Mountain-top Experiences

Walking in the Truth of the Transfiguration

Today's Scripture

[A continuation of the Transfiguration account. SEE Luke 9:28-36.] "Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to Him, 'Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah.' (He did not know what he was saying.)"  Luke 9:30-33

Today's Devotional Thoughts

To pick up from my TUE 2/2 devotional, have you ever had a mountain-top experience? A literal, mountain-top experience? My literal experience happened when I climbed to the top of West Spanish Peak, located in the San Isabel National Forest, west of Trinidad, CO. [It was many years ago, I was much younger & in WAY better shape; plus I have an eyewitness--my brother-in-law John.]
        No technical climbing was required, & the view from the top was awesome. To the east lay the sprawling plains of Colorado, undoubtedly stretching all the way to the Kansas border. The snow-clad peaks of the Sangre de Cristo range rose majestically to the south.
        And by the time I got back to my campsite, I was paying the price for my mountain-top experience:  a throbbing headache & strong feeling of nausea. I deduced later that I was most likely experiencing a mild case of altitude sickness. I climbed too high, too quickly, without being acclimatized.
        What's my point? Aren't many mountain-top experiences often followed by an inevitable return to the valleys? Or should I say, we soar to the heights before we crash? That's all too frequently been my experience, & I'm going to guess it's been your experience, as well.
        It was undoubtedly God the Father who brought Jesus to the mountain-top before sending Him crashing back to the valley that would lead Him to His march to the cross in Jerusalem. It was a Transfiguration--a holy physical change in preparation for what was to be another harrowing, horrible physical change for our Savior.
        Maybe God the Father uses mountain-top experiences to prepare us for our journeys to the valley, too. Where would those mountain-top experiences be found? I can't help but think that whenever we gather to worship around Word & Sacrament, God is using holy sources to prepare us for unholy circumstances. 

Today's Prayer Thoughts

Ask the Lord to bless you with opportunities to worship Him with fellow believers in order to praise Him & prepare yourself for whatever life throws at you. Give thanks for such opportunities.

A Closing Thought

How did the three disciples recognize Moses & Elijah? It's not like they had access to photographs or paintings in those days. Photo IDs? Name tags? Formal introductions? Inquiring minds want to know!