Stockpiling Joy from the Mountain
Amanda Hazelwood
9 As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10 They seized upon that statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant. 11 They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.” Mark 9:9–13
So this passage comes right after Jesus has taken Peter, James, and John up the mountain. And while up there, God performs the transfiguration and then Elijah and Moses are also magically with them. God tells the disciples that Jesus is his son, whom he loves. The disciples are so amazed by what they see that they tell Jesus that they’d like to set up camp and just hang out with Moses and Elijah for a bit. But Jesus says “nope, we have to go back down the mountain.” So our passage starts during the descent.
The transfiguration and God speaking directly to the disciples probably cleared up any lingering doubts about whether Jesus was the messiah for those disciples, but then Jesus says “Don’t tell anyone about this until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” That’s a pretty heavy secret to carry around. And what does it mean for the Son of Man to rise from the dead? Jesus alludes to his death many times, and Roman rule of the territory was pretty barbaric, so one can only imagine that the disciples knew what was to come.
It was so safe up on that mountain. I think the disciples probably felt a tremendous amount of joy, knowing that this wonderful man they’ve ditched their old lives for is indeed the Son of God. And to witness such a phenomenal event, seeing Moses and Elijah, hearing God’s voice for themselves, is something hard to walk away from. But there was still work to be done. The clock was ticking. Death, and rising again, were all necessary parts of the plot.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the holiday season, this year, and I know I’m not alone. Particularly during a pandemic, the joy of advent, family traditions, and good food all make us so happy at a time when we really need to feel happy. But what’s waiting for us on the other side? In many ways, the joy of advent is the mountain. And we do have to come down. There’s more work to be done on the other side. And, particularly this year, there’s a tremendous sadness waiting for us — the rest of winter, during a pandemic. But we also have the looming promise of a very effective vaccine. We have hope — we will metaphorically rise again — but there’s a long period of waiting in the meantime.
Peter, James, and John came down from the mountain filled with joy from witnessing such a miracle and from knowing the truth about Jesus. And they also came with the knowledge that this joy would not last — that the Son of Man would die and rise again. I imagine, when things got particularly bleak in the days to come, that the memory of this time on the mountain with Jesus buoyed the disciples; the joy of the truth helped them get through the sadness.
As we continue through Advent, my wish for us is that we can stockpile our own joys for the long road ahead. There is much to celebrate now, but we know the truth that we have to continue to make wise decisions that protect everyone’s safety while also making personal sacrifices and struggling through the cold darkness, mostly alone. Like the disciples, may the joy of this Advent and memories of happy times past, buoy us in the difficult times to come. And when that’s not enough, I hope we are able to remember the promise that there is a resurrection, a light at the end of our tunnels.
