Breaking the Word

About eight days after he said this, he took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.  And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.  Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.  As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Lk 9, 28-33)

Jesus went up the mountain to pray. In King James Version it is said as: he went up into the mountain to pray. Mountain is the place of prayer and it is the place of God experience. And valley is the place of despair and death, the place where the demons shriek and sufferers weep etc. Mountain-top experience is divine experience.

Going into the mountain could also be that he went into himself on top of the mountain to have God experience. He is met by Moses and Elijah. They represent the law and the prophets. They also stand for people of God experience. Moses had God experience on top of the mountain. Prophet Elijah communicated God experience to the people on top of Mount Carmel (1Kg 18). 

Jesus together with them spoke about his journey to Jerusalem. Luke calls this as exodus. Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem is like the great exodus from Egypt and Jesus is going to enact this event in his life. Moses led the Israelites out of slavery. Here Jesus will lead all God’s people out of sin and death.

Peter was unaware of what was happening around. He did not understand the happenings near him. It could mean that Peter wanted to keep the experience permanent and that is why he wanted the three tents.  

So Mountain-top experience is a God experience and people of God experience come together. God experience (which is personal) always motivates one for an exodus and this exodus is for the people (not for the individual alone).

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?  So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt 5, 43-48)

God the Father is the model for our earthly life and as children of this Father we are asked to imitate Him.

In this passage three types of people are presented as models: tax collectors, pagans and God the Father.

Tax collectors love in return only those who love them. They could be anybody: Jews, Romans, slaves etc.  If they love the tax collectors then they are loved in return.

Pagans greet their brothers. Pagans keep to their own kith and kin. They do not move out of their group, or race etc.

Love and greetings are expressions of relationships. These two relationships are exclusive relationships. These two relationships are self-centered, limited, controlled.

God the Father loves everyone. He has no distinctions and differences. God does not even look into the justifiable differences. The usual differences are between good and bad; just and unjust. No one will be really sad (in practice) when a wicked man is punished. In the same way no one will be hurt when an unjust man is penalized. One would even say that he (the offender) deserves the punishment.

But God loves everyone. When giving rain and sunshine he does not look at the colour, caste, creed, nationality, and even moral differences (good/bad; just/unjust).

Perfection of God here is not in the moral Perfection (which is impossible to attain) but perfection in loving everyone without looking into the differences. “Be merciful,  just as your Father is merciful”. (Lk 6,36)