Pitching Tents on Mountain Tops

In Matthew 17 Jesus takes Peter, James and John up on a mountain where He is transfigured right before their eyes such that His appearance was radiant like the sun.  Moses and Elijah appear and are conversing with Jesus.  Peter blurts out that this is amazing and he will build tents for everyone.  Just then, a cloud covers them and God speaks in an audible voice saying, "This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him."  And then, poof, the whole thing is over and Jesus is walking back down the mountain with them telling them not to say anything about this whole incident until after the resurrection.

I can't blame Peter for wanting to pitch a tent there.  He just wanted to make sure everything was in order so the experience could continue.  He wanted to make sure that Elijah and Moses had a place to hang their hat for a while so this whole experience could continue.

The problem was that continuing this experience was not Jesus' mission.  Camping out here with Moses and Elijah was not the goal.  The mission involved getting to the cross and then the empty tomb.  Camping on the "Mountain of Transfiguration" was not going to move them toward that goal.

Even beyond the mission, God made it very clear that Jesus was not just another great prophet or leader to go on Israel's Mount Rushmore; Jesus was God's Son and the Messiah.  Jesus deserves our attention, even our worship, because of who He is as revealed by God and because of His work in the crucifixion and resurrection.  Being among the elite of the prophets or great teachers is secondary (at best) to who Jesus was and is.

This incident poses some important questions for us now.

1. Where am I trying to pitch tents and camp out for a while?  Are these places distractions from the mission and purpose of my life?  
2. Who is determining my identity?  From whom do I find my significance and value?
3. Am I following Jesus as the Son of God and only way to the Father or only as a good teacher, leader, and role model who might give me tools to have a better life?

After God spoke, the text says that they lifted up their eyes and saw no one but Jesus only.  Can you say the same?