Walking With Christ

Matthew 17:1-9  (1)And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.  (2)And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.  (3)And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.  (4)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.”  (5)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.”  (6)When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.  (7)But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”  (8)And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  (9)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.”(ESV)

There are moments when God allows us to see more clearly than usual.

A truth we have known for years suddenly becomes real.  A prayer is answered in a way we can’t dismiss.  Confusion lifts, and the pieces finally seem to fit together.  For a moment, we can see where God has been leading us.

These moments are gifts.

On the mountain, Peter, James, and John saw Jesus differently than they had seen Him before.  They had walked beside Him, listened to Him teach, and watched Him perform miracles.  But on that mountain, they were given a clearer glimpse of who He truly was.

The mountain didn’t make Jesus glorious.  It revealed the glory that had been present all along.

That’s often what perspective does.  It doesn’t create God’s faithfulness.  It helps us recognize it.

A mountaintop season may allow us to look back and see how God carried us through something we didn’t understand at the time.  It may help us see our priorities more clearly, recognize what must change, or remember what matters most.

But seeing clearly isn’t the same as being ready.

Insight can come quickly.  Character usually forms slowly.

We may leave a powerful moment convinced that fear, doubt, impatience, or pride will never control us again.  Then ordinary life returns, pressure rises, and we discover that understanding a truth isn’t the same as living it.

The mountain gives perspective, but perspective must eventually become practice.

God may show us something on the mountain that we will need to remember when the view disappears.  What feels obvious in the light may have to be trusted later in the shadows.

That doesn’t make the mountain meaningless.  It reveals its purpose.

The clearer view wasn’t merely given so we could enjoy the moment.  It was given so we could carry the truth with us when the path descended.

Tomorrow, we will look at what the valley reveals when what we saw on the mountain is tested below.