1Jesus went on to say, “I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!”

The Transfiguration

2Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, 3and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. 4Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.

5Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorialsa—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.

7Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” 8Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them.

9As they went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Manb had risen from the dead. 10So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by “rising from the dead.”

11Then they asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?c”

12Jesus responded, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. Yet why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be treated with utter contempt? 13But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they chose to abuse him, just as the Scriptures predicted.”

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

14When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.

16“What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked.

17One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.d So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

19Jesus said to them,e “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

21“How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.

He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

23“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

24The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

25When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evilf spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”

26Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

28Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”

29Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.g”

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

30Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, 31for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” 32They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

The Greatest in the Kingdom

33After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” 34But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”

36Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalfh welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”

Using the Name of Jesus

38John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”

39“Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. 40Anyone who is not against us is for us. 41If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.

42“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck. 43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of helli with two hands.j 45If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.k 47And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’l

49“For everyone will be tested with fire.m 50Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”