Matthew 16-18

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Demand for a Sign

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus^[a] they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.^{(A) 2} He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ ³ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.^{[b] 4} An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then he left them and went away.^(B)

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. ⁶ Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”^{(C) 7} They said to one another, “It is because we have brought no bread.” ⁸ And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread?^{(D) 9} Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets you gathered?^{(E) 10} Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you gathered?^{(F) 11} How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” ¹² Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”^{(G) 15} He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,^[c] the Son of the living God.”^{(H) 17} And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.^{(I) 18} And I tell you, you are Peter,^[d] and on this rock^[e] I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.^{(J) 19} I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”^{(K) 20} Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was^[f] the Messiah.^[g](L)

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

²¹ From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised.^{(M) 22} And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” ²³ But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance^[h] to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

The Cross and Self-Denial

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^{(N) 25} For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

²⁷ “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.^{(O) 28} Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”^(P)

The Transfiguration

17 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.^{(Q) 2} And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became bright as light. ³ Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴ Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I^[i] will set up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁵ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, the Beloved;^[j] with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”^{(R) 6} When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”^{(S) 8} And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”^{(T) 10} And the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”^{(U) 11} He replied, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things,^{(V) 12} but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.”^{(W) 13} Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

Jesus Cures a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, ¹⁵ and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy and suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” ¹⁷ Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon,^[k] and it^[l] came out of him, and the boy was cured from that moment. ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁰ He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a^[m] mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”^[n](X)

Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection

²² As they were gathering^[o] in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands,^{(Y) 23} and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they were greatly distressed.

Jesus and the Temple Tax

²⁴ When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?”^{(Z) 25} He said, “Yes, he does.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?”^{(AA) 26} When Peter^[p] said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the children are free. ²⁷ However, so that we do not give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.”^(AB)

True Greatness

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² He called a child, whom he put among them, ³ and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.^{(AC) 4} Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.^(AD)

Temptations to Sin

⁶ “If any of you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,^[q] it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.^{(AE) 7} Woe to the world because of things that cause sin!^[r] Such things are bound to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!^(AF)

⁸ “If your hand or your foot causes you to sin,^[s] cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire.^{(AG) 9} And if your eye causes you to sin,^[t] tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell^[u] of fire.^(AH)

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.^{[v](AI) 12} What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. ¹⁴ So it is not the will of your^[w] Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

Reproving Another Who Sins

¹⁵ “If your brother or sister sins against you,^[x] go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one.^{(AJ) 16} But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.^{(AK) 17} If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector.^{(AL) 18} Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.^{(AM) 19} Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.^{(AN) 20} For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Forgiveness

²¹ Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven^[y] times.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²³ “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴ When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him, ²⁵ and, as he could not pay, the lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. ³¹ When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. ³² Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. ³⁵ So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”