Mark 9

1 Yes!" he went on, "I tell you that there are some people standing here who will not experience death until they see the Kingdom of God come in a powerful way!"

2 Six days later, Yeshua took Kefa, Ya`akov and Yochanan and led them up a high mountain privately. As they watched, he began to change form,

3 and his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than anyone in the world could possibly bleach them.

4 Then they saw Eliyahu and Moshe speaking with Yeshua.

5 Kefa said to Yeshua, "It's good that we're here, Rabbi! Let's put up three shelters -- one for you, one for Moshe and one for Eliyahu."

6 (He didn't know what to say, they were so fright ened.)

7 Then a cloud enveloped them; and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Yeshua.

9 As they came down the mountain, he warned them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

10 So they kept the matter to themselves; but they continued asking each other, "What is this `rising from the dead'?"

11 They also asked him, "Why do the Torah-teachers say that Eliyahu has to come first?"

12 "Eliyahu will indeed come first," he answered, "and he will restore everything. Nevertheless, why is it written in the Tanakh that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?

13 There's more to it: I tell you that Eliyahu has come, and they did whatever they pleased to him, just as the Tanakh says about him."

14 When they got back to the talmidim, they saw a large crowd around them and some Torah-teachers arguing with them.

15 As soon as the crowd saw him, they were surprised and ran out to greet him.

16 He asked them, "What's the discussion about?"

17 One of the crowd gave him the answer: "Rabbi, I brought my son to you because he has an evil spirit in him that makes him unable to talk.

18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground -- he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth and becomes stiff all over. I asked your talmidim to drive the spirit out, but they couldn't do it."

19 "People without any trust!" he responded. "How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!"

20 They brought the boy to him; and as soon as the spirit saw him, it threw the boy into a convulsion.

21 Yeshua asked the boy's father, "How long has this been happening to him?" "Ever since childhood," he said;

22 "and it often tries to kill him by throwing him into the fire or into the water. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us!"

23 Yeshua said to him, "What do you mean, `if you can'? Everything is possible to someone who has trust!"

24 Instantly the father of the child exclaimed, "I do trust -- help my lack of trust!"

25 When Yeshua saw that the crowd was closing in on them, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf and dumb spirit! I command you: come out of him, and never go back into him again!"

26 Shrieking and throwing the boy into a violent fit, it came out. The boy lay there like a corpse, so that most of the people said he was dead.

27 But Yeshua took him by the hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 After Yeshua had gone indoors, his talmidim asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

29 He said to them "This is the kind of spirit that can be driven out only by prayer."

30 After leaving that place, they went on through the Galil. Yeshua didn't want anyone to know,

31 because he was teaching his talmidim. He told them, "The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men who will put him to death; but after he has been killed, three days later he will rise."

32 But they didn't understand what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him.

33 They arrived at K'far-Nachum. When Yeshua was inside the house, he asked them, "What were you discussing as we were traveling?"

34 But they kept quiet; because on the way, they had been arguing with each other about who was the greatest.

35 He sat down, summoned the Twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all."

36 He took a child and stood him among them. Then he put his arms around him and said to them,

37 "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the One who sent me."

38 Yochanan said to him, "Rabbi, we saw a man expelling demons in your name; and because he wasn't one of us, we told him to stop."

39 But Yeshua said, "Don't stop him, because no one who works a miracle in my name will soon after be able to say something bad about me.

40 For whoever is not against us is for us.

41 Indeed, whoever gives you even a cup of water to drink because you come in the name of the Messiah -- yes! I tell you that he will certainly not lose his reward.

42 "Whoever ensnares one of these little ones who trust me -- it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and be thrown in the sea.

43 If your hand makes you sin, cut it off! Better that you should be maimed but obtain eternal life, rather than keep both hands and go to Gei-Hinnom, to unquenchable fire!

44

45 And if your foot makes you sin, cut it off! Better that you should be lame but obtain eternal life, rather than keep both feet and be thrown into Gei-Hinnom!

46

47 And if your eye makes you sin, pluck it out! Better that you should be one-eyed but enter the Kingdom of God, rather than keep both eyes and be thrown into Gei-Hinnom,

48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

49 Indeed, everyone is going to be salted with fire.

50 Salt is excellent, but if it loses its saltiness, how will you season it? So have salt in yourselves -- that is, be at peace with each other."

Mark 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The transfiguration. (1-13) An evil spirit cast out. (14-29) The apostles reproved. (30-40) Pain to be preferred to sin. (41-50)

Verses 1-13 Here is a prediction of the near approach Christ's kingdom. A glimpse of that kingdom was given in the transfiguration of Christ. It is good to be away from the world, and alone with Christ: and how good to be with Christ glorified in heaven with all the saints! But when it is well with us, we are apt not to care for others, and in the fulness of our enjoyments, we forget the many wants of our brethren. God owns Jesus, and accepts him as his beloved Son, and is ready to accept us in him. Therefore we must own and accept him as our beloved Saviour, and must give up ourselves to be ruled by him. Christ does not leave the soul, when joys and comforts leave it. Jesus explained to the disciples the prophecy about Elias. This was very suitable to the ill usage of John Baptist.

Verses 14-29 The father of the suffering youth reflected on the want of power in the disciples; but Christ will have him reckon the disappointment to the want of faith. Very much is promised to our believing. If thou canst believe, it is possible that thy hard heart may be softened, thy spiritual diseases may be cured; and, weak as thou art, thou mayest be able to hold out to the end. Those that complain of unbelief, must look up to Christ for grace to help them against it, and his grace will be sufficient for them. Whom Christ cures, he cures effectually. But Satan is unwilling to be driven from those that have been long his slaves, and, when he cannot deceive or destroy the sinner, he will cause him all the terror that he can. The disciples must not think to do their work always with the same ease; some services call for more than ordinary pains.

Verses 30-40 The time of Christ's suffering drew nigh. Had he been delivered into the hands of devils, and they had done this, it had not been so strange; but that men should thus shamefully treat the Son of man, who came to redeem and save them, is wonderful. Still observe that when Christ spake of his death, he always spake of his resurrection, which took the reproach of it from himself, and should have taken the grief of it from his disciples. Many remain ignorant because they are ashamed to inquire. Alas! that while the Saviour teaches so plainly the things which belong to his love and grace, men are so blinded that they understand not his sayings. We shall be called to account about our discourses, and to account for our disputes, especially about being greater than others. Those who are most humble and self-denying, most resemble Christ, and shall be most tenderly owned by him. This Jesus taught them by a sign; whoever shall receive one like this child, receives me. Many have been like the disciples, ready to silence men who have success in preaching to sinners repentance in Christ's name, because they follow not with them. Our Lord blamed the apostles, reminding them that he who wrought miracles in his name would not be likely to hurt his cause. If sinners are brought to repent, to believe in the Saviour, and to live sober, righteous, and godly lives, we then see that the Lord works by the preacher.

Verses 41-50 It is repeatedly said of the wicked, Their worm dieth not, as well as, The fire is never quenched. Doubtless, remorse of conscience and keen self-reflection are this never-dying worm. Surely it is beyond compare better to undergo all possible pain, hardship, and self-denial here, and to be happy for ever hereafter, than to enjoy all kinds of worldly pleasure for a season, and to be miserable for ever. Like the sacrifices, we must be salted with salt; our corrupt affections must be subdued and mortified by the Holy Spirit. Those that have the salt of grace, must show they have a living principle of grace in their hearts, which works out corrupt dispositions in the soul that would offend God, or our own consciences.