The wisdom of Jesus is inspirational, astounding, extraordinary, beautiful.

What blessings has God given to you and for you alone? Welcome back to Radical and Relevant. The wisdom of Jesus is enduring. In today's Scripture from the 17th chapter of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus is coming down the mountain where Peter, James, and John have just experienced the transfiguration. And he directs them not to tell anyone about what they saw. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead."

And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first, Elijah must come?" He replied, "Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Each of these short passages are so full of insights and opportunities to learn and grow. I choose a very simple word to focus on today. The word is tell. Our culture is obsessed with telling. Throughout Jesus' ministry, He instructs many people not to tell about what He has done for them. Why? Was he ashamed or embarrassed? Absolutely not. Did he not want word to spread? I don't think so. That was inevitable. There is another reason I think we should explore. There's a beautiful phrase in the Scriptures just after the shepherds and the magi have visited the infant Jesus. They had prophesized about how great Jesus would be and shared what the angels had said about him.

Then, the passage ends with this simple and beautiful phrase: "Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart." Mary sensed they were for her. She didn't post them on social media. She didn't gossip with her friends about them. She treasured them. She pondered them in her heart. And the heart is a very private place. In the same way, some things you should keep to yourself and for yourself. You don't have to tell everyone about everything. Some things should be pondered in our hearts. The phrase that fascinates me here is Elijah has already come and they did not know him. The they Jesus is referring to here are the scribes and the Pharisees, the very people who prided themselves on their ability to recognize God's plans unfolding in the world.

What did you miss? Looking back on your life, do you see times when God was at work in your life, but you were oblivious? We all do, I suppose. There is a lesson here. God's plan is always unfolding. Pay attention, not to the things that your ego wants you to pay attention to, but to the things of God. The virtue of the day is reflection. Reflection is a serious thought and consideration. Our culture seems allergic to depth and things that are serious. But a little seriousness is deeply agreeable to the human soul. We were not made for the shallow and the superficial.

Become a person of prayer and reflection. Learn to be still and quiet and reflect on the ways God has worked in your life, the ways God is working in your life, and the ways God will work in your life in the future. The gospel of Jesus Christ is as radical and relevant today as ever before. Go out into the world today and astonish people with your desire for wisdom. And remember, don't just be yourself, be the very best version of yourself, all that God created you to be.

Thank you, Ambassadors. You are changing the world. Have a great day. Bye-bye. Simon, come sit.

I love you. Have a great day!