“ . . . he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up into the mountain to pray.. . .”

Mountains are a powerful metaphor for the upward ascent which we take on our spiritual journey to the Almighty. In the Bible, there are many references to mountaintop, peak experiences in which God’s power is manifested. For example, Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai; Elijah defeated the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel; David’s palace was built on Mount Zion; and the apostles witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor.

Mount Tabor rises 1,500 feet above Jezreel Valley. In order to scale the mountain, Peter, James and John had to trek up a steep and rocky path that snaked its way around one pitfall after another. The rough terrain was treacherous underfoot; the air at the top would have been thin and cold and shadowed by clouds. We’re told that the arduous climb left the apostles physically spent, “heavy with sleep.” But they awoke to witness Jesus in all His resplendent glory.

In a sense, the apostles blazed a trail that each of us must follow in the course of our spiritual lives.  At the outset, the ground may slope gently upward but with the passage of time, the ascent grows steeper, the climb more arduous. There may be landslides and rockfalls that sweep us off our feet. There may be chasms that require a leap of faith. But, if we keep on moving in the right direction, we, too, will one day behold Jesus in all His glory.