1Then he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God come in power.”
The Transfiguration
2After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves to be alone. He was transfigured in front of them, 3and his clothes became dazzling — extremely white as no launderer on earth could whiten them. 4Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here. Let’s set up three shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” — 6because he did not know what to say, since they were terrified.
7A cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him!”
8Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9As 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. 10They kept this word to themselves, questioning what “rising from the dead” meant.
11Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
12“Elijah does come first and restores all things,” he replied. “Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did whatever they pleased to him, just as it is written about him.”
The Power of Faith over a Demon
14When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes disputing with them. 15When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran to greet him. 16He asked them, “What are you arguing with them about?”
17Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak. 18Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”
19He replied to them, “You unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me.” 20So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21“How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father.
“From childhood,” he said. 22“And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.”
24Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”
25When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, 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.”
26Then it came out, shrieking and throwing him into terrible convulsions. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He’s dead.” 27But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
28After he had gone into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
29And he told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer.”
The Second Prediction of His Death
30Then they left that place and made their way through Galilee, but he did not want anyone to know it. 31For he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after he is killed, he will rise three days later.” 32But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask him.
Who Is the Greatest?
33They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34But they were silent, because on the way they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest. 35Sitting down, he called the Twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last and servant of all.” 36He took a child, had him stand among them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37“Whoever welcomes one little child such as this in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but him who sent me.”
In His Name
38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”
39“Don’t stop him,” said Jesus, “because there is no one who will perform a miracle in my name who can soon afterward speak evil of me. 40For whoever is not against us is for us. 41And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ — truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.
Warnings from Jesus
42“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away — it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
43“And if your hand causes you to fall away, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go to hell, the unquenchable fire. 45And if your foot causes you to fall away, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes you to fall away, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. 49For everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is good, but if the salt should lose its flavor, how can you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”