Before this invitation to His disciples to the mountain top, there was a great crowd followed Jesus. People not only from Galilea but also from Jerusalem, Idumea and beyond Jordon and around Tyre and Sidon followed Him.

This multitude desperately need Jesus for their various sickness, deliverance from evil spirits etc.

They pursued Jesus for the things they need of this life because they believed Jesus has the ultimate solution to all their problems. So, they left their home and followed Jesus until their needs are fulfilled or answered.

In the meantime, Jesus decided to go up the mountain from the crowd.

While Jesus went up to the mountain, He called to Him those whom He desired.

Jesus went up to the mountain not because He doesn’t like the crowd but because He doesn’t belong to the valley.

Jesus belongs to the mountaintop. In other words, He loves to dwell in God’s love.

When Jesus goes up to the mountain, He doesn’t want to go up alone, but He is willing to take all of us with Him. However, the crowd weren’t ready to go up to the mountaintop with Him. Those who were ready, went up to experience the First Love of Yahweh.

Yahweh needs us to be in the mountaintop rather in the foot of the mountain.

God calls us to His bosom or innermost court every day. The question is how many are hearing His call or responding to His gentle invitation to His bosom.

There are levels of relationship that we tend to create with Him.

Depending on the measure of love and grace reside in us enable to step up the relationship ladder.

Each level has its own characteristics or manifestation.

Jesus said to His disciples in Mathew 12:28, if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come to you.

When we know Jesus, the Son of God personally, we experience His invisible kingdom in our personal life by witnessing and enjoying His glory along with all signs and wonders.

All these manifestations occur at the foot of the mountain. In other words, in the beginning of our relationship with Him. It doesn’t stop there. There are more to it when we go up the mountain with Him.

Among the crowd, the majority like to remain in the outermost circle of His love due to many reasons. Some like to pass beyond this outermost circle to the terrain of the mountain which needs an actively seeking heart to survive in this harsh environment. However, Father’s love will always surpass their environmental challenges that way they can reach where Father God wants them to be. A handful will reach the pinnacle of the mountain.

To be at the pinnacle of the mountain, we must diligently and earnestly seek Him. Never say enough to Him who fills us with His Spirit.

In this verse, we see Jesus called whom He desired, and they responded to that call with ‘yes’ and came to Him. And they remained with Him.

Throughout the Scriptures, mountaintop denotes a place where God the Father dwells. This is where God comes and meet His special ones or God’s glory is manifested.

We have seen this with Abraham, Moses, etc. in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, with Peter, John, and James in the mount of transfiguration.

Jesus loves to be with His Father in the innermost court.

Amidst His tightly packed ministry schedule, Jesus always found time to remain with His Father.

Though Jesus cared about His ministry, ministry was not His top priority.

His ultimate desire for each one of us is to experience His Father’s Love which is the First Love.

However, in His infinite wisdom, He foresaw how many of them among the multitude genuinely seek and desire Him alone.

We must understand one thing about our calling is rare. Not everyone would take this call as seriously as it should be.

Becoming a part of the Kingdom of God is free and available.

It is solely our responsibility how we react to this call and how far we would like to go with Him.