Matthew 17:14-27

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Power of Faith over a Demon

¹⁴ When they reached the crowd,^(A) a man approached and knelt down before Him. ¹⁵ “Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son, because he has seizures^[a] and suffers severely. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to Your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”^(B)

¹⁷ Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and rebellious^[b] generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”^{(C) 18} Then Jesus rebuked the demon,^[c] and it^[d] came out of him,^(D) and from that moment^[e] the boy was healed.

¹⁹ Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰ “Because of your little faith,” He^[f] told them. “For I assure you: If you have faith the size of^[g] a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.^(E) Nothing will be impossible for you.^(F) [²¹ However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.]”^[h]

The Second Prediction of His Death

²² As^(G) they were meeting^[i] in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. ²³ They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” And they were deeply distressed.

Paying the Temple Tax

²⁴ When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the double-drachma tax^[j] approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your Teacher pay the double-drachma tax?”^(H)

²⁵ “Yes,” he said.

When he went into the house, Jesus spoke to him first,^[k] “What do you think, Simon? Who do earthly kings collect tariffs or taxes from? From their sons or from strangers?”^[l](I)

²⁶ “From strangers,” he said.^[m]

“Then the sons are free,” Jesus told him. ²⁷ “But, so we won’t offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin.^[n] Take it and give it to them for Me and you.”^(J)