171 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John his brother, and doth bring them up to a high mount by themselves, 2 and he was transfigured before them, and his face shone as the sun, and his garments did become white as the light, 3 and lo, appear to them did Moses and Elijah, talking together with him. 4 And Peter answering said to Jesus, 'Sir, it is good to us to be here; if thou wilt, we may make here three booths—for thee one, and for Moses one, and one for Elijah.' 5 While he is yet speaking, lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My Son,—the Beloved, in whom I did delight; hear him.' 6 And the disciples having heard, did fall upon their face, and were exceedingly afraid, 7 and Jesus having come near, touched them, and said, 'Rise, be not afraid,' 8 and having lifted up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus only. 9 And as they are coming down from the mount, Jesus charged them, saying, 'Say to no one the vision, till the Son of Man out of the dead may rise.' 10 And his disciples questioned him, saying, 'Why then do the scribes say that Elijah it behoveth to come first?' 11 And Jesus answering said to them, 'Elijah doth indeed come first, and shall restore all things, 12 and I say to you—Elijah did already come, and they did not know him, but did with him whatever they would, so also the Son of Man is about to suffer by them.' 13 Then understood the disciples that concerning John the Baptist he spake to them.
14 And when they came unto the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling down to him, 15 and saying, 'Sir, deal kindly with my son, for he is lunatic, and doth suffer miserably, for often he doth fall into the fire, and often into the water, 16 and I brought him near to thy disciples, and they were not able to heal him.' 17 And Jesus answering said, 'O generation, unstedfast and perverse, till when shall I be with you? till when shall I bear you? bring him to me hither;' 18 and Jesus rebuked him, and the demon went out of him, and the lad was healed from that hour. 19 Then the disciples having come to Jesus by himself, said, 'Wherefore were we not able to cast him out?' 20 And Jesus said to them, 'Through your want of faith; for verily I say to you, if ye may have faith as a grain of mustard, ye shall say to this mount, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible to you, 21 and this kind doth not go forth except in prayer and fasting.'
22 And while they are living in Galilee, Jesus said to them, 'The Son of Man is about to be delivered up to the hands of men, 23 and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall rise,' and they were exceeding sorry.
24 And they having come to Capernaum, those receiving the didrachms came near to Peter, and said, 'Your teacher—doth he not pay the didrachms?' He saith, 'Yes.' 25 And when he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, 'What thinkest thou, Simon? the kings of the earth—from whom do they receive custom or poll-tax? from their sons or from the strangers?' 26 Peter saith to him, 'From the strangers.' Jesus said to him, 'Then are the sons free; 27 but, that we may not cause them to stumble, having gone to the sea, cast a hook, and the fish that hath come up first take thou up, and having opened its mouth, thou shalt find a stater, that having taken, give to them for me and thee.'
91 And he said to them, 'Verily I say to you, That there are certain of those standing here, who may not taste of death till they see the reign of God having come in power.'
2 And after six days doth Jesus take Peter, and James, and John, and bringeth them up to a high mount by themselves, alone, and he was transfigured before them, 3 and his garments became glittering, white exceedingly, as snow, so as a fuller upon the earth is not able to whiten 'them'. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter answering saith to Jesus, 'Rabbi, it is good to us to be here; and we may make three booths, for thee one, and for Moses one, and for Elijah one:' 6 for he was not knowing what he might say, for they were greatly afraid. 7 And there came a cloud overshadowing them, and there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My Son—the Beloved, hear ye him;' 8 and suddenly, having looked around, they saw no one any more, but Jesus only with themselves. 9 And as they are coming down from the mount, he charged them that they may declare to no one the things that they saw, except when the Son of Man may rise out of the dead; 10 and the thing they kept to themselves, questioning together what the rising out of the dead is. 11 And they were questioning him, saying, that the scribes say that Elijah it behoveth to come first. 12 And he answering said to them, 'Elijah indeed, having come first, doth restore all things; and how hath it been written concerning the Son of Man, that many things he may suffer, and be set at nought? 13 But I say to you, That also Elijah hath come, and they did to him what they willed, as it hath been written of him.'
14 And having come unto the disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and scribes questioning with them, 15 and immediately, all the multitude having seen him, were amazed, and running near, were saluting him. 16 And he questioned the scribes, 'What dispute ye with them?' 17 and one out of the multitude answering said, 'Teacher, I brought my son unto thee, having a dumb spirit; 18 and wherever it doth seize him, it doth tear him, and he foameth, and gnasheth his teeth, and pineth away; and I spake to thy disciples that they may cast it out, and they were not able.' 19 And he answering him, said, 'O generation unbelieving, till when shall I be with you? till when shall I suffer you? bring him unto me;' 20 and they brought him unto him, and he having seen him, immediately the spirit tare him, and he, having fallen upon the earth, was wallowing—foaming. 21 And he questioned his father, 'How long time is it since this came to him?' and he said, 'From childhood, 22 and many times also it cast him into fire, and into water, that it might destroy him; but if thou art able to do anything, help us, having compassion on us.' 23 And Jesus said to him, 'If thou art able to believe! all things are possible to the one that is believing;' 24 and immediately the father of the child, having cried out, with tears said, 'I believe, sir; be helping mine unbelief.' 25 Jesus having seen that a multitude doth run together, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, 'Spirit—dumb and deaf—I charge thee, come forth out of him, and no more thou mayest enter into him;' 26 and having cried, and rent him much, it came forth, and he became as dead, so that many said that he was dead, 27 but Jesus, having taken him by the hand, lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And he having come into the house, his disciples were questioning him by himself—'Why were we not able to cast it forth?' 29 And he said to them, 'This kind is able to come forth with nothing except with prayer and fasting.'
30 And having gone forth thence, they were passing through Galilee, and he did not wish that any may know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, and he said to them, 'The Son of Man is being delivered to the hands of men, and they shall kill him, and having been killed the third day he shall rise,' 32 but they were not understanding the saying, and they were afraid to question him.
33 And he came to Capernaum, and being in the house, he was questioning them, 'What were ye reasoning in the way among yourselves?' 34 and they were silent, for with one another they did reason in the way who is greater; 35 and having sat down he called the twelve, and he saith to them, 'If any doth will to be first, he shall be last of all, and minister of all.' 36 And having taken a child, he set him in the midst of them, and having taken him in his arms, said to them, 37 'Whoever may receive one of such children in my name, doth receive me, and whoever may receive me, doth not receive me, but Him who sent me.'
38 And John did answer him, saying, 'Teacher, we saw a certain one in thy name casting out demons, who doth not follow us, and we forbade him, because he doth not follow us.' 39 And Jesus said, 'Forbid him not, for there is no one who shall do a mighty work in my name, and shall be able readily to speak evil of me: 40 for he who is not against us is for us;
41 for whoever may give you to drink a cup of water in my name, because ye are Christ's, verily I say to you, he may not lose his reward;
42 and whoever may cause to stumble one of the little ones believing in me, better is it for him if a millstone is hanged about his neck, and he hath been cast into the sea. 43 'And if thy hand may cause thee to stumble, cut it off; it is better for thee maimed to enter into the life, than having the two hands, to go away to the gehenna, to the fire—the unquenchable— 44 where there worm is not dying, and the fire is not being quenched. 45 'And if thy foot may cause thee to stumble, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter into the life lame, than having the two feet to be cast to the gehenna, to the fire—the unquenchable— 46 where there worm is not dying, and the fire is not being quenched. 47 And if thine eye may cause thee to stumble, cast it out; it is better for thee one-eyed to enter into the reign of God, than having two eyes, to be cast to the gehenna of the fire— 48 where their worm is not dying, and the fire is not being quenched; 49 for every one with fire shall be salted, and every sacrifice with salt shall be salted. 50 The salt 'is' good, but if the salt may become saltless, in what will ye season 'it'? Have in yourselves salt, and have peace in one another.'
28 And it came to pass, after these words, as it were eight days, that having taken Peter, and John, and James, he went up to the mountain to pray, 29 and it came to pass, in his praying, the appearance of his face became altered, and his garment white—sparkling. 30 And lo, two men were speaking together with him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who having appeared in glory, spake of his outgoing that he was about to fulfil in Jerusalem, 32 but Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep, and having waked, they saw his glory, and the two men standing with him. 33 And it came to pass, in their parting from him, Peter said unto Jesus, 'Master, it is good to us to be here; and we may make three booths, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah,' not knowing what he saith: 34 and as he was speaking these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them, and they feared in their entering into the cloud, 35 and a voice came out of the cloud saying, 'This is My Son—the Beloved; hear ye him;' 36 and when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone; and they were silent, and declared to no one in those days anything of what they have seen.
37 And it came to pass on the next day, they having come down from the mount, there met him a great multitude, 38 and lo, a man from the multitude cried out, saying, 'Teacher, I beseech thee, look upon my son, because he is my only begotten; 39 and lo, a spirit doth take him, and suddenly he doth cry out, and it teareth him, with foaming, and it hardly departeth from him, bruising him, 40 and I besought thy disciples that they might cast it out, and they were not able.' 41 And Jesus answering said, 'O generation, unstedfast and perverse, till when shall I be with you, and suffer you? bring near hither thy son;' 42 and as he is yet coming near, the demon rent him, and tore 'him' sore, and Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the youth, and gave him back to his father.
43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God, and while all are wondering at all things that Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
44 'Lay ye to your ears these words, for the Son of Man is about to be delivered up to the hands of men.' 45 And they were not knowing this saying, and it was veiled from them, that they might not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
46 And there entered a reasoning among them, this, Who may be greater of them? 47 and Jesus having seen the reasoning of their heart, having taken hold of a child, set him beside himself, 48 and said to them, 'Whoever may receive this child in my name, doth receive me, and whoever may receive me, doth receive Him who sent me, for he who is least among you all—he shall be great.'
49 And John answering said, 'Master, we saw a certain one in thy name casting forth the demons, and we forbade him, because he doth not follow with us;' 50 and Jesus said unto him, 'Forbid not, for he who is not against us, is for us.'
51 And it came to pass, in the completing of the days of his being taken up, that he fixed his face to go on to Jerusalem, 52 and he sent messengers before his face, and having gone on, they went into a village of Samaritans, to make ready for him, 53 and they did not receive him, because his face was going on to Jerusalem. 54 And his disciples James and John having seen, said, 'Sir, wilt thou 'that' we may command fire to come down from the heaven, and to consume them, as also Elijah did?' 55 and having turned, he rebuked them, and said, 'Ye have not known of what spirit ye are; 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save;' and they went on to another village.
57 And it came to pass, as they are going on in the way, a certain one said unto him, 'I will follow thee wherever thou mayest go, sir;' 58 and Jesus said to him, 'The foxes have holes, and the fowls of the heaven places of rest, but the Son of Man hath not where he may recline the head.' 59 And he said unto another, 'Be following me;' and he said, 'Sir, permit me, having gone away, first to bury my father;' 60 and Jesus said to him, 'Suffer the dead to bury their own dead, and thou, having gone away, publish the reign of God.' 61 And another also said, 'I will follow thee, sir, but first permit me to take leave of those in my house;' 62 and Jesus said unto him, 'No one having put his hand on a plough, and looking back, is fit for the reign of God.'
(Read Luke 9:28-36)
Christ's transfiguration was a specimen of that glory in which he will come to judge the world; and was an encouragement to his disciples to suffer for him. Prayer is a transfiguring, transforming duty, which makes the face to shine. Our Lord Jesus, even in his transfiguration, was willing to speak concerning his death and sufferings. In our greatest glories on earth, let us remember that in this world we have no continuing city. What need we have to pray to God for quickening grace, to make us lively! Yet that the disciples might be witnesses of this sign from heaven, after awhile they became awake, so that they were able to give a full account of what passed. But those know not what they say, that talk of making tabernacles on earth for glorified saints in heaven.
(Read Luke 9:37-42)
How deplorable the case of this child! He was under the power of an evil spirit. Disease of that nature are more frightful than such as arise merely from natural causes. What mischief Satan does where he gets possession! But happy those that have access to Christ! He can do that for us which his disciples cannot. A word from Christ healed the child; and when our children recover from sickness, it is comfortable to receive them as healed by the hand of Christ.
(Read Luke 9:43-50)
This prediction of Christ's sufferings was plain enough, but the disciples would not understand it, because it agreed not with their notions. A little child is the emblem by which Christ teaches us simplicity and humility. What greater honour can any man attain to in this world, than to be received by men as a messenger of God and Christ; and to have God and Christ own themselves received and welcomed in him! If ever any society of Christians in this world, had reason to silence those not of their own communion, the twelve disciples at this time had; yet Christ warned them not to do the like again. Those may be found faithful followers of Christ, and may be accepted of him, who do not follow with us.
(Read Luke 9:51-56)
The disciples did not consider that the conduct of the Samaritans was rather the effect of national prejudices and bigotry, than of enmity to the word and worship of God; and through they refused to receive Christ and his disciples, they did not ill use or injure them, so that the case was widely different from that of Ahaziah and Elijah. Nor were they aware that the gospel dispensation was to be marked by miracles of mercy. But above all, they were ignorant of the prevailing motives of their own hearts, which were pride and carnal ambition. Of this our Lord warned them. It is easy for us to say, Come, see our zeal for the Lord! and to think we are very faithful in his cause, when we are seeking our own objects, and even doing harm instead of good to others.
(Read Luke 9:57-62)
Here is one that is forward to follow Christ, but seems to have been hasty and rash, and not to have counted the cost. If we mean to follow Christ, we must lay aside the thoughts of great things in the world. Let us not try to join the profession of Christianity, with seeking after worldly advantages. Here is another that seems resolved to follow Christ, but he begs a short delay. To this man Christ first gave the call; he said to him, Follow me. Religion teaches us to be kind and good, to show piety at home, and to requite our parents; but we must not make these an excuse for neglecting our duty to God. Here is another that is willing to follow Christ, but he must have a little time to talk with his friends about it, and to set in order his household affairs, and give directions concerning them. He seemed to have worldly concerns more upon his heart than he ought to have, and he was willing to enter into a temptation leading him from his purpose of following Christ. No one can do any business in a proper manner, if he is attending to other things. Those who begin with the work of God, must resolve to go on, or they will make nothing of it. Looking back, leads to drawing back, and drawing back is to perdition. He only that endures to the end shall be saved.
