耶稣继续说:“我实在告诉你们,有些站在这里的人会在有生之年看见上帝的国带着能力降临。”

登山变象

六天后,耶稣带着彼得、雅各和约翰暗暗地登上一座高山。耶稣在他们面前改变了形象, 衣服变得洁白放光,世上找不到漂得那么白的布。 这时,以利亚和摩西在他们眼前出现,与耶稣谈话。 彼得对耶稣说:“老师,我们在这里真好!我们搭三座帐篷吧,一座给你,一座给摩西,一座给以利亚。”

其实彼得当时不知说什么才好,因为他们都很害怕。 就在这时候,有一朵云彩飘来遮住他们,云彩中有声音说:“这是我的爱子,你们要听从祂。” 门徒立刻四处观看,发现没有其他人,只有耶稣和他们在那里。

下山的时候,耶稣叮嘱他们在人子还没有从死里复活之前,不要把刚才看见的告诉别人。

10 门徒把这话谨记在心,彼此议论“从死里复活”这句话的意思。 11 他们问耶稣:“律法教师为什么说以利亚必须先来?”

12 耶稣回答说:“以利亚固然要先来复兴一切,但为什么圣经上说人子一定会饱受痛苦、遭人蔑视呢? 13 其实我告诉你们,以利亚已经来了,人们却任意对待他,正如圣经的记载。”

治好污鬼附身的孩子

14 他们与其他门徒会合时,看见一大群人围住门徒,几个律法教师正在跟他们辩论。 15 大家一看到耶稣,都十分惊奇,立刻跑上去迎接祂。 16 耶稣问门徒:“你们跟他们辩论什么?”

17 人群中有一个人说:“老师,我带了我的儿子来找你,因为他被哑巴鬼附身。 18 每次鬼控制他,把他摔在地上,他就口吐白沫,咬牙切齿,全身僵硬。我请你的门徒赶走那鬼,他们却办不到。”

19 耶稣说:“唉,这不信的世代啊!我要跟你们在一起待多久,容忍你们多久呢?把他带到我这里吧。”

20 他们把那孩子带到耶稣面前。那鬼一见耶稣,就使孩子抽搐,倒在地上打滚,口吐白沫。 21 耶稣问孩子的父亲:“他这样子多久了?”孩子的父亲回答道:“他从小就这样, 22 鬼常常将他扔进火里或水里,要害他的命。如果你能,求你怜悯我们,帮助我们吧!”

23 耶稣说:“如果你能?对于相信的人,凡事都有可能!”

24 孩子的父亲立刻喊着说:“我信!但我信心不足,求你帮助我!”

25 耶稣看见人群都跑了过来,就斥责那污鬼:“你这个聋哑鬼,我命令你从他身上出来,不许再进去!”

26 那鬼发出喊叫,使孩子剧烈地抽搐了一阵,就出来了。孩子躺在地上一动也不动,大家都以为他死了。 27 但耶稣拉着他的手扶他起来,他就站了起来。

28 耶稣进屋后,门徒悄悄问祂:“我们为什么赶不走那鬼呢?”

29 耶稣说:“要赶走这类鬼只有靠祷告[a]。”

再次预言受难

30 他们离开那里,途经加利利。耶稣不想任何人知道祂的行踪, 31 因为祂在教导门徒。祂说:“人子将被交在人的手中,被他们杀害,但三天之后,祂必复活。” 32 门徒却不明白这句话的意思,又不敢问祂。

谁最伟大

33 他们回到迦百农的住所,耶稣问门徒:“你们一路上争论些什么?”

34 他们都沉默不语,因为刚才他们在争论谁最伟大。 35 耶稣坐下,叫十二个门徒过来,对他们说:“谁想为首,就该在众人中做最小的,做众人的仆人。” 36 祂领了一个小孩子来,叫他站在门徒中间,又抱起他,对他们说: 37 “任何人为我的缘故接待这样一个小孩子,就是接待我;凡接待我的,不单是接待我,也是接待差我来的那位。”

警戒犯罪

38 约翰对耶稣说:“老师,我们看见有人奉你的名赶鬼,就阻止他,因为他不是跟从我们的。”

39 耶稣说:“不要阻止他,因为没有人奉我的名行过神迹后,会很快毁谤我。 40 不反对我们的,就是支持我们的。 41 我实在告诉你们,若有人因为你们属于基督而给你们一杯水喝,他也必得到赏赐。

42 “但若有人使这样一个小信徒失足犯罪,他的下场比把大磨石挂在他脖子上扔到海里还要惨。 43 如果你一只手使你犯罪,就砍掉它! 44 拖着残废的身体进入永生,胜过双手健全却落入地狱不灭的火中。 45 倘若你一只脚使你犯罪,就砍掉它!瘸着腿进入永生, 46 胜过双脚健全却被丢进地狱! 47 如果你的一只眼睛使你犯罪,就剜掉它!独眼进上帝的国,胜过双目健全却被丢进地狱。 48 在那里,

“‘虫是不死的,
火是不灭的。’

49 “每个人都要被火炼,像被盐腌一样。 50 盐是好东西,但如果失去咸味,怎能使它再咸呢?你们里面要有盐,要彼此和睦。”

Footnotes

  1. 9:29 祷告”有古卷作“祷告和禁食”。

Chapter 9

[a](A)He also said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power.”

The Transfiguration of Jesus.[b] After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.(B) And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. [c]Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;[d] then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.

The Coming of Elijah.[e] As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.(C) 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. 11 (D)Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”(E)

The Healing of a Boy with a Demon.[f] 14 When they came to the disciples,(F) they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. 15 Immediately on seeing him, the whole crowd was utterly amazed. They ran up to him and greeted him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. 18 Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” 19 He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.” 20 They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. 21 Then he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. 22 It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” 24 Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” 25 Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. 28 When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29 [g]He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

The Second Prediction of the Passion. 30 (G)They left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it.(H) 31 He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

IV. The Full Revelation of the Mystery

The Greatest in the Kingdom.[h] 33 They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”(I) 34 But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. 35 Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”(J) 36 Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”(K)

Another Exorcist.[i] 38 John said to him,(L) “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” 39 Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us.(M) 41 Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.(N)

Temptations to Sin. 42 (O)“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe [in me] to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna,[j] into the unquenchable fire. [44 ][k] 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. [46 ] 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, 48 where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’(P)

The Simile of Salt. 49 [l]“Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”(Q)

Footnotes

  1. 9:1 There are some standing…come in power: understood by some to refer to the establishment by God’s power of his kingdom on earth in and through the church; more likely, as understood by others, a reference to the imminent parousia.
  2. 9:2–8 Mark and Mt 17:1 place the transfiguration of Jesus six days after the first prediction of his passion and death and his instruction to the disciples on the doctrine of the cross; Lk 9:28 has “about eight days.” Thus the transfiguration counterbalances the prediction of the passion by affording certain of the disciples insight into the divine glory that Jesus possessed. His glory will overcome his death and that of his disciples; cf. 2 Cor 3:18; 2 Pt 1:16–19. The heavenly voice (Mk 9:7) prepares the disciples to understand that in the divine plan Jesus must die ignominiously before his messianic glory is made manifest; cf. Lk 24:25–27. See further the note on Mt 17:1–8.
  3. 9:5 Moses and Elijah represent, respectively, law and prophecy in the Old Testament and are linked to Mount Sinai; cf. Ex 19:16–20:17; 1 Kgs 19:2, 8–14. They now appear with Jesus as witnesses to the fulfillment of the law and the prophets taking place in the person of Jesus as he appears in glory.
  4. 9:7 A cloud came, casting a shadow over them: even the disciples enter into the mystery of his glorification. In the Old Testament the cloud covered the meeting tent, indicating the Lord’s presence in the midst of his people (Ex 40:34–35) and came to rest upon the temple in Jerusalem at the time of its dedication (1 Kgs 8:10).
  5. 9:9–13 At the transfiguration of Jesus his disciples had seen Elijah. They were perplexed because, according to the rabbinical interpretation of Mal 3:23–24, Elijah was to come first. Jesus’ response shows that Elijah has come, in the person of John the Baptist, to prepare for the day of the Lord. Jesus must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt (Mk 9:12) like the Baptist (Mk 9:13); cf. Mk 6:17–29.
  6. 9:14–29 The disciples’ failure to effect a cure seems to reflect unfavorably on Jesus (Mk 9:14–18, 22). In response Jesus exposes their lack of trust in God (Mk 9:19) and scores their lack of prayer (Mk 9:29), i.e., of conscious reliance on God’s power when acting in Jesus’ name. For Matthew, see note on Mt 17:14–20. Lk 9:37–43 centers attention on Jesus’ sovereign power.
  7. 9:29 This kind can only come out through prayer: a variant reading adds “and through fasting.”
  8. 9:33–37 Mark probably intends this incident and the sayings that follow as commentary on the disciples’ lack of understanding (Mk 9:32). Their role in Jesus’ work is one of service, especially to the poor and lowly. Children were the symbol Jesus used for the anawim, the poor in spirit, the lowly in the Christian community.
  9. 9:38–41 Jesus warns against jealousy and intolerance toward others, such as exorcists who do not follow us. The saying in Mk 9:40 is a broad principle of the divine tolerance. Even the smallest courtesies shown to those who teach in Jesus’ name do not go unrewarded.
  10. 9:43, 45, 47 Gehenna: see note on Mt 5:22.
  11. 9:44, 46 These verses, lacking in some important early manuscripts, are here omitted as scribal additions. They simply repeat Mk 9:48 itself a modified citation of Is 66:24.
  12. 9:49 Everyone will be salted with fire: so the better manuscripts. Some add “every sacrifice will be salted with salt.” The purifying and preservative use of salt in food (Lv 2:13) and the refinement effected through fire refer here to comparable effects in the spiritual life of the disciples of Jesus.