And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some
standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom
of God after it has come with power.”
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was
transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely
white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to
them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter
said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make
three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For
he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud
overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my
beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no
longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to
tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from
the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what
this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, “Why do
the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” And he said to them,
“Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it
written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be
treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and
they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd
around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the
crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and
greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with
them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought
my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And
whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds
his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it
out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless
generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear
with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And
when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he
fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And
Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire
and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have
compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you
can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately
the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my
unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together,
he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf
spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and
the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.”
But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And
when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately,
“Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind
cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did
not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying
to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of
men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three
days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and
were afraid to ask him.
And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked
them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent,
for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the
greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to
them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant
of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and
taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such
child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not
me but him who sent me.”
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in
your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following
us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty
work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.
For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to
you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong
to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to
sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung
around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand
causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life
crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable
fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better
for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into
hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better
for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes
to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire
is not quenched.’ For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is
good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it
salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one
another.”
