Read the Gospels in 40 Days

The transfiguration of Christ upon the Mount of Tabor. He heals the frenzied boy, and pays the tribute levy to Rome.

17 And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and James’ brother John, and brought them up into a high mountain out of the way. ² And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine like the sun, and his clothes were as white as the light. ³ And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

⁴ Then Peter spoke and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here. If you will, let us make here three tabernacles: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

⁵ While he was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud covered them. And behold, there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my dear Son, in whom I delight. Hear him!

⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were sore afraid. ⁷ And Jesus came and touched them and said, Arise, and do not be afraid. ⁸ And when they looked up, they saw no one but Jesus only.

⁹ And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, See that you tell no one about the vision until the Son of man is risen up again from death. ¹⁰ And his disciples asked of him, saying, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? ¹¹ Jesus answered and said to them, Elijah does come first, and restore all things. ¹² And I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him, but have done to him whatever they pleased. In like manner will the Son of man also suffer at their hands. ¹³ Then the disciples perceived that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

¹⁴ And when they had come to the people, a certain man came to Jesus and kneeled down to him and said, ¹⁵ Master, have mercy on my son, for he is delirious, and is sorely vexed. And often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. ¹⁶ And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him. ¹⁷ Jesus answered and said, O generation faithless and perverse, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him here to me.

¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the devil, and he came out of him. And the child was healed even at that same hour.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, Why could we not cast him out? ²⁰ Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief. For I say truly to you, if you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, Move over there, and it would move; neither should anything be impossible for you to do. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out but by prayer and fasting.

²² As they passed the time in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of man will be betrayed into the hands of men, ²³ and they will kill him; and the third day he will rise again. And they sorrowed greatly.

²⁴ And when they had come to Capernaum, men that collected the poll money came to Peter and asked, Does your teacher pay tribute? ²⁵ He said, Yes. And when he had come into the house, Jesus spoke first to him, saying, What do you think, Simon: from whom do the kings of the earth take tribute or poll money? From their children, or from others? ²⁶ Peter answered, From others. And Jesus said to him, Then the children are free. ²⁷ Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea and cast in your hook, and take the fish that first comes up. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a coin. Take it, and pay for me and you.

He teaches his disciples to be humble and harmless, to avoid occasions of inducement to sin, and to forgive one another their offences.

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? ² Jesus called a child to him, and set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become as children, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever therefore humbles himself like this child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever receives such a child in my name, receives me. ⁶ But whoever hurts one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. ⁷ Woe be to the world because of offences. However, it cannot be avoided but that offences will come. Nevertheless, woe be to the man by whom the offence comes.

⁸ And so if your hand or your foot causes you to offend, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed than for you, having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. ⁹ And if also your eye causes you to offend, tear it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

¹⁰ See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I say to you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. ¹¹ Yea, and the Son of man has come to save that which is lost. ¹² What do you think: if a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains and go and seek that one which has gone astray? ¹³ If it happens that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. ¹⁴ In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

¹⁵ Moreover, if your brother trespasses against you, go and tell him his fault between him and you alone. If he hears you, you have redeemed your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not hear you, then take along with you one or two others, so that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. ¹⁷ If he does not hear them, tell it to the congregation. If he does not hear the congregation, take him as a heathen man and as a publican. ¹⁸ Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

¹⁹ Again I say to you, if two of you agree in earth about any manner of thing, whatsoever they desire, it shall be given them by my Father who is in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

²¹ Then Peter came to him and said, Master, how often should I forgive my brother if he sins against me? Seven times?

²² Jesus said to him, I say to you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times. ²³ Therefore the kingdom of heaven is likened to a certain king who wished to take accounts from his servants. ²⁴ And when he had begun the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents. ²⁵ Because he had nothing to pay with, his master ordered him to be sold, and his wife and his children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ The servant fell down and besought him, saying, Sir, give me respite, and I will pay it every whit. ²⁷ Then the lord had pity on that servant and released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ And that same servant went out and found one of his fellows who owed him 100 denarii, and laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what you owe! ²⁹ And his fellow servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. ³⁰ But he would not, and went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt.

³¹ When the other servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and went and told their lord all that had happened. ³² Then his lord called the man and said to him, O evil servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Was it not right also that you should have had compassion on your fellow, just as I had pity on you? ³⁴ And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the jailers till he should pay all that was due to him. ³⁵ So likewise shall my heavenly Father do with you, unless you forgive with your hearts each one his brother’s trespasses.