Matthew 17

The Transfiguration. Peter, James, and John went up the mountain with Jesus. His face shone like the sun. Moses and Elijah appeared. A bright cloud covered them. The voice spoke.

Peter wanted to build shelters and stay. Jesus brought them down the mountain.

There’s always a valley after the mountain. The disciples came down and immediately found the other nine unable to cast out a demon from a boy who was suffering terribly. The father was desperate. The disciples were confused. And Jesus said: you unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you?

The contrast is the point. The glory on the mountain. The suffering in the valley. The disciples who just witnessed the Transfiguration couldn’t help a suffering child. And Jesus went from one directly to the other.

I’ve had mountain moments. Times when God’s presence was undeniable and the vision was clear and everything felt confirmed. And then descended into ordinary, messy, resistant reality where nothing worked the way it did on the mountain.

The valley isn’t a punishment. It’s where the work is. The mountain is real. But you can’t live there.