On companionship...

This past Sunday was Transfiguration Sunday. The Gospel reading was from the ninth chapter of Mark, where Jesus takes Peter, James, & John up a mountain and is transfigured before their eyes.

Ever wonder why Jesus took these particular disciples with Him? Times like this make me wish the Bible had recorded the conversations that took place during this walk up and down the mountain:

"Hey guys, y'wanna go for a walk with me?"
"Sure, why not!"

And off they go. I wonder if Jesus told them to get ready to see something spectacular. You gotta figure it was a pretty long walk; wonder what they talked about? Of course, being guys, they might not have said anything!

Then, once they're up there, how long were they up there? A few minutes? A half hour? When Jesus was transfigured, and Elijah and Moses showed up, Peter asked if they should build three shelters. Were they running around trying to find tools, supplies, wood, etc? And then they hear the voice of God and it's all over.

And Jesus looks at them and says, "Well, shall we head back?" You can imagine how stunned the disciples looked! And then, to top it all off, Jesus says "Don't mention any of this to anyone when we get back!" HUH??? Who can keep a secret like that? Thankfully, the Bible does indicate that the four of them talked a lot on the way back.

But getting back to my original curiosity: why did Jesus take these guys with him? Certainly not to prove anything to them; they were his closest friends. Perhaps to prepare them for things to come. But I have to wonder if Jesus just wanted someone to go with Him? If you've got a long journey ahead, don't you want some companionship? The road is a lot less lonely when there's more than one.

I like having people around; I love having my friends around. Why wouldn't Jesus also feel the same way?

Thank you Jesus for being my friend and for showing me what a true friend is and how a true friend acts.

In Him and around the corner (and trying to figure out a way to write BEFORE midnight),

Al