Jesus took Peter and James and John up on a high mountain - and was transfigured before them. For a short time, these three witnesses had the privilege of seeing Jesus in the contexts of history and meaning (that is, they received a glimpse of Jesus’ glory). In garments of out-of-this-world radiance and whiteness, Jesus spoke with Moses, revered minister of God’s law, and Elijah, revered minister of God’s spirit (prophetic gift). Elijah’s return, as the disciples were well aware, was to signal the coming of the Messiah.

Peter, not sure what to make of all this, proposed to do what he and James and John would have done each year in celebration of God’s deliverance of the Jews from slavery: “Let’s build sukkoth!” - huts (booths, tabernacles), like those in which the Israelites lived after their escape. Perhaps Peter was serving as unwitting prophet of Jesus’ mission to free all people from the “Egypt” (slavery) of sinfulness. In any case, Peter was afraid, but he still cried out, “How good it is for us to be here!”

God reaffirms Jesus as “beloved Son.” Then comes earthly reality and the descent from the mountaintop. And Peter and James and John are left with Jesus’ admonition that they say nothing to others until the Son of Man has risen from the dead. Whatever THAT means!

Our discussion this week centered on the role and value of mountaintop experiences - and the need we often sense AFTER those experiences to ponder what we have seen and heard. Sometimes “mountaintop” is a carefree time of walking along a beach. Sometimes “mountaintop” is a time of productive work, followed by necessary rest. Perhaps “mountaintop” is symbolic of a lifelong journey - or symbolic of life’s goal.

How blessed are those times when we are able to look out on a world that is much broader than the path in front of us, when we get a glimpse of how it is that our journey fits into a larger picture. And how blessed are those times when we begin to understand our place in history or where we fit in the universe. Most importantly, how blessed are those times when we become more aware of who Christ is and who we are in the eyes and heart of God!