Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9:28-62

Matthew 17

1 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John the brother of James with him. He led them up a high mountain. They were all alone.

2 There in front of them his appearance was changed. His face shone like the sun. His clothes became as white as the light.

3 Just then Moses and Elijah appeared in front of them. Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

5 While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud surrounded them. A voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!"

6 When the disciples heard this, they were terrified. They fell with their faces to the ground.

7 But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid."

8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

9 They came down the mountain. On the way down, Jesus told them what to do. "Don't tell anyone what you have seen," he said. "Wait until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

10 The disciples asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah has to come first?"

11 Jesus replied, "That's right. Elijah is supposed to come and make all things new again.

12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come. People didn't recognize him. They have done to him everything they wanted to do. In the same way, they are going to make the Son of Man suffer."

13 Then the disciples understood that Jesus was talking to them about John the Baptist.

14 When they came near the crowd, a man approached Jesus. He got on his knees in front of him.

15 "Lord," he said, "have mercy on my son. He shakes wildly and suffers a great deal. He often falls into the fire or into the water.

16 I brought him to your disciples. But they couldn't heal him."

17 "You unbelieving and evil people!" Jesus replied. "How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here to me."

18 Jesus ordered the demon to leave the boy, and it came out of him. He was healed at that very moment.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private. They asked, "Why couldn't we drive out the demon?"

20 He replied, "Because your faith is much too small. What I'm about to tell you is true. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, it is enough. You can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there.' And it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

22 They came together in Galilee. Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men.

23 They will kill him. On the third day he will rise from the dead." Then the disciples were filled with deep sadness.

24 Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum. There the tax collectors came to Peter. They asked him, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"

25 "Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke first. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "Who do the kings of the earth collect taxes and fees from? Do they collect from their own sons or from others?"

26 "From others," Peter answered. "Then the sons don't have to pay," Jesus said to him.

27 "But we don't want to make them angry. So go to the lake and throw out your fishing line. Take the first fish you catch. Open its mouth. There you will find the exact coin you need. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

Mark 9

1 Jesus said to them, "What I'm about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see God's kingdom coming with power."

2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him. He led them up a high mountain. They were all alone. There in front of them his appearance was changed.

3 His clothes became so white they shone. They were whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.

4 Elijah and Moses appeared in front of Jesus and his disciples. The two of them 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 will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

6 Peter didn't really know what to say, because they were so afraid.

7 Then a cloud appeared and surrounded them. A voice came from the cloud. It said, "This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!"

8 They looked around. Suddenly they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

9 They came down the mountain. On the way down, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen. He told them to wait until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

10 So they kept the matter to themselves. But they asked each other what "rising from the dead" meant.

11 Then they asked Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah has to come first?"

12 Jesus replied, "That's right. Elijah does come first. He makes all things new again. So why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and not be accepted?

13 I tell you, Elijah has come. They have done to him everything they wanted to do. They did it just as it is written about him."

14 When Jesus and those who were with him came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them. The teachers of the law were arguing with them.

15 When all the people saw Jesus, they were filled with wonder. And they ran to greet him.

16 "What are you arguing with them about?" Jesus asked.

17 A man in the crowd answered. "Teacher," he said, "I brought you my son. He is controlled by a spirit. Because of this, my son can't speak anymore.

18 When the spirit takes hold of him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth. He grinds his teeth. And his body becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit. But they couldn't do it."

19 "You unbelieving people!" Jesus replied. "How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

20 So they brought him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit. He fell to the ground. He rolled around and foamed at the mouth.

21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "Since he was a child," he answered.

22 "The spirit has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us. Please help us."

23 " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for the one who believes."

24 Right away the boy's father cried out, "I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!"

25 Jesus saw that a crowd was running over to see what was happening. Then he ordered the evil spirit to leave the boy. "You spirit that makes him unable to hear and speak!" he said. "I command you, come out of him. Never enter him again."

26 The spirit screamed. It shook the boy wildly. Then it came out of him. The boy looked so lifeless that many people said, "He's dead."

27 But Jesus took him by the hand. He lifted the boy to his feet, and the boy stood up.

28 Jesus went indoors. Then his disciples asked him in private, "Why couldn't we drive out the evil spirit?"

29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were.

31 That was because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men. They will kill him. After three days he will rise from the dead."

32 But they didn't understand what he meant. And they were afraid to ask him about it.

33 Jesus and his disciples came to a house in Capernaum. There he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?"

34 But they kept quiet. On the way, they had argued about which one of them was the most important person.

35 Jesus sat down and called for the Twelve to come to him. Then he said, "If you want to be first, you must be the very last. You must be the servant of everyone."

36 Jesus took a little child and had the child stand among them. Then he took the child in his arms. He said to them,

37 "Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me doesn't welcome only me but also the One who sent me."

38 "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name. We told him to stop, because he was not one of us."

39 "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me.

40 Anyone who is not against us is for us.

41 "What I'm about to tell you is true. Suppose someone gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to me. That one will certainly not go without a reward.

42 "What if someone leads one of these little ones who believe in me to sin? If he does, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.

43 "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter God's kingdom with only one hand than to go into hell with two hands. In hell the fire never goes out.

45 "If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter God's kingdom with only one foot than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

47 "If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out. It would be better for you to enter God's kingdom with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.

48 In hell, " 'The worms do not die. The fire is not put out.' (Isaiah 66:24)

49 Everyone will be salted with fire.

50 "Salt is good. But suppose it loses its saltiness. How can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves. And be at peace with each other."

Luke 9:28-62

28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he went up on a mountain to pray. He took Peter, John and James with him.

29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed. His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

30 Two men, Moses and Elijah,

31 appeared in shining glory. Jesus and the two of them talked together. They spoke about his coming death. He was going to die soon in Jerusalem.

32 Peter and his companions had been very sleepy. But then they became completely awake. They saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him.

33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter spoke up. "Master," he said to him, "it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He didn't really know what he was saying.

34 While Jesus was speaking, a cloud appeared. It surrounded them. The disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud.

35 A voice came from the cloud. It said, "This is my Son, and I have chosen him. Listen to him."

36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept quiet about this. They didn't tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

37 The next day Jesus and those who were with him came down from the mountain. A large crowd met Jesus.

38 A man in the crowd called out. "Teacher," he said, "I beg you to look at my son. He is my only child.

39 A spirit takes hold of him, and he suddenly screams. It throws him into fits so that he foams at the mouth. It hardly ever leaves him. It is destroying him.

40 I begged your disciples to drive it out. But they couldn't do it."

41 "You unbelieving and evil people!" Jesus replied. "How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you?" Then he said to the man, "Bring your son here."

42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him into a fit. The boy fell to the ground. But Jesus ordered the evil spirit to leave the boy. Then Jesus healed him and gave him back to his father.

43 They were all amazed at God's greatness. Everyone was wondering about all that Jesus did. Then Jesus said to his disciples,

44 "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you. The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men."

45 But they didn't understand what this meant. That was because it was hidden from them. And they were afraid to ask Jesus about it.

46 The disciples began to argue about which one of them would be the most important person.

47 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a little child and had the child stand beside him.

48 Then he spoke to them. "Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me," he said. "And anyone who welcomes me welcomes the One who sent me. The least important person among all of you is the most important."

49 "Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he is not one of us."

50 "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "Anyone who is not against you is for you."

51 The time grew near for Jesus to be taken up to heaven. So he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem.

52 He sent messengers on ahead. They went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him.

53 But the people there did not welcome Jesus. That was because he was heading for Jerusalem.

54 The disciples James and John saw this. They asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?"

55 But Jesus turned and commanded them not to do it.

56 They went on to another village.

57 Once Jesus and those who were with him were walking along the road. A man said to Jesus, "I will follow you no matter where you go."

58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes. Birds of the air have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

59 He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

60 Jesus said to him, "Let dead people bury their own dead. You go and tell others about God's kingdom."

61 Still another man said, "I will follow you, Lord. But first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

62 Jesus replied, "Suppose you start to plow and then look back. If you do, you are not fit for service in God's kingdom."