As Jesus goes up the mountain, we can recall the other times in Scripture when the image of a mountain is used. Of course, one of the most notable times is when Moses goes up to Mount Sinai so that he may receive the Ten Commandments from the Lord and bring them to the people. As this is such a crucial story to our faith and a significant testament to the love that God has for His people in wanting to free them, we are led to think of mountains as a way of recognizing the Lord’s beauty. In addition, just before the Transfiguration, we see Jesus walking with Peter, James, and John up a high mountain, where he would then be transfigured before them! Before the Incarnation, seeing the face of God was something to be afraid of, for there was a fear that it could result in death. However, the Transfiguration was literally God revealing His face to us so that we might gaze upon Him without fear. This astonishing event, all taking place on a mountain, brought us closer to the Lord in a wholly new way.
It is no surprise, then, that the Lord chose to summon his twelve apostles on a mountain. He summoned those whom he wanted and they came to Him. Christ called each of them by name. He specifically chose them for this purpose. By going up a mountain, God is showing us His love for us as He establishes leaders to walk us through the faith. He is showing us that something significant is happening. And, in summoning these twelve specifically, He also shows us that He specifically summons us to our own respective purposes. We have a purpose ordained by God, and like the apostles, we are called to simply come to Him.
Jesus must’ve thought of the 12 as his best friends. They don’t seem to have any other qualifications!!
You guys are doing good work there. Glad to see you’re back in the swing.