Walking With Christ

Matthew 17:4  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.”(ESV)

Peter’s instinct on the mountain was understandable.

He had just witnessed something extraordinary.  Jesus was transfigured before him, and Moses and Elijah appeared beside Him.  Peter wanted to build shelters and remain there.

Who would want to leave?

Mountaintop moments can feel safe because everything seems clear.  We can see God’s work, feel His nearness, and believe that the confusion below has finally been left behind.  In those moments, it’s natural to want to preserve the experience.

But the mountain was never meant to become their permanent home.

Matthew 17:9  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)

Jesus led the disciples back down.

There were still people who needed help, lessons the disciples hadn’t yet learned, and suffering they weren’t prepared to understand.  The revelation on the mountain mattered, but its purpose wasn’t to remove them from the world below.

It was meant to prepare them to return to it.

We can make the same mistake when God gives us a season of clarity, peace, or spiritual renewal.  We may begin to believe that faithfulness means preserving that feeling for as long as possible.  When the experience fades, we wonder what went wrong.

Sometimes, nothing went wrong.

The moment ended because it had completed its purpose.

God may give us rest before sending us back to work.  He may give us clarity before the path becomes difficult.  He may allow us to see His faithfulness clearly so we will remember it when the view disappears.

The mountain is a place to receive, but it’s often the valley where what we received must be lived.

We aren’t meant to spend our lives chasing one spiritual experience after another while avoiding ordinary obedience.  The clearest encounter with God should eventually shape how we serve, forgive, endure, decide, and love when the moment no longer feels extraordinary.

The disciples couldn’t remain on the mountain because their calling was waiting below.

Ours often is too.

Tomorrow, we will look at an important distinction:  not every valley is entered for the same reason.  Some valleys come through obedience, while others are the consequences of turning away.