Reading from Mark 9:33-35

And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

 Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him up to the mountain where he was transfigured before them. Later, in the same chapter we read that the disciples were disputing among themselves who was or should be the greatest, or the leader among them. Possibly they were trying to establish a pecking order or hierarchy among themselves. I can understand why Peter, James, and John believed they were in the top tier. But rather than make them proud, those moments alone with God ought to have humbled them.

When Peter was on the mountain top, he was humbled as God spoke to him out of heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, hear ye Him.” The Word of God says they were “sore afraid.” And Jesus told them on their way down the mountain to keep these things to themselves. As human nature would have it, these men began to compare themselves with the other disciples and pride began to creep in. No doubt they felt they were more spiritual and somehow “better Christians” than these other men were.

Let us be careful when Jesus gives us a glimpse beyond the veil. Let us be humbled when we experience a thing that cannot be explained in human terminology except through the negative. Let us live in that moment. Let us take it all in and allow it to increase our faith and not our pride. Let not pride undo at the bottom of the mountain what faith did at the top of the mountain.