< Matthew 17 >
1 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, and the brothers James and John, and led them up a high mountain alone.
2 There his appearance was transformed before their eyes; his face shown like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
3 All at once Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.
4 ‘Master,’ exclaimed Peter, interposing, ‘it is good to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and there was a voice from the cloud that said – ‘This is my dearly loved son, who brings me great joy; listen to him.’
6 The disciples, on hearing this, fell on their faces, greatly afraid.
7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying as he did so, ‘Rise up, and do not be afraid.’
8 When they raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus himself alone.
9 As they were going down the mountain side, Jesus gave them this warning – ‘Do not speak of this vision to anyone, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.’
10 ‘How is it,’ his disciples asked, ‘that our teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?’
11 ‘Elijah indeed does come,’ Jesus replied, ‘and will restore everything;
12 and I tell you that Elijah has already come, and people have not recognised him, but have treated him just as they pleased. In the same way, too, the Son of Man is destined to undergo suffering at people’s hands.’
13 Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
14 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, and, kneeling down before him, said,
15 ‘Master, take pity on my son, for he is epileptic and suffers terribly; indeed, he often falls into the fire and into the water;
16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.’
17 ‘Faithless and perverse generation!’ Jesus exclaimed, ‘how long must I be among you? How long must I have patience with you? Bring the boy here to me.’
18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy; and he was cured from that very hour.
19 Afterwards the disciples came up to Jesus, and asked him privately, ‘Why was it that we could not drive it out?’
20 ‘Because you have so little faith!’ he answered, ‘For, I tell you, if your faith were only like a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain “Move from this place to that!” and it would be moved; and nothing would be impossible to you.’
21
22 While Jesus and his disciples were together in Galilee, he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is destined to be betrayed into human hands,
23 and they will put him to death, but on the third day he will rise.’ The disciples were greatly distressed.
24 After they had reached Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple taz came up to Peter, and said, ‘Does not your Master pay the Temple tax?’
25 ‘Yes,’ answered Peter. But, on going into the house, before he could speak, Jesus said, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings take taxes or tribute? From their sons, or from others?’
26 ‘From others,’ answered Peter. ‘Well then,’ continued Jesus, ‘their sons go free.
27 Still, so we don’t offend them, go and throw a line into the sea; take the first fish that rises, open its mouth, and you will find in it a piece of money. Take that, and give it to the collectors for both of us.’
