There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. –Matthew 17:2

We’ve begun our Imagine guided meditations on Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. in the Worship Center. I’ll be sharing a bit of each week’s meditation here, and I hope they can be another means for you to encounter Jesus during this Lenten season. This past week we encountered Jesus in Matthew’s Transfiguration narrative. Please read Matthew 17:1-9 and take your time considering the following.

Imagine yourself as either Peter, James, or John. You’re at the foot of a mountain in first-century Palestine, camping with a group of friends that you’ve spent the last three years with, following Jesus. You’ve seen him do incredible things, and after three years, you believe you know him pretty well. One morning Jesus invites you to climb the mountain with him. What is the mountain like? (Picture it.)

You begin the climb. Is it an easy enough climb that you can keep your eyes on Jesus, or must you carefully watch your feet to make sure you don’t trip? As you reach the top, feel the ache in your body, the sting of the air in your lungs as you gasp for breath.

Suddenly, this man you know begins to radiate light! Picture being at dinner with someone you’ve known for years suddenly beginning to glow, and you might begin to get a sense of what that was like. Then two famous dead people show up to talk to your friend (say, George Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr.)! What emotions would that stir in you? You consider finding a way to make this surreal encounter permanent, but then a cloud descends and envelops you. A voice rings out – the voice of God! And you fall to the ground, terrified.

Then. Then hear the calming voice of your friend, “Don’t be afraid.” Feel the warmth of his hand on your back. Put your hand in his as he helps you up off the ground. Feel the fear leave your body. As you follow him back down the mountain, you realize that your perspective of everything has been forever changed by seeing Jesus – the one you thought you knew – as brighter, more other – than, and more astonishing than you had ever imagined.

Friends, are there “mountains” in your life that you’re climbing? Can you climb with Jesus and let him be more gracious and loving and humble and perfect and forgiving and generous and astonishing than you have ever imagined? Follow him, let him be more than you believed, let him remove your fear, and listen to him. Let’s ascend and descend life’s mountains, forever changed by Jesus, together.