登山變象

17 六天後,耶穌帶著彼得、雅各和雅各的兄弟約翰暗暗地登上一座高山。 耶穌在他們面前改變了形像,面貌如太陽一樣發光,衣服潔白如光。 忽然,摩西和以利亞一起出現,跟耶穌談話。 彼得對耶穌說:「主啊,我們在這裡好極了。如果你願意,我就在這裡搭三座帳篷,一座給你,一座給摩西,一座給以利亞。」

他正在說話的時候,一朵燦爛的雲彩籠罩他們。雲中傳出聲音:「這是我的愛子,我甚喜悅祂,你們要聽從祂。」

門徒聽見這聲音,便俯伏在地,非常懼怕。 耶穌就過來摸他們,說:「起來吧,別害怕。」 他們抬起頭來,看見只剩下耶穌一個人。

下山時,耶穌叮囑他們:「人子還沒有從死裡復活以前,不要把剛才看見的告訴別人。」

10 門徒問耶穌:「律法教師為什麼說以利亞必須先來?」

11 耶穌回答說:「以利亞的確要來,他將復興一切。 12 但我告訴你們,以利亞已經來了,人們卻不認識他,甚至還任意對待他。人子同樣也會在他們手下受苦。」 13 門徒這才明白耶穌所說的是指施洗者約翰。

治好被鬼附身的孩子

14 他們回到山下眾人聚集的地方。有一個人過來跪在耶穌跟前,說: 15 「主啊!救救我的兒子吧!他患了癲癇症,痛苦極了,曾經幾次跌進火中,掉進水裡。 16 我帶他去見你的門徒,但他們卻不能治好他。」

17 耶穌說:「唉!這世代又不信又敗壞的人啊,我要跟你們在一起待多久?我要容忍你們多久呢?把他帶來吧。」 18 耶穌斥責附在孩子身上的鬼,鬼就離開了那孩子,從此他就好了。

19 事後,門徒私下問耶穌:「我們為什麼趕不走那鬼呢?」

20 耶穌說:「你們的信心太小了。我實在告訴你們,你們若有像芥菜種那樣大的信心,就算叫這座山從這裡移到那裡,它也會移開,你們將沒有辦不到的事。 21 至於這一類的鬼,你們必須禱告和禁食才能把牠趕走。」

耶穌第二次預言受害和復活

22 他們聚集在加利利的時候,耶穌對他們說:「人子將要被出賣,交在人手裡。 23 他們將殺害祂,第三天祂將復活。」門徒聽了,十分憂愁。

從魚口得稅錢

24 他們來到迦百農,有幾個收聖殿稅的來問彼得:「你們的老師不納聖殿稅嗎?」

25 彼得說「納!」他進了屋,還沒開口,耶穌便問他:「西門,你有何看法?世上的君王向誰徵收賦稅?向自己的兒子呢,還是向外人呢?」

26 彼得答道:「向外人。」

耶穌說:「所以兒子不用納稅。 27 但為了避免得罪這些人,你就去湖邊釣魚,把釣上來的第一條魚的嘴打開,裡面有一個錢幣,拿它去繳你我的稅好了。」

The Transfiguration

17 And (A)six days later Jesus *brought with Him (B)Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, (C)I will make three [a]booths here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, (D)a voice out of the cloud said, “(E)This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and (F)do not be afraid.” And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.

(G)And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, (H)Tell the vision to no one until (I)the Son of Man has (J)risen from the dead.” 10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that (K)Elijah must come first?” 11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did [b]to him whatever they wished. So also (L)the Son of Man is going to suffer [c]at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

Jesus Casts Out a Demon

14 (M)And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 [d]Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has [e](N)seizures 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 could not cure him.” 17 And Jesus answered and said, “O you unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured [f]at once.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 And He *said to them, “Because of your little faith; for truly I say to you, (O)if you have faith [g]the size of (P)a mustard seed, you will say to (Q)this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and (R)nothing will be impossible to you. 21 [h][(S)But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”]

22 (T)And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be [i]delivered into the hands of men; 23 and (U)they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.

The Temple Tax

24 Now when they came to Capernaum, those who collected (V)the [j]two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay (W)the [k]two-drachma tax?” 25 He *said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect (X)tolls or (Y)taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” 26 And when Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are [l]exempt. 27 However, so that we do not [m](Z)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 [n]stater. Take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 17:4 Or tents, tabernacles, cf. Lev 23:34-43; Deut 16:13-15; Zech 14:16-19
  2. Matthew 17:12 Or in his case; lit in him
  3. Matthew 17:12 Lit by them
  4. Matthew 17:15 Or Sir
  5. Matthew 17:15 Lit moonstruck; Gr seleniazo
  6. Matthew 17:18 Lit from that hour
  7. Matthew 17:20 Lit as
  8. Matthew 17:21 Early mss omit this v
  9. Matthew 17:22 Or betrayed
  10. Matthew 17:24 A Greek silver coin, approx. a laborer’s daily wage
  11. Matthew 17:24 A Greek silver coin, approx. a laborer’s daily wage
  12. Matthew 17:26 Or free
  13. Matthew 17:27 Lit cause them to stumble
  14. Matthew 17:27 Lit standard coin, approx. 4 days of a laborer’s wages

Jesus is providing an entirely different perspective on success and happiness. The new Kingdom is breaking in, and the new community is coming together. This is the logic of that Kingdom and that community: to inhabit God’s story, this is what must be done. To accrue fame and comfort and riches is counter to this new community. In the economics of this new community, real success is marked by a willingness to sacrifice one’s very life to God, and the promised rewards are immense.

17 Six days later, Jesus went up to the top of a high mountain with Peter, James, and John. There, something spectacular happened: Jesus’ face began to glow and gleam and shine like the morning sun. His clothes gleamed too—bright white, like sunlight mirroring off a snowfall. He was, in a word, transfigured. Suddenly there at the top of the mountain were Moses and Elijah, those icons of the faith, beloved of God. And they talked to Jesus.

Peter: Lord, how amazing that we are here to see these heroes of our faith, these men through whom God spoke. Should I quickly build some shelter, three small tabernacles, for You, for Moses, and for Elijah?

As Peter spoke, a bright cloud enveloped all of them.

Voice from the Cloud: This is My beloved Son. With Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him.

This is but an echo of the Voice that spoke at Jesus’ ritual cleansing in baptism. It is an echo of what God said through Moses during his final sermon on the mount. God promised that although Moses could not enter the promised land, He would send His people another prophet. Moses’ very last wish for his beloved people was that they would listen to this new prophet when He would come.

This voice from heaven terrified the three disciples, and they fell prostrate on the ground. But Jesus—who was, by this time, used to His disciples being plagued by fear—touched them.

Jesus: Get up. Don’t be afraid.

And when the disciples got up, they saw they were alone with their Lord.

The four men hiked back down the mountain, and Jesus told His disciples to stay silent.

Jesus: Don’t tell anyone what happened here, not until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.

Why does Jesus often instruct His disciples to keep secrets? In this case, perhaps He does because He realizes they will not understand the meaning of the transfiguration until they live through that other hilltop event, the death of Jesus on the cross. Believers, like the disciples, will better understand this bath of light and revelation when they, too, come to Golgotha and the cross.

Disciples: 10 Master, why do the scribes teach that the prophet Elijah must come first?

Jesus: 11 Scripture tells us clearly that indeed Elijah will come to restore all things. 12 But see this: Elijah has come already. No one recognized him for who he was, so he was arrested and killed. That is part of the preparation of which our Scripture speaks: for the Son of Man, too, will be arrested and killed at the hands of people who do not see Him for who He is.

13 And then the disciples realized the man they knew as John the Baptist[a] was the one Jesus was speaking of.

14 They had come down from the mountain, and as they headed toward town, they came to a crowd. As they approached the crowd, a man rushed up to Jesus and knelt before Him.

Man from the Crowd: 15 Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures. Sometimes when they come on, my son falls into the fire or into a pond. We are very concerned for him. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.

Jesus: 17 This generation is no better than the generation who wandered in the desert, who lost faith and bowed down to golden idols as soon as Moses disappeared upon Mount Sinai! How long will I have to shepherd these unbelieving sheep? (turning to the man) Bring the boy to Me.

18 The man did, and Jesus castigated the demon who had taken up residence in the boy. And the demon fled the boy’s body at the sound of Jesus’ voice, and the boy was healed from that moment on. No more shaking. No more falling into fires.

19 Later, when they were away from the crowds, the disciples asked Jesus why they hadn’t been able to drive out the demon themselves.

Jesus: 20 Because you have so little faith. I tell you this: if you had even a faint spark of faith, even faith as tiny as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and because of your faith, the mountain would move. If you had just a sliver of faith, you would find nothing impossible. [21 But this kind is not realized except through much prayer and fasting.][b]

22 Jesus and the disciples came to Galilee.

Jesus: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill Him, and on the third day, He will be resurrected, vindicated, newly alive.

The disciples were filled with grief.

24 Then Jesus and His disciples went toward Capernaum, and when they arrived there, some people who had collected the two-drachma tax that went for the upkeep of the temple came up to Peter.

Temple Tax Collectors: Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?

Peter: 25 He does pay the tax.

Jesus knows that He and His followers are the true temple, and yet Jesus is canny. It is not quite time to shake the foundations of the temple or of the old way of doing things. And so He pays the tax and bides His time.

So when Peter came into the house where they were staying, Jesus explored the subject.

Jesus: Simon, what do you think? When kings collect taxes and duties and tolls, from whom do they collect? Do they levy taxes on their own people or on strangers and foreigners?

Peter: 26 The foreigners, my Lord.

Jesus: Well, then, we children of the King should be exempt from this two-drachma tax. 27 But all in all, it’s better not to make any waves; we’d better go on and pay the tax. So do this: go out to the lake and throw out your line. And when you catch a fish, open its jaws and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take this to the tax collectors, and pay your taxes and Mine.

Footnotes

  1. 17:13 Literally, John who immersed, to show repentance
  2. 17:21 The earliest manuscripts omit verse 21.

The Transfiguration(A)(B)

17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John(C) the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.(D) Listen to him!”(E)

When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”(F) When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone(G) what you have seen, until the Son of Man(H) has been raised from the dead.”(I)

10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.(J) 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come,(K) and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished.(L) In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer(M) at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.(N)

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy(O)

14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures(P) and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith(Q) as small as a mustard seed,(R) you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.(S) Nothing will be impossible for you.” [21] [a]

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man(T) is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him,(U) and on the third day(V) he will be raised to life.”(W) And the disciples were filled with grief.

The Temple Tax

24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax(X) came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes(Y)—from their own children or from others?”

26 “From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense,(Z) go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 17:21 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark 9:29.