Climb every mountain

Matthew 15:29-39

               Have you ever climbed a mountain? I have climbed many, both on foot, by bicycle and by car. I suppose I have been climbing mountains for years since I recall climbing Hogback Mountain as a kid with my brothers. Since then I have walked some of the Appalachian trail, visited Pikes Peak and most recently Cadillac Mountain and environs by bike.

          One of the reasons people climb mountains is the beautiful scenery and the clear view. This is quite a metaphor for life even though the serenity of the mountaintops make it quite apropos. We all want clear vision, we all want to be able to see things more clearly. Who hasn't gazed into one of those old coin operated binoculars like they have at the Empire State building. You want to see as far and as well as you can. If we could see in the future we would look even harder. As humans we have a thirst for knowing and a thirst for solitude and peace where we can commune with ourselves and God. Sometimes we need the silence to hear God's words to us and the solitude of the mountain top is a golden opportunity.

             This past summer, my husband and I were biking in Maine and on our second to last day we solicited advice on a more challenging and memorable ride. Our guide suggest the "around the mountain ride". He also said we probably would curse him for the first half hour or so of the ride. Well, first, it really should be called the straight up the mountain ride. The road was gravelly, steep, filled with switchbacks and a real bear. It was hard. It was no wonder we ran across very few people in this popular summer vacation area. This particular ride was challenging and few dared do it. But, we did and we forged forward, ever upward. It was a personal triumph for each of us when we reached the peak. The reward was spectacular. The views in almost every direction took our breath away (what breath we had left from the ride that is ). The silence and beauty was humbling and inspiring.

        It seems that any effort to see better, to gain better clarity, more knowledge, more maturity is always met with a challenge and we have to strive to get there. When we achieve our goal, however lofty and however difficult, we gain a new perspective and all the rewards it has to offer, even if it is simply some quiet time, some peace and time with our God.

        Climbing the mountain is a literal and figurative expression but no matter which you are speaking of, it is worth while.  The rewards are enormous and the peace and self knowledge are indisputable.

     

After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?’ Jesus asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ They said, ‘Seven, and a few small fish.’ Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. After sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.