Peter had hoped that he could prolong the encounter of the transfiguration, because he knew what it would be like when they eventually returned from the mountain top. Life could be so much better up there, nearer to God and in the peace and presence of holiness. However, all of us must come down from the mountain top, and just as with Peter, we are more likely to say or do something stupid when we are on a spiritual high! Solitude is necessary in order to grow as a Christian, but a life of solitariness is not good either for ourselves or for others. Peter wanted Jesus all to himself, but the mission of Jesus was to spread the Good news of the coming of God's Kingdom to a hungry, sad, oppressed and bewildered world. We cannot shut our eyes and ears to their cry!
So, straight back into the hurly burly the three disciples and Jesus go. Jesus is presented with a rather delicate situation. Again, a parent has brought his son to be healed. He is an epileptic, the disciples hadn't been able to heal him and the Scribes were seizing the opportunity to ridicule Jesus and His followers. People will always and have always judged Christ by the conduct of His followers and not far away there will be a group of cynics shouting, ''We told you so!''
Then Jesus arrives and transforms the situation.
1. We learn here that Jesus was not only ready to face the cross, He was also able to deal with the here and now. Sometimes, we may be strong and prepared to cope in the major crisis and not able to deal with the everyday challenges of life. Jesus walked every day, every moment of His life with His Father and in obedience to His will.
2. When I was young, in the days of Billy Graham and later, Louis Palau, I sometimes felt that it wasn't really worth spending a lot of time witnessing to one person when hundreds were being saved at one time in the big arenas. Jesus had time for the one stricken soul, He gave Himself entirely to that father and his son. He has time for you and your troubles, He has time for your neighbour and their crisis, He has time for the member of your family who is struggling. Trust Him!