listening to. But never forget what God said to the three disciples who had just witnessed a major coming together of Jesus and two heroes of the Old Testament: “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”