By any measure it is unbelievably magnificent – Mount Everest. You know we had to get here didn’t you? How could any series of sermons on Mountains not talk about Everest? Last week when I talked about a couple of the paltry mountains that I had climbed, Barbara Smith told me, after the first worship service, that her cousin had climbed Everest! That’s an astonishing feat. 29,002 feet high. Imagine, when you are flying in an airplane at 30,000 feet – that is the height of Everest.
Mountain climbers will agree that Mt. Everest is not the hardest mountain to climb – K-2 is considered more difficult, and likely there are others not yet scaled that could pose great challenges. But in a way, Everest represents all mountains. It has become the epitome of mountains so that when you say Everest – everyone knows you are talking about the culmination of every mountain climbing experience. In it, you can see all of the grandeur of any mountain view. In it you will experience the difficulty of every mountain climb.
The Bible has is own Mount Everest. It’s called Mount Zion. To help you understand how Mt. Zion was established as the highest mountain, let me share with you a story. On my first trip to Israel I was a young pastor and was part of a large group of pastors and laity from the synod. A couple of seminary professors were the primary lecturers. At several of the archaeological sites one of the professors, Foster McCurley would say – And over there is the “high place.” I would look, squint my eyes, but for the life of me, I could not see any “high place.” There was just a bunch of rocks. Finally, at one of the sites, I went up to Dr. McCurley after he had pointed out yet another “high Place,” and said, “where is it – I don’t see it.” He laughed a bit and said – The high place is not about elevation, it is about the holy place, the sanctuary where God’s presence was known!
Suddenly a light went on and I understood. Whenever people experienced the presence of God, they would build a sanctuary – sometimes it would simply be a pile of rocks, but it marked the spot where Jacob wrestled with the angel or where Moses saw the burning bush, or where the people of Israel crossed the Jordon into the promised land. There were many sacred places and sacred mountains – Mt. Moriah, Mt. Horeb, Mt. Sinai and others. When David became king and united the tribes of Israel, he established a new capital – at Jerusalem. And he wanted have one central sanctuary. So on the crest of the hill, wedged between the Tyropoeon Valley and the Kidron Valley, he created the temple mount.
It was on this site that Solomon built the temple and it was here that the ark of the covenant was brought, so that Mount Zion would now become the highest of the holy mountains, it would in a sense absorb all of the traditions of the other mountains, so that it became associated with Mount Moriah – where Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac. With the ark of the covenant here, in which the ten commandments were kept, it could be identified with Mt. Sinai. Here is where the presence of God was evident and where the people of Israel would want to worship on their holiest days.
Indeed, as the promise to Abraham was remembered, in which the whole world would blessed through Israel, the prophets began to envision a world at peace, a world in which everyone would acknowledge the power and wisdom of God and people’s from every part of the earth would flock to Mount Zion. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” . . . They see the return of the Lord to Zion . . . and sll the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”
And so, (SLIDE) where the Dome of the Rock now stands, was the great temple – actually a bit taller than this magnificent Dome. And the temple became the Everest of Faith for Israel, it’s holiest site and the sum of all mountains of faith.
And so you can see why people in Jesus’ day would laugh when he said that the magnificent temple would be destroyed and he would rebuild it in three days. And, they would be upset by the suggestion. It would be like saying an earthquake will topple Mt. Everest. It would be like predicting that the World Trade Center would become rubble. It was not just the size and strength of the building, it was what it represented. It’s destruction was unthinkable, and rebuilding it, if it would happen at all, would take decades.
But Jesus knew that efforts to destroy a temple are really efforts to destroy the faith of the people. It is the same as saying my god is stronger than your God. Destroy people’s faith in God’s presence is destroying their hope. Destroy hope – and what do you have left? Jesus knew that the Everest of faith, Mt. Zion, could not be a geographically placed sanctuary, for the battle between good and evil, between God and the forces that seek to destroy God is not fought only, or even primarily in the temple. It is fought in the world, where hatred, enmity, power and control are evident; where the weak are trampled and the average person is vulnerable in the face of all of the forces arrayed against them. It is fought inside of each person, as we struggle to be the people we want to be and against those forces that compromise our values and integrity. The Mountains within us and around us are arduous challenges, and there is no way around all of the mountains.
Jesus understood the plight of the average person and he would say to them, “Come to me, all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” You see, no one climbs Everest alone – groups of climbers make the attempt – Sherpas, the faithful natives of the region help carry the load of supplies required – only a few make it to the summit. That was part of the difficulty with Mt. Zion – the great temple. Only the priests could make it to the summit – inside the Holy of holies in the temple. Lots of people gave sacrifices and carried burdens, but only a few made it to the top.
So Jesus did two things. First, he decided that God’s mountain should not be a mountain that only a few can get to the summit – my house shall be a house of prayer for all people – that’s what God intends. The destruction of the temple was not about destroying architecture, it was about access to God’s presence, it was about the assurance of God’s love. Then, to underscore God’s desire to make Mt. Zion accessible to all people, (SLIDE) Jesus became a Sherpa – taking on the burdens of all humanity and tearing down the dividing wall in the old temple.
That’s why today, Mt. Zion has an entirely different meaning for followers of Jesus. When we look to the mountain, we see how the power of God was able to overcome all of the forces of the world that try to destroy God’s presence in our lives – for just as Edmund Hilleary got to the summit of Everest by the strength and help of Tenzing, the Sherpa at his side, we know that when we reach the promised land, when we stand at the summit of Mt. Zion, it will be because of the crucified Sherpa Jesus, who is now our risen and victorious Lord.
In the meantime, as we journey in this life, we who are followers today, follow the path of the disciples in those post-Easter encounters with Jesus. We come to the mountain (SLIDE) to which Jesus has directed us, and here we worship him and hear again his promise: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. God therefore and make disciples of all nations, . . . teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always – always, whatever mountain you have to climb, -- I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Amen.