"It's Best to Be with Jesus"
#92-27Presented on The Lutheran Hour on March 2, 2025
By Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Lutheran Hour Speaker
Copyright 2025 Lutheran Hour Ministries
Reflections
Text: Luke 9:28-36
(NOTE: This message originally aired in February, 2016.)
"Now about eight days after saying these things [Jesus] took with Him Peter and John and James and went up on a mountain to pray. And as He was praying, the appearance of His face was altered, and His clothes became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with Him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with Him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. And as the men were parting from Him, Peter said to Jesus, 'Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah'—not knowing what he had just said" (Luke 9:28-33).
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah! Amen!
Have you tackled a do-it-yourself project lately? These days it's known as DIY, and DIY projects have taken our culture by storm. Just turn on HGTV and you'll find ways to rehab your house, re-do your garage, and transform your backyard. If you want to tile your bathroom, repair your washing machine, or get your mascara professionally perfect, all you have to do is go to YouTube to find expert tips and a detailed demo of how to get it done right.
People love a good do-it-yourself project. You may be one of them. It saves money, provides personal satisfaction, and lets you be creative. It also taps into the fierce sense of independence we have as human beings. We like to do things ourselves. We like to make things happen on our own.
Okay, let's get more personal. Think about it, why do husbands not like to ask for directions? Why do we insist on carrying as many groceries as possible into the house on each trip? Speaking for myself, we want to do it ourselves! Think about it, right from the beginning, why do toddlers not want to hold on to you while they're learning to walk? Why do we hesitate before asking for help with almost anything? Because we're fiercely independent. We want to do it ourselves. We even have a saying that pays homage to our DIY spirit: "God helps those ..." finish the line ... "... who help themselves." Right? But, actually, God never said that. That saying is not in the Bible. It started in Aesop's Fables and it found its way into Ben Franklin's writings.
God's Word has a different take on our do-it-yourself tendency. Instead of "God helps those who help themselves," God tells us that He is with us to help the helpless. That's right; our do-it-yourself ability is really overrated, especially when it comes to what really matters.
You may have discovered that in a number of ways. A woman in Spain decided to try a DIY project at her church. After a beautiful 100-year-old painting of Christ in her church began to deteriorate, she thought she would try her hand at art restoration. She scrubbed excess paint off the masterpiece and proceeded to fill in the gaps with shades of brown. The result was a disaster. The fine strokes of the master artist were replaced with blotches of paint that looked like a preschool art project. The elderly woman said she had "good intentions," but the damage was done.
We may think we're weekend-warrior DIY masters, but in reality we can be pretty unskilled and helpless. God understands that reality more than you know. That's why He came to the rescue—your rescue. The apostle Paul said in Romans 5: "You see, just at the right time, when you were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Powerless. How often have you felt powerless; powerless in relationships, powerless over addiction, powerless when you've made a mistake, powerless in illness?
God understands that we're powerless. Even the poetry of the Bible reinforces our helplessness. Psalm 46 begins, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." In other words, we get into trouble and we need help, so God graciously steps in. Psalm 121 states it this way: "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth." Like you and me, the writer looked up to heaven when everything was falling apart. Where could he find help? From the Lord. God is in the help business because our DIY business is fragile and flawed.
I remember hearing about a powerful, strong guy who got a glimpse of that in his life. He was self-sufficient. Give him a challenge, he'd tackle it. But then he broke his arm; and now, with a broken arm, everything changed. The pain was always there, for a long while he couldn't even put his pants on by himself. He couldn't tie his shoes or drive his stick-shift car. He was helpless, virtually powerless. He needed a helper.
Are there things in your life that are trying to teach you this invaluable lesson today? Do you see your ultimate need in your life today? You may be trying to resist the notion. Perhaps you're doing everything you can to make it on your own. You're trying to handle life yourself. But there are some things you just can't do on your own. I think that's what Jesus' disciple, Peter, was feeling when he made a desperate offer to Jesus one amazing day on a mountain. The Gospel writer Luke tells us what he said when he saw the miracle of Moses and Elijah standing with Jesus: "Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"—not knowing what he had just said.
This event is called the Transfiguration of Jesus. It means that Peter, James, and John saw Jesus' appearance changed. They could see the bright glory of His godliness. It was a vision of heaven that included Moses and Elijah, the renowned prophets from long ago. These servants of God from of old spoke with Jesus about the divine plan of salvation which Jesus would accomplish on the cross by taking our punishment for our sin. This was an absolutely miraculous and remarkable moment. Now, some people criticize Peter for making the offer to build some tents for the trio so they could stay there in that glorious moment. But, honestly, who wouldn't want that? Peter's offer shows that he was tired of the DIY lifestyle. He was tired of slogging through the day-to-day grind, trying to take care of things all by himself. He was ready for help.
When you're trying to pay bills, cope with pain, fight temptation, juggle your responsibilities, handle heartache, stay healthy, and get a little bit of rest in between, the prospect of soaking in some heavenly peace and completeness is very appealing. It's good not to be alone. It's good to be with Jesus.
And that's exactly what Peter felt. Here he was in the presence of something much bigger than himself. Here he was with the true Son of God in the company of heaven—able, strong, unfazed, and unfatiguing. Peter yearned to stay there with Jesus and these men in glory who have finished the race. He didn't want to handle life alone anymore. Peter was caught in an honest moment. He had the need to be with Jesus. He craved the goodness of being with His Savior. Do you realize how good it is to be with Jesus? Do you know that that is His will for you?
In spite of all our do-it-yourself talk, it's just not always good to be alone. There are some things we can't do by ourselves. In the first book of the Bible, as God created human beings, He surveyed the situation after the man was created and said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." So God created woman. This world would not be a do-it-yourself world. After sin and death entered the world God knew that we needed help even more desperately.
That's why He sent us men and women His only Son to save us. Broken and helpless in our failures, fumbles, and faults, God had mercy on us. Instead of brushing us off as lost causes, He loved us and sent Jesus to forgive our sins through His own death and to give us new life through His resurrection from the dead. For every inadequacy and sin in your life, for every point of helplessness you encounter, you and I have help. You have a Savior in Jesus Christ. He came to be with you and to save you.
As a matter of fact, let me get right to the point. You are Jesus' do-it-yourself project—the one He cherishes. Only He could be the perfect sacrifice for your sins. Only His blood could pay the price to free you from eternal lostness and imprisonment. God loves you so much, He is joyful to rescue you, to do His divine rehab of your life. That's why Jesus came into the world. So, as Peter realized, it's good not to be alone. It's very good to be in the company of the Savior. It's good to be with Jesus.
Erik and Stacey Rees learned the power of not being alone. Their sweet little daughter Jessica Joy was diagnosed with inoperable and incurable cancer in March of 2011. Two weeks after her treatment started, Jessie asked her dad, "When do all the other kids come home," she asked. Erik said to her, "Honey, there are lots of kids who have a different treatment plan, and they spend days and months and unfortunately some spend years of their treatment there."
Jessie said to her parents in the car, "Then how can we help them?" Her parents couldn't believe what they just heard from their 12-year-old daughter. She knew that no one should tackle illness alone. No one should feel like cancer was a do-it-yourself effort. Somehow, in some way, every one of those children needed to know they were not alone.
So when they got home, Jessie gathered up some brown paper bags and started to put toys in them for the kids at the hospital. After their first delivery, they were asked to use jars instead of paper bags. Suddenly, using Jessie's middle name, "Joy Jars" was born. Word started to get around quickly. It turns out, like the disciple Peter, people didn't want to be alone in the difficult journey of life. They needed the brightness of God's love. Requests for Joy Jars started to overflow. In the first year, Jessie stuffed more than 3,000 jars personally.
The family formed a foundation to keep up with the demand. Jessie crafted the motto for Joy Jars. It was, "Never, ever give up." NEGU for short. Thousands of children were blessed with Joy Jars. Jessie's rules were simple: Number 1, no air. The jars needed to be stuffed so full that the lids popped off. Number 2, no cheesy toys; only the best for kids who needed joy. Number 3, ship it fast. The jars get to each child as soon as possible. Feeling alone needs to be remedied right away.
But only nine months after her diagnosis, Jessica Joy Rees quietly took her last breath. Nine thousand people attended her funeral. So many lives were blessed by Jessie's faith and love. And because life should never be do-it-yourself, the family vowed to continue Jessie's work. (You can find out more, if you'd like, at negu.org.)
The point for all of us, though, is this: trying to handle your life alone is no way to handle your life. You need God's help, God's strength, and, yes, His joy.
And as I mentioned, this is God's specialty. When the prophet Elijah collapsed in exhaustion and fear, God showed up to strengthen him. And when our world groaned in the exhaustion of chaos, fear, and pain, God sent Jesus into our world to save us from hopelessness and death. That's the miracle of Jesus. You are not on your own to handle things yourself. And even death can't stop the joy of God's help and strength. We see that in Luke 9. Even when the cloud went away and Moses and Elijah were gone, Jesus remained. Then He went forward to die alone, to be left alone by God the Father, separated from Him, so that you and I would never have to go through life on our own. Yours is not a do-it-yourself life. You have been justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. And the risen Savior is with you now. It's good to be with Jesus.
I want to be honest with you, dear friend. This is in stark contrast to what the world tells you. This is the opposite of the way your ego and pride urge you on. It's against the grain of our fierce independence and self-centeredness. But it's what you and I need. Do-it-yourself can be fun for a time, but it's no way to live life to its eternal fullest. You need Jesus. You need His love. You need His wisdom. You need His Word. On the Mount of Transfiguration God the Father spoke to the disciples saying, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him."
That's why God created the church, the community of people rescued from a DIY life. The church exists in contrast to the solitary life. It's not a building. Although sometimes it meets in a building. The church is people—people connected to Jesus who then connect to each other so that no one will get lost in life without Jesus. Being a part of the church doesn't mean you have to be an extrovert or a social butterfly. It means someone has your back, brothers and sisters in Christ are there to help pick up the pieces when life is crumbling. Those who are fellow redeemed and rescued can bring the presence of Jesus to help along the way. It means that you too can be a part of that healing community for others.
There are people all around you who are trying to do life themselves, who are alone, who need to know the power and beauty of Jesus' presence. You may be the one who can show them how good it is to be with Jesus.
I know this is a pretty big weekend for people. The weekend is about that big football game, right? I don't know who's going to win the game, but I do know one thing about both teams. Neither is going to send only one man out of the tunnel onto the field. The quarterbacks will not face the opposing defensive line alone. Each team will win or lose together.
If you are a DIY person, let me ask you one final question. Are you trying to stand on the field of life alone? Are you facing the challenging journey of this existence with your own plans and strategies? Are you planning to face your own end, your own death, in your strength and with your accomplishments alone?
Listen to the wisdom of Peter standing in the awesome presence of Jesus. Life is not do-it-yourself. Life is possible only when you're with Jesus, the One who saves and restores, the One who conquered death and the grave. And one day, we'll all receive the eternal relief that Peter sampled that day. One day, the struggle will be over. One day our grief will be gone and our lives will be fully restored. One day all will be made well. One day, through faith in Him, we will say together, "It is good to be with Jesus now and forever." So say it with me now by faith. Amen.
Reflections for March 2, 2025
Title: Catching up with Rev. Greg Seltz
Mark Eischer: You're listening to The Lutheran Hour. For Daily Devotions and Lutheran Hour messages on your mobile devices, look for "Connected by LHM" wherever you find your apps. That's "Connected by LHM." Joining us now for reflections on today's message, here's Lutheran Hour Speaker, Dr. Michael Zeigler.
Mike Zeigler: Thank you, Mark. I do appreciate when we get to go back into our archives and hear these messages. Whether they're from 50 years ago or, as in this case, just nine years ago. The commands and promises of God are always timely, even as we note that expressions and customs change. For example, in this one, one thing that caught my ear was how the expression "DIY" in 2016 was apparently new at the time.
Mark Eischer: But as Dr. Seltz reminded us, that impulse to want to do things by ourselves, do it on our own, without any help, that's really as old as sin.
Mike Zeigler: Yeah. It's the desire to be like God that Adam and Eve were tempted with in the garden, to be independent. And here I also appreciated Dr. Seltz's insight that maybe we'd do well to be something like Peter, who just wanted to rest on the mountain with Jesus in His glory, to set up camp, to rest in God's presence. Sometimes, I'm inclined to chuckle at Peter because he didn't know what to say. But maybe he was on to something; he was just tired of that do-it-yourself drive in the world and just wanted to stay in the moment.
Mark Eischer: And what a moment that was, to see Jesus shine in all His glory and also to hear God's voice coming down from heaven.
Mike Zeigler: He [God] clearly knew what they needed at that moment in their journey, something like a retreat for them. But as the pattern goes in the Bible, God brings us into these moments of rest and retreat so that He can prepare us for the next season of service, to be useful in His hands, for others.
Mark Eischer: In other words, we come down from the mountain.
Mike Zeigler: God calls us back to serve in the plains, in the valleys for the sake of our neighbors.
Mark Eischer: Now, you recently had a phone call with Dr. Seltz to get an update about the current work that he's doing in Washington, D.C. at the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty. Tell us more about that.
Mike Zeigler: As some of our listeners will know, back in 2018, Dr. Seltz was called from "The Lutheran Hour" to serve in that capacity in our nation's capital. I think of his job as something like how the apostle Paul would strategically claim his Roman citizenship and rights if it protected the local church in that area. For example, as he did in Philippi, or if it served to advance the Gospel, as he made his appeal to Ceasar to go to Rome. So, Dr. Seltz's work is a little like that. And he shared about why it's important, but why we need to remember it's not an end itself. It serves a greater goal.
Mark Eischer: Here now are some excerpts of that conversation you had with Dr. Seltz about the work of the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty.
Gregory Seltz: Well, first of all, keep us in your prayers because, remember, at one time they tried to kick "The Lutheran Hour" off the air and the first Speaker, Walter A. Maier, kind of fought that back. He argued Jeffersonian freedom principles to the FCC to keep us on the air. And I kind of do that now. I take up that other legacy. Pastor, you take up the, you're the one doing this evangelistic legacy. I'm the one that's now blocking bad politics so that you can be bold and preach the whole counsel of God on radio so all can hear and believe. And that's what we do. I'm an advocate on the Hill, but we're also training Christians out in our church to be those advocates, too. Not everyone's the evangelist. Some of us "block" so that the evangelists can do their work. And so, I think of myself as an offensive lineman now on the football team. While the evangelists and the teachers and the pastors are the ones who are like the quarterback, the running back, wide receiver scoring by sharing the gospel. But we block on every play.
And I would also say to people advocating for good government so that the church can be free to proclaim its message: there's nothing wrong with that. And America gives us incredible freedoms. Think of Daniel in the lions' den. God needed to do a miraculous thing to keep the "governmental lions" from tearing him to shreds, while that's what the First Amendment does for us. We actually have a miracle, I think, akin to Daniel, by the First Amendment and the constitutional limitation of government. We should be thankful that God has given us that. But let's keep that in its proper place so that we can do what?-of course, preach the Gospel of God for all to hear.
The ultimate message is this great Good News that God has actually sent His Son, lived our life, died our death to give us His life as a gift. That's the solution. We live in a time where people think there are other solutions. In fact, one of the things we fight on the Hill is the notion that the church is passe and that government can fulfill its roles and solve all of our problems. We fight that back because that's actually tyranny and that's a lie.
But we never look to the princes to solve our problems, anyway. That comes from the good news of the Gospel of Jesus. So be bold about that. You actually have religious liberty protection unlike any time in our history. That's the reality. Well, put it to work! And so, the good news is, this is a great moment in time, and we need to be even more bold about who Jesus is for others.
Mike Zeigler: And we thank God for Dr. Greg Seltz and his work with the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty, helping us turn our eyes back to Jesus, to remember to come down the mountain and serve in our individual callings.
Music Selections for this program:
"A Mighty Fortress" arr. Peter Prochnow. Used by permission.
"Jesus on the Mountain Peak" arr. Kenneth Kosche. Used by permission.
"How Good, Lord, to Be Here" arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
"Crucifer" by Sydney H. Nicholson, arr. Peter Prochnow. Used by permission.
"O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair" From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House) Used by permission.
