"[Jesus] went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone."

This is more just an intriguing thought than scripturally undebatable... but it makes me wonder.

Moses was a man whom God spoke to face to face as a friend. However, this made Moses' face "radiant" or dependant on who translates, disfigured. It was so changed that he had to veil his face when he came out of the LORD's presence so that the people were not so affected by his appearance.

Later in Jesus' ministry, rather than going on a mountain to pray alone, he brings Peter, James, and John along with Him. [Perhaps interesting to note is that originally on mt. Sinai, the cloud [which seems to be the LORD's presence] settled on the mountain for six days and then God spoke on the seventh day....... in this passage it says "After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves." matt 17:1.]

While they are on the mountain (this being the transfiguration of Jesus), "[Jesus'] face shone like the sun," and "a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!' When the disciples heard this, they fell face down on the ground, terrified."

Just makes me think a bit-- even more so than the wonderful parallels between Jesus and Moses, about Jesus' alone times with God on the mountain tops. I have always thought of it as our own alone time-- just spending time alone with God!
And yet every time the crowds follow him and when Jesus seeing them, rather than being annoyed, he "has compassion on them."

So I was led to wonder tonight that perhaps Jesus' concealment was not solely to be alone with the LORD, but perhaps also because His encounters would scare the MESS out of people, and He understood that! Perhaps it wasn't just being alone for Him-- it was a desire to be MORE in the presence of God than we could withstand.

WOW!!

Kind of makes me want to think of my alone time with Jesus a bit differently.

Maybe I don't want JUST to be alone with Him, but also to experience something with Him in a degree that He could not show before others. Perhaps there is a special bond like that with all of us.

Just made me think. Love y'all!!