The Transfiguration
1 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John up into a high mountain alone. 2 Then he transformed before their eyes: His face shone like the sun and his clothing became as white as the light. 3 Then all of a sudden Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with him. 4 And Peter blurted out to Jesus, “Master, it’s great for us to be here! If you’d like, I could set up three sanctuaries: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, suddenly they were enveloped by a luminous cloud, and from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my dear son and I’m very pleased with him. Listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face-down on the ground and were utterly terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Don’t be afraid!” 8 So they looked up, but they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they went down the mountain, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Human had risen from the dead. 10 Then his disciples asked, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11 “Elijah will indeed come to restore everything,” Jesus answered. 12 “In fact, Elijah has already come, but they didn’t recognize him and treated him as they wished. So also must the Human be treated by them.” 13 And then the disciples realized that he was talking about John the Immerser.
Jesus evicts a demon from a boy
14 Then as they came up to a crowd, one person approached Jesus, dropped to his knees, 15 and said, “Sir, please have pity on my son! He is having convulsions and suffers terribly, and he’s always falling into the fire or water. 16 I asked your disciples for help but they were unable to heal him.”
17 “You faithless and twisted generation!” Jesus replied. “How long will I be with you, and how long will I put up with you? Bring him to me.”
18 So Jesus rebuked the demon and it left him, and the child was healed at that very hour.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we throw it out?”
20 “Because of your lack of faith,” he replied. “I can assure you that if your faith were even as tiny as a mustard seed, you could order this mountain to move over there and it would! Nothing would be impossible for you.” 21
Jesus predicts his death again
22 While they were getting together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Human must be handed over to people 23 who will kill him, but the third day he will rise again!” This distressed them greatly.
Jesus and the Temple Tax
24 Now when they went into Capernaum, those who collect the annual temple tax came up to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the tax?” 25 And Peter replied, “Yes, of course.” But when they went inside, Jesus anticipated him and said, “What do you think, Simon? Who is it that the kings of the earth tax: their own people or foreigners?”
26 “Foreigners,” Simon answered.
“So then, the citizens are exempt,” Jesus replied. 27 “But just so we don’t offend them, go to the sea and cast a line. Take the first fish you catch and open its mouth. Inside you will find a coin; use it to pay for my taxes and yours.”