MATTHEW 17:1-9 – And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 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.” 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.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 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.”
THEME OF THE DAY. LIFE IS NOT LIVED ON THE MOUNTAIN. We really can’t blame Peter. I mean, think about it. How would we react if Jesus asked us to go on a weekend retreat to a secluded mountain for prayer? He invites us to spend unhindered time with Him on a beautiful mountaintop to listen to His teaching, pray with Him, and without distractions. We would say the same words as Peter, “Lord, it is good we are here. Let’s pitch some tents and extend our time. This is great! A real slice of heaven.” Yet, the time had to end. The mountaintop experience needed to stop. Peter, James, and John had to return to life and the scripture reads, “As they were coming down the mountain.”
Friends, we don’t live the Christian life by “mountaintop spiritual experiences.” Concerts are moving, conferences energizing, and weekend retreats exciting, but the Christian life is not lived by spurts of excitement and emotional highs. It is lived in the valleys of life; the difficult valleys, the discouraging valleys, the trying valleys, and the valleys populated by hurting people – Christians and non-Christians – who need us to live the Christian life as God commands. And how does God command us to be in the lives of our “fellow valley dwellers”? Christ-like. Yes, yes, I know. I can hear the whispers, “Of course that is how I am to live my life – like Jesus. That is what the Bible tells me.” I get it. I really do, and I know that too, but maybe we need to go a little deeper and ask, “Am I really representing Christ in all my conversations, in all the relationships I have, in all the errands I run, in all the roles I perform, in my vocation, and in all my social circles?” Well, what would that really look like in reality?
The Apostle Paul paints the picture of a life representing Christ in all the valleys of life. He writes, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere (2 Corinthians 2:14). He tells us we are to “put forth the sweet fragrance of Christ’s Person everywhere we go.” Are we? Do people see, hear, and feel the compassion of Jesus from us? Are we leaving the mark of Christ’s character everywhere we go? Let’s tie these questions into the mountaintop experience of today’s scripture and our lives. Where do the most beautiful flowers grow? In the fertile soil located in the valleys, not in the barren rocks of mountaintops. And that should cause us to remember, we live in the valleys of life to bloom for the benefit of others, not on mountains to be isolated from others.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to live my life on mission – Your mission of making Your Son known.”
QUOTE: “The Christian life is to be lived in the world, not of the world, guided by Divine Purpose.”