MATTHEW 17:1-9 – And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 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.”

Here is how Luke describes the opening of the Mountain of Transfiguration account – Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white (Luke 9:28-29).  The only difference with Matthew is Luke gives an added detail as to why Jesus, Peter and John went to the mountain. It was to pray.  Imagine the Son of God Himself asking us to go with Him to a quiet, secluded mountaintop for a prayer retreat. How thrilling would that have been?  Talk about a real “spiritual mountaintop” experience. Forget the nice getaway conference or emotionally charged concert.  Praying with Jesus, on a mountaintop doesn’t get any better.  In fact, it was so good, Peter wanted to stay – And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”  Peter wanted to change a prayer meeting with Jesus to an extended camping trip with Jesus!  And that shows a flaw in Peter’s thinking . . . we must come down from the mountain. Life is not lived on the mountaintops of spiritual experiences but in the painful valleys of life in a cursed world. To help us remember this truth, ponder these two things.

First, as Jesus was sent into the world, so are we, As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world (John 17:18).  God saved us to actively serve Him and be active in the world with His gospel.  There are necessary times of waiting on the Lord but not when it comes to our mission in the world; a mission taking us into the world.

The other thing to prevent us from seeking a Christian life lived by spiritual mountaintop experiences instead of in the valley of life’s difficult realities is to remember the purpose of trips to the mountain.  When Jesus, Peter and John went up to the mountain the goal was the glory of Christ and the centralized place He was to have in the lives of His disciples. We go into quiet places of solitude to spend time to be with the Lord for communion, strength, and to energize us to be on our mission. Mountaintop experiences are times of refreshment and equipping, not to take up permanent residency. The time of resting will come, but not for today.  We are on a mission.

PRAYER: “Father, may I not lose sight that as Your Son was sent on a mission, so am I.”

QUOTE: “Our time alone with the Lord is to energize and move us into the world for the Lord.”