Down the Mountain
By Marcus Davis--
The Transfiguration is one of my favorite moments in the life of Jesus. Not only do we see beautiful imagery of Moses and Elijah representing the law and the prophets pointing toward Jesus, but the mountaintop cloud of God’s presence and audible voice is reminiscent of how God represents Himself regularly in the Old Testament. It’s an amazing, prophetic moment that grounds Christ’s journey and meaning in the rest of scripture.
My favorite part of the story is when Peter, while confused and trying his best to take it all in, tells Jesus he’d like to build three tents or tabernacles. Mark 9:5 says, “And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Peter understands that this is a divine moment and wants to provide a space for each of these spiritual leaders to reside in. If he can provide a place for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, Peter will be able to come back to them and access their wisdom whenever he wants. It’s almost like he’s saying, “Camp out! Stay awhile! Don’t leave!”
We can do the same thing when we encounter Jesus in our lives. As we mature in our faith, we can romanticize different moments in our walk with God. The letdown of returning back to normal life after falling on our face in an emotionally heightened experience can be difficult. Even as Peter, James, and John leave the mount of transfiguration, Jesus says not to tell people about the experience. That would be hard!
The truth is that Jesus had much greater things in store for them if they continued to walk with him. Jesus didn’t want Peter to remain on that mountain. Peter would go on to be the rock that Christ built his church on. The same idea is true for us. Sometimes we must come down from a mountain and walk through a valley because Jesus has something greater for us in store. While it’s not always easy, just like the disciples, we do not go it alone, but with Christ at our side.