All Things Possible

¹⁴ When they came [back] to the [other nine] disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes questioning and arguing with them.^{(A) 15} Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Jesus, they were startled and began running up to greet Him. ¹⁶ He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” ¹⁷ One of the crowd replied to Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him unable to speak; ¹⁸ and whenever it seizes him [intending to do harm], it throws him down, and he foams [at the mouth], and grinds his teeth and becomes stiff. I told Your disciples to drive it out, and they could not do it.” ¹⁹ He replied, “O unbelieving (faithless) generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” ²⁰ They brought the boy to Him. When the [demonic] spirit saw Him, immediately it threw the boy into a convulsion, and falling to the ground he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. ²¹ Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he answered, “Since childhood. ²² The demon has often thrown him both into fire and into water, intending to kill him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” ²³ Jesus said to him, “[You say to Me,] ‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]!” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the boy cried out [with a desperate, piercing cry], saying, “I do believe; help [me overcome] my unbelief.” ²⁵ When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering [around them], He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!” ²⁶ After screaming out and throwing him into a terrible convulsion, it came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse [so still and pale] that many [of the spectators] said, “He is dead!” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he stood up. ²⁸ When He had gone indoors, His disciples began asking Him privately, “Why were we unable to drive it out?” ²⁹ He replied to them, “This kind [of unclean spirit] cannot come out by anything but prayer [to the Father].”

The Demoniac

¹⁴ When they approached the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, kneeling before Him and saying,^{(A) 15} “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic (moonstruck) and suffers terribly; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ And I brought him to Your disciples, and they were not able to heal him.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed at once.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why could we not drive it out?” ²⁰ He answered, “Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, ^[a]if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.^{(B) 21 [b]}[But this kind of demon does not go out except by prayer and fasting.]”

³⁷ On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.^{(A) 38} And a man from the crowd shouted for help, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he is my only child; ³⁹ and a spirit seizes him, and suddenly he cries out, and it throws him into a convulsion so that he foams at the mouth; and only with [great] difficulty does it leave him, mauling and bruising him as it leaves. ⁴⁰ I begged Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” ⁴¹ Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here [to Me].” ⁴² Even while the boy was coming, the demon slammed him down and threw him into a [violent] convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. ⁴³ They were all amazed [practically overwhelmed] at the [evidence of the] greatness of God and His majesty and His wondrous work.^(B)

But while they were still awed by everything Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples,

Death and Resurrection Foretold

³⁰ They went on from there and began to go through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know it, ³¹ because He was teaching His disciples [and preparing them for the future]. He told them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed and handed over to men [who are His enemies], and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise [from the dead] three days later.” ³² But ^[a]they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him [what He meant].

²² When they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed and handed over to men [who are His enemies]; ²³ and they will kill Him, and He will be raised [from death to life] on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved and distressed.

⁴³ They were all amazed [practically overwhelmed] at the [evidence of the] greatness of God and His majesty and His wondrous work.^(A)

But while they were still awed by everything Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples, ⁴⁴ “Let these words sink into your ears: the Son of Man is going to be betrayed and handed over to men [who are His enemies].” ⁴⁵ However, they did not understand this statement. Its meaning was kept hidden from them so that they would not grasp it; and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

The Tribute Money

²⁴ When they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the ^[a]half-shekel [temple tax] went up to Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the half-shekel?”^{(A) 25} Peter answered, “Yes.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly rulers collect duties or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” ²⁶ When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt [from taxation]. ²⁷ However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take it and give it to them [to pay the temple tax] for you and Me.”

³³ They arrived at Capernaum; and when He was in the ^[a]house, He asked them, “What were you discussing and arguing about on the road?”^{(A) 34} But they kept quiet, because on the road they had discussed and debated with one another which one [of them] was the greatest. ³⁵ Sitting down [to teach], He called the twelve [disciples] and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all [in importance] and a servant of all.” ³⁶ Taking a child, He set him before them; and taking him in His arms, He said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever receives and welcomes one child such as this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives not [only] Me, but Him who sent Me.”^(B)

Rank in the Kingdom

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”^{(A) 2} He called a little child and set him before them, ³ and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever ^[a]humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever receives and welcomes one ^[b]child like this in My name receives Me; ⁶ but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.^(B)