The Transfiguration

1Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them privately up a high mountain. 2And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3Then Moses and Elijah also appeared before them, talking with him. 4So Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!” 6When the disciples heard this, they were overwhelmed with fear and threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. 7But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Do not be afraid.” 8When they looked up, all they saw was Jesus alone.

9As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10The disciples asked him, “Why then do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?” 11He answered, “Elijah does indeed come first and will restore all things. 12And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

The Disciples’ Failure to Heal

14When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, 15and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers terribly, for he often falls into the fire and into the water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to heal him.” 17Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him here to me.” 18Then Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that moment. 19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 20He told them, “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.”

22When they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they became greatly distressed.

The Temple Tax

24After they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Your teacher pays the double drachma tax, doesn’t he?” 25He said, “Yes.” When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tolls or taxes – from their sons or from foreigners?” 26After he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27But so that we don’t offend them, go to the lake and throw out a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a four drachma coin. Take that and give it to them for me and you.”