2026 Reading Plan Reflections - Day 25

Matthew 17 isn’t complicated—but it is demanding. The thread that ties the whole chapter together is simple and relentless:

Listen to Jesus.

Go back and read Matthew 16:28, then step straight into 17:1–3. Jesus hints that some will see the kingdom before they die—and then, six days later, Peter, James, and John get a glimpse of glory on the mountain. Moses. Elijah. Transfiguration. Power. Presence.

And still, the instruction is the same:

Listen to Jesus.

In verse 4, Peter does what Peter does—he interrupts. He tries to preserve the moment, to build something, to manage the holy. This time, though, he’s cut off by the voice from the cloud. God the Father speaks plainly:

“This is my Son, whom I dearly love. I find happiness in him. Listen to him.”

Not admire him.
Not analyze him.
Not control the moment.

Listen to Jesus.

By verse 9, coming down the mountain, Jesus lets Peter, James, and John in on what’s really ahead. Resurrection is coming—but only after suffering and death. Glory doesn’t bypass the cross.

Are they hearing him yet?
Are we?

Listen to Jesus.

Then comes the question of faith. How much is enough? Jesus says faith the size of a mustard seed—tiny, unimpressive, ordinary—is sufficient. Why? Because salvation isn’t achieved through effort or spiritual muscle. Jesus does the work. We trust him.

Listen to Jesus.

In verses 22–23, Jesus tells the disciples again that he will suffer and die. This is the second time in as many days for us as readers. The message is clear, but the disciples are still struggling to let it sink in.

Familiarity doesn’t equal obedience.

Listen to Jesus.

Finally, we arrive at the temple tax. The Human One—God’s own sent Son—acknowledges that he shouldn’t have to pay it. And yet, he does. Not because he must, but because faithfulness matters. And notice this: God provides the coin.

Provision precedes obedience.

What a lesson in giving. What God supplies, we return—joyfully—to further the work of the kingdom.

Listen to Jesus.

Listen to Jesus.
Not selectively.
Not when it’s convenient.
Not only when it confirms what you already believe.

Slow down today. Sit with his words. Read them again—out loud if you can. Ask where you’ve been interrupting, resisting, or re-framing instead of obeying.

Then do the hardest, holiest thing Matthew 17 calls us to do: