Beyond the Mountaintop

To get a complete picture of a book, what would you do? You’ll read it fully. This blog is one such, which birthed after understanding the whole picture and main theme of the Gospel written by Mark. It is so beautiful that Mark tried to capture the life of Jesus under the theme of suffering.

Can we escape suffering in this life? Are we living a life faithful unto Jesus, following Jesus by believing suffering will not touch us if we do so? Then the result could easily be what the disciples experienced. It is disappointment.

The disciples looked at Jesus as King or Messiah of the earthly kingdom of Israel then. We can see the sons of Zebedee wanting to sit on the right and the left side of Jesus' throne. We can see Peter rebuking Jesus when He said He was going to suffer and die.

Gospel of Mark 8:31 (KJV) And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

When Jesus told the disciples that they should be careful about the sourdough of the Pharisees, the disciples were thinking literally about the dough and the bread.

However much they walked with Jesus, they were not able to align themselves with Jesus or His purpose. They couldn't understand or accept that Jesus would be beaten. Also, they were surprised when they heard Magdalene say, “He is risen.” He was beyond their thinking. They couldn't comprehend Him.

Their mentality can be seen clearly when Jesus took His closest disciples to Mount Tabor, and when they saw His transfiguration, they wanted to stay there in the mountaintop spiritual experience. What do these show? The disciples wanted freedom from the suppression of the Roman government, they wanted to enjoy the mountaintop experiences, they saw the miracles and supernatural experiences and thought they would walk only in those experiences. They were disappointed to see the other side of Jesus, where He submitted Himself to the Father's will to suffer.

Hey friend, how do we see God in our Christian walk? Do we see Him as our protector who protects us from all suffering? Then we are on our way to disappointment. But He can help us to overcome it. The same disciples were changed when they received the Holy Spirit. When they started to see everything through the Holy Spirit, sufferings didn't affect them. They stopped playing hide and seek with it. They thought themselves blessed for enduring everything for Christ. Christ strengthened them to do so.

Hey friend, what is our mentality when we go through the path of suffering? The solution lies in living not by the leading of our flesh, but by the Holy Spirit. Flesh will make us disappointed, and we will end up complaining.

Dear God, thank You for the revelation You bring us. Help us to walk in the Spirit. Help us to be filled with Your Holy Spirit and His power when we face challenges and difficulties in life. May we know that the One who walked before us is victorious. Strengthen us, Lord. May we overcome the world like You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.