Luke 9:28-36
28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31 They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” 36 When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
33 Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”
When we travel, most of us do things to help us remember our experiences. Sometimes we take photographs, or buy souvenirs. Sometimes we even bring back a little piece of the place we’ve visited – a shell from a favorite beach, a vial of water from the Jordan River, a smooth stone from a riverbed, etc. Holding and looking at these items takes us back to that wonderful experience with all our senses.
Peter, John and James had an otherworldly experience with Jesus. It defies explanation and is impossible to fully describe. And so, they did the next best thing. Peter decided to preserve the experience by building a memorial on the site. Instead of trying to take a piece of the place home with him, he decided to stay right there where everything happened forever.
Mountaintop moments, like visiting a sacred place, or having a powerful religious experience, change us forever. It’s difficult to go back to our everyday life after we’ve been so profoundly changed. Like Peter, our first instinct is to stay on the mountain. But that will never work. Mountaintop moments are gifts from God that encourage and strengthen us for our work in the world. They are precious memories that comfort and sustain us, but they can’t be recreated.
Prayer: Lord Jesus: Thank you for those precious moments when you show us your glory in unmistakable ways. Thank you, also, for the gift of faith that believes without proof. AMEN