CREDIT: Marco Verch
Dear Children of God,
We like comfort. Why else do we heat/cool our homes? Or – put cushions on church pews? It’s about comfort. We have different ideas about comfort, but we like it. But there’s a problem with the comfort zone – it can keep us from getting things done. We want to stay there. But eventually we need to move out of our comfort zones.
Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain to escape the crowds and chaos. There Peter witnessed, first-hand, Jesus’ full glory as well as the presence of Moses and Elijah. Peter was so engrossed he wanted to stay on the mountaintop. He said, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:4) Peter, focused on his comfort zone, had forgotten Jesus’ mission. It wasn’t to live on a mountaintop bathed in glory. He was the Christ who came to suffer, be killed, and rise from the dead (Matthew 16:21). This wouldn’t be possible if Jesus remained in mountaintop comfort. Jesus needed to go down the mountain, into the world, to fulfill His Father’s mission.
It’s good to linger in the mountaintop comfort zone, worshipping God with friends. God calls us to this mountaintop each week to receive His grace and to nourish our faith through His word and the Lord’s Supper. It’s great to hang out there for a while, but there’s still work to do.
Lent, which starts this Ash Wednesday, is a good time to step out of our comfort zones. It’s a good time to sacrifice some of our comforts while remembering Jesus’ sacrifice for us – praying for strength to fight Satan’s temptations to give in to our cravings. It’s also a good time to stretch our comfort zones by spending more time in prayer and God’s Word – pick up a Return to the Lord Lenten devotional to help you. Lenten ideas like these might help you experience more fully the Easter mountaintop that awaits.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Jim