Readings for today: Deuteronomy 18-20, Luke 9:28-50, Psalms 73, Proverbs 12:10
I think we can all sympathize with Jesus on some level. He comes off a mountaintop experience where He is transfigured before His disciples. He recaptures, for a brief moment, the glory He once held in heaven. He meets with Elijah and Moses. Again He hears His Father’s voice affirming Him as the beloved Son. But when He comes down the mountain into the valley of life, not much has changed. The people are still driven less by a desire to know Him and follow Him and more by a desire to get their needs met. They see Him as a means to another end rather than the end itself. So Jesus confronts them. Not in anger but in heartbreak. He has compassion even amidst His deep sadness. He knows what’s coming. He knows the Cross is beginning to loom large on the horizon. But the people still have desperate needs. And the disciples still argue over who’s going to be greatest. And they worry someone else might try to steal their thunder. Sound familiar at all?
We are not much different. So many come to Jesus not to follow but to get their needs met. They want a contract with God. You meet my needs and I will give you the worship you deserve. You heal my disease and then I will believe in you. You take care of the demons of my life and then I will follow you. Thankfully, Jesus is still gracious even in the face of our entitlement and privilege. Even after we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we get caught up in our pride. We jockey for position in the Kingdom. We want a share in His glory. We want to make our name great alongside His. We want - if not equal billing - at least a spot on the marquee. Thankfully, Jesus is still gracious even in the face of our pride and arrogance. He is not threatened by our posturing but instead continues His sanctifying work within us to make us humble.
I am sure all of us have had the mountaintop experience. Perhaps it was during corporate worship or on a retreat. Perhaps it was as you hiked in the woods one day or served God on mission. Perhaps it was a powerful movement of the Spirit that caught you unawares or a growing sense of God’s abiding love that touched your heart. We’ve all had these experiences and we also know the euphoria doesn’t last. We do eventually have to go back down into the valley. Back to real life. Back to the mundane. Back to the everyday. We have to return to work. Return home to the kids. Return back to the church which is filled with all kinds of sinners and saints. What was true for Jesus is true for us. The key is to keep our eyes focused on Him. To walk as He walked. Love as He loved. Serve as He served.
Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 21-22, Luke 9:51-10:12, Psalms 74, Proverbs 12:11