A Mountain Hike with Jesus

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. // Mark 9:2

Whenever anyone in Scripture ascends a mountain, pay attention! 

Mountains are destinations of some of the most transformational encounters with God. Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai (see Exodus 20:1-17). Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (see 1 Kings 18:20-40). Abraham demonstrated his faith and willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah (see Genesis 22:1-19). And we must remember the mountain where Jesus prayed before his Crucifixion (see Luke 22:39-53) and ascended into Heaven (see Acts 1:6-12), the Mount of Olives.

So, when Jesus invites Peter, James, and John for a hiking trip up Mount Tabor, they should've known something would happen. 

I've taken several challenging mountain hikes in Honolulu, Hawaii; Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona; and Montserrat, Spain. Each gave me a different vantage point to see the world below. I've also ascended many spiritual mountaintops: retreats, spiritual direction school, Theology of the Body Institute, and various conferences. Each was gifted to me to hold on to when I found myself personally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually in lower altitudes.

Each mountaintop experience illuminated Christ to me as brightly as Christ transfigured before His Apostles. From His radiant face, areas of sin and darkness were exposed. I was mercifully given the freedom I never thought possible. I could've set up camp on those mountains, too, but God was simply preparing me for my next season.

Through the Transfiguration, Jesus prepared Peter, James, and John for His Resurrection from the dead. He knew they would need the light of the Transfiguration to illuminate the path for the early Church after He ascended to Heaven, to bring consolation when desolation abounded in the streets they preached and walked on.

We need this same consolation from our mountaintop experiences to illuminate our souls found in the dim and dark. There are things found in the darkness that can only be recognized in seasons of desolation. So on this Feast of the Transfiguration, embrace the darkness as much as you rejoice in the blinding light. Each prepares us for the eternal mountaintop of heaven.