Matthew 17

The Transfiguration

17After six days ^kJesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. ^l2He was transformed ^min front of them, and His face shone like the sun. Even His clothes became as white as the light. ⁿ³Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

⁴Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here! If You want, I will make ^othree tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ^p

⁵While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered ^qthem, and a voice from the cloud said:

This is My beloved Son.

I take delight in Him.

Listen to Him! ^r

⁶When the disciples ^sheard it, they fell facedown and were terrified.

⁷Then Jesus came up, touched them, and said, “Get up; don’t be afraid.” ^t8When they looked up they saw no one except Him ^u—Jesus alone. ⁹As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, ^v“Don’t tell anyone about the vision until the ^•Son of Man is raised ^wfrom the dead.”

¹⁰So the disciples questioned Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ^x

¹¹“Elijah is coming ^yand will restore everything,” He replied. ^za12“But I tell you: Elijah has already come, and they didn’t recognize him. On the contrary, they did whatever they pleased to him. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” ^bc13Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist.

The Power of Faith over a Demon

¹⁴When they reached the crowd, ^da man approached and knelt down before Him. ¹⁵“Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son, because he has seizures ^eand suffers severely. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶I brought him to Your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.” ^f

¹⁷Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and rebellious ^ggeneration! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” ^h18Then Jesus rebuked the demon, ⁱand it ^jcame out of him, ^kand from that moment ^lthe boy was healed.

¹⁹Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰“Because of your little faith,” He ^mtold them. “For ^•I assure you: If you have faith the size of ⁿa mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. ^oNothing will be impossible for you. ^p[²¹However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.]” ^q

The Second Prediction of His Death

²²As ^rthey were meeting ^sin Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. ²³They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” And they were deeply distressed.

Paying the Temple Tax

²⁴When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the double-drachma tax ^tapproached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your Teacher pay the double-drachma tax?” ^u

²⁵“Yes,” he said.

When he went into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, ^v“What do you think, Simon? Who do earthly kings collect tariffs or taxes from? From their sons or from strangers?” ^wx

²⁶“From strangers,” he said. ^y

“Then the sons are free,” Jesus told him. ²⁷“But, so we won’t ^•offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin. ^zTake it and give it to them for Me and you.” ^a