2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant. (Mark 9:2-10)
When I was much younger, some friends and I decided that it would be a good idea to climb a mountain together. The mountain we had in mind was one of the “Twin Sisters” in Colorado, in the Sangre de Christo Range. As far as mountains go, it wasn’t much. But for folks raised in the flatlands of Central Texas, it was plenty. One of the guys had heard that there was a lake about half way up just full of trout. We could catch fish and feast. So we planned and packed up, and the five of us headed off for this great adventure. We didn’t have a real leader because none of us actually knew where we were going (except “up”). We never found any lakes. Fortunately, we had some cans of “Ditty Moore’s Beef Stew” to eat. We spent a fairly miserable night in our tents. The next morning, the trail we were following started fading out. We really did not know exactly where to go. Common sense finally prevailed and we fled the mountain.
It is good to do things with friends. We have talked and laughed about our mountain adventure many times. Peter, James and John most certainly talked about their mountain climbing trip for years after. How they saw Moses and Elijah, and how scared they had been. You can be sure they teased Peter unmercifully about his offer to build shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. But most of all, I bet they talked about hearing the voice of God and seeing Jesus transfigured before their very eyes.
It was truly a mountain top experience for the three friends. It was made possible because Jesus led the expedition. He knew where to go and what to do. And when it was time to return, Jesus led them down the mountain too. If we allow Jesus to lead us, he indeed will take us to the top of the mountain, but he will be with us in the valleys too. Still leading; still in charge in the ups and downs of our lives.
Amen!
Pastor Bill