The Father Reveals His Son
9 1 And he said to them, "Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of our Father come with power."
2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became radiant, dazzling white—whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified.
7 Then a cloud appeared and overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!"
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead could mean. 11 And they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
12 He replied, "Elijah does come first and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, just as it is written about him." a a v13 Jesus is referring to John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah.
A Father's Desperate Faith
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. 15 As soon as the whole crowd saw Jesus, they were overcome with amazement and ran to greet him. 16 He asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?"
17 A man in the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who has a spirit that makes him unable to speak." 18 "Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they could not."
19 He answered them, "O unbelieving generation, how long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me."
20 So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell to the ground, rolling about and foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has this been happening to him?" "From childhood," he said.
22 "It has often thrown him into fire and water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
23 Jesus said to him, "'If you can'? Everything is possible for the one who believes."
24 Immediately the boy's father cried out, "I believe; help my unbelief!"
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!"
26 After crying out and convulsing him violently, it came out. The boy looked like a corpse, so that many said, "He is dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him up, and he stood.
28 When Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
29 He told them, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
The Son of Man Must Die
30 They left there and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He told them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." 32 But they did not understand what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him.
The Least Shall Be Greatest
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" 34 But they kept silent, because on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, he called the Twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." 36 He took a little child and stood him among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."
For Us, Not Against Us
38 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us."
39 But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a miracle in my name can soon afterward speak evil of me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
Do Not Lead the Little Ones Astray
42 And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around his neck. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. 44 b b v44 This verse is not in the earliest manuscripts; later copies add: “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 46 c c v46 This verse is not in the earliest manuscripts; later copies add: “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of our Father with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'
49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if salt loses its saltiness, how can you season it again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another."