Perhaps youвЂ™ve lived in a valley all your life or are pretty much confined to the view that four walls bring you. You are about to have your own mountain top experience. Just for a moment, imagine that you are in JesusвЂ™ company, along with Peter James and John as they are climbing the mountain. The spiritual high was also reality it becomes folded into the rest of our life, like salt that gives zests to the taste of food. We вЂњcome back to reality.вЂќ But, again, thatвЂ™s not accurate. At such moments, we may feel the immense joy of GodвЂ™s love and an intense personal affirmation. A retreat or some other spiritual experience can send us soaring. Such a moment can happen in our spiritual life, too. A particularly rewarding achievement, an especially fulfilling moment in a relationship ~ a time when, for whatever reason, the world is bright, life makes sense, and most of the pieces of our lives fit together. The vision of Jesus in brilliant light was reality too. We might say they had to return to reality, but thatвЂ™s not accurate. They have to come back down from the mountain. Peter, speaking for all of them he wants to stay there, at least, a while longer. For Peter, James and John, this is as good a high as it gets вЂ“ seeing the Son of God in his true glory. This is a wonderful spiritualВ high, lest you get the wrong idea. First, theyвЂ™re on a mountain вЂ“ thatвЂ™s exhilarating already, and secondly, they see Jesus transfigured before them in dazzling glory. Peter, James and John are genuinely high in this morningвЂ™s gospel story. Today Jesus is receiving a wonderful affirmation. It contrasts with last weekвЂ™s story of Jesus in the desert when he was tempted by the devil. It made them witnesses to the glory of Christ they had a story they could hold in their hearts until the time came when they could share it. What they experienced with Jesus on the mountain, even though they didnвЂ™t understand, gave them something to hold on to. Things were happening that were breaking their heart. They were shattered that he was going to Jerusalem to die. Go on!вЂќ Secondly, it did something significant for the disciples. They basically said, вЂњGo on!вЂќ And he received the wonderful affirmation of his Father, who basically said, вЂњYou are acting as my own beloved Son should and must act. On the mountain he received the approval of Moses and Elijah. In the desert, he had made the decision to go to Jerusalem, which meant facing the Cross and his death. First, it did something significant for Jesus. вЂњAnd the cloud covered the tent of meeting and glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.вЂќ (Exodus 40:34) The transfiguration has a two-fold significance. In Exodus, we read of the pillar of fireВ that was to lead the people away from their slavery. All through history the luminous cloud stood for the shechinah,which was nothing less than the glory of the Almighty God. All the gospel writers speak of the luminous cloud which overshadowed them on the mountain. Here, the descent of the cloud was a way of saying the Messiah had come. It was in the cloud that God came to the tabernacle. In Jewish thought, GodвЂ™s presence is regularly connected with the cloud. He also explains the significance of the cloud. Barclay suggests itвЂ™s more likely, that the transfiguration event took place on snow-covered Mount Hermon thatвЂ™s 9,400 feet high where there would be more solitude. He says that tradition has it that this event took place on Mount Tabor but itвЂ™s no more than 1,000 feet high. And there they experience something really amazing! IвЂ™d like to begin once againВ with some notes from Scripture scholar William Barclay. I tвЂ™s the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus in which he takes his favorite companions, Peter, James and John up a high mountain to pray. The Second Sunday of Lent ~ March 8th, 2020 Jesus takes Peter, James and John to a mountaintop and there they have ~ well ~ a вЂњpeakвЂќ experience extraordinaire.

Abraham maslow peak experience