Mountain Climbing!

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus took Peter, James and John “and led them up a high mountain by themselves” (Mt. 17:1, NIV). Luke tells us that the purpose Jesus had in climbing this mountain was “to pray” (Lk. 9:28). Ascending into the presence of God through prayer is like climbing a high mountain, for the focus of our attention shifts from ourselves to the high air of heaven where God enables us to see things from a new and better perspective.

A couple of summer's ago I had the wonderful experience of climbing a large rock outcropping during a canoe trip to the Kawartha Highlands just north of Peterborough. As I stood with my son, Matthew, and our friends, we could see at least three lakes, along with miles and miles of forest stretching out before us. It was while standing at the top of this peak that I was reminded again of the importance of seeing things from a higher perspective.

Matthew Henry has written, “Those that would have a transforming fellowship with God, must not only retire (to a place by themselves), but ascend; lift up their hearts, and seek things above.” On the mountain of the Lord’s presence, God will often open our eyes to a greater revelation of Himself and His purposes. This is why “mountains in Scripture are associated with God’s acts of revelation.” As a result, the Lord Himself becomes our main focus, not the concerns, the needs, the problems or the situations of life.

After all that the disciples had seen and heard on the mount, the end result was “they saw only Jesus with them” (Mt. 17:8). The goal of any mountaintop experience is to re-focus our attention on Jesus! Once this had happened, the “disciples descended the mountain” (Mt. 17:9), for it was important for them to go back into the real world where the living of life awaited them. Such experiences are meant to change us and give us a new appreciation for our Sovereign Lord and His unfolding purposes. And yet, they must also be translated into our daily lives, so that what we have learned on the mountain might be “fleshed out” in the way we live from day to day.