Matthew 17
17
Chapter 17
Three disciples see how great Jesus is
1Six days after that, Jesus asked Peter and the two brothers, James and John, to go with him. Jesus led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2Peter, James and John saw Jesus change in front of them. He became different to look at. His face was bright like the sun. His clothes became very white and they shone. 3Then Moses and Elijah appeared in front of the three disciples. #17:3 Moses had lived a long time ago. He was a leader of God's people. He brought them out of Egypt. He died about 1400 years before Jesus was born. We can read about Moses in Exodus. #17:3 Elijah was a prophet of God. He lived about 850 years before Jesus was born. He did not die. God took him up alive to heaven. We can read about him in 1 Kings. They were talking with Jesus.
4Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you want, please let me build three huts. One hut will be for you. One hut will be for Moses and one hut will be for Elijah.’ #17:4 Peter and his friends wanted to build the huts so that these three important people could stay with them longer. But God had not asked the disciples to build any huts. Many years before, Moses had given the people God's Law. Elijah was an important prophet of God. And Jesus was God's Son. Jesus was showing people something new. This was the kingdom of God.
5While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud appeared. It covered them all. A voice spoke from the cloud and it said, ‘This is my Son and I love him. He makes me very happy. Listen to him.’
6The disciples heard the voice. They threw themselves down to the ground. They were very frightened. 7But Jesus came to them and he touched them. ‘Stand up,’ he said. ‘Do not be afraid.’ 8When they looked up, they could not see anyone else. Only Jesus was there with them.
9While they were walking down the mountain, Jesus said to the three disciples, ‘You must not tell anyone now about the things that you have just seen. One day, the Son of Man will die and then he will become alive again. Then you can tell people about these things.’
10Then the three disciples said to Jesus, ‘The teachers of God's Law say that God's prophet Elijah must return first, before the Messiah comes. Why do they say this?’
11Jesus replied, ‘Yes, Elijah does come first. He gets everything ready. 12But I tell you that Elijah has already come. People did not recognize him. They did to him all the things that they wanted to do. In the same way, they will also give me, the Son of Man, great pain.’ 13Then the disciples understood that he was really talking about John the Baptist.
Jesus makes a boy well
14Then Jesus, and the three disciples reached the place where the crowd was. A man came to Jesus. He went down on his knees in front of him. 15He said to Jesus, ‘Please sir, be kind to my son. He cannot control his body. Sometimes he does not know what he is doing. Often he falls into the fire, or he falls into water. 16I brought the boy to your disciples, but they could not make him well.’
17Jesus replied, ‘You people today still do not believe in God. You have turned away from him. I have been with you for a long time and still you do not believe. It is difficult for me to be patient with you.’ Then Jesus said to the man, ‘Bring the boy here to me.’ 18Jesus said to the bad spirit, ‘Stop!’ Then the bad spirit left the boy and immediately he became well again.
19When the disciples were alone with Jesus, they asked him, ‘Why could we not make the bad spirit leave the boy?’
20Jesus replied, ‘You could not do it because you do not trust God very much. I tell you this: You may believe in God only a little bit, like a very small seed. Even then, you could say to this mountain, “Go away from this place and move to that other place.” Then it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you to do.’ #17:20 The 12 disciples had forgotten that God had caused them to be powerful. They needed to ask God to help them before they could help someone else. [21Jesus then said, ‘This kind of spirit will not leave a person unless you pray and you do not eat for a time.’] #17:21 Some people think that Matthew did not write verse 21. They think that someone else wrote it later.
22When Jesus and his disciples all met together in Galilee, he said, ‘Soon they will deliver the Son of Man to powerful people. 23They will kill him. But three days after that, he will become alive again.’ When the disciples heard that, they were very sad.
24After that, Jesus and his disciples arrived at Capernaum. Some men who received taxes for the temple went to talk to Peter. They asked him, ‘Does your teacher pay the tax for the temple?’ #17:24 These men took a small silver coin as tax from everybody in the town. The priests used the money from this tax to keep the temple in good repair. The small silver coin was about two days' pay for a worker.
25Peter answered them, ‘Yes, my teacher does pay the tax.’
Then Peter returned to the house where Jesus was staying. Before Peter could say anything, Jesus spoke to him first. He said, ‘Here is a question for you to answer, Simon. Who are the people who must pay taxes and money to the kings in this world? Do the rulers take taxes from their own people? Or do they take taxes from other people?’
26‘They take the taxes from other people,’ Peter replied.
Jesus said to him, ‘This means that people from the ruler's own country do not need to pay anything. #17:26 Jesus is telling Peter that he and the other disciples belong to God's family. So they did not need to pay tax for the temple. 27But we do not want to make these men who take the tax angry. So go to the lake and throw out a line to catch fish. Pull up the first fish that you catch on your line. Open the mouth of the fish and you will find a coin inside it. Take the coin and give it to those who receive taxes for the temple. This will be enough money for both my tax and yours.’
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MissionAssist 2018
Matthew 17
17
The true glory of Jesus
(Mark 9.2-13; Luke 9.28-36)
1Six days later Jesus took Peter and the brothers James and John with him. They went up on a very high mountain where they could be alone.#2 P 1.17,18. 2There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. His face was shining like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
3All at once Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus. 4So Peter said to him, “Lord, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5While Peter was still speaking, the shadow of a bright cloud passed over them. From the cloud a voice said, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him. Listen to what he says!”#Gn 22.2; Ps 2.7; Is 42.1; Mt 3.17; 12.18; Mk 1.11; Lk 3.22; Dt 18.15. 6When the disciples heard the voice, they were so afraid that they fell flat on the ground. 7But Jesus came over and touched them. He said, “Get up and don't be afraid!” 8When they opened their eyes, they saw only Jesus.
9On their way down from the mountain, Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had been raised from death.
10The disciples asked Jesus, “Don't the teachers of the Law of Moses say that Elijah must come before the Messiah does?”#Ml 4.5.
11Jesus told them, “Elijah certainly will come and get everything ready. 12In fact, he has already come. But the people did not recognize him and treated him just as they wanted to. They will soon make the Son of Man suffer in the same way.”#Mt 11.14. 13Then the disciples understood that Jesus was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Jesus heals a boy
(Mark 9.14-29; Luke 9.37-43a)
14Jesus and his disciples returned to the crowd. A man knelt in front of him 15and said, “Lord, have pity on my son! He has a bad case of epilepsy and often falls into a fire or into water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but none of them could heal him.”
17Jesus said, “You people are too stubborn to have any faith! How much longer must I be with you? Why do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here.” 18Then Jesus spoke sternly to the demon. It went out of the boy, and at once he was healed.
19Later the disciples went to Jesus in private and asked him, “Why couldn't we force out the demon?”
20-21Jesus replied:#Mt 21.21; Mk 11.23; 1 Co 13.2.
It is because you don't have enough faith! But I can promise you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible for you.#17.20,21 for you: Some manuscripts add, “But the only way to force out that kind of demon is by praying and going without eating.”
Jesus again speaks about his death
(Mark 9.30-32; Luke 9.43b-45)
22While Jesus and his disciples were going from place to place in Galilee, he told them, “The Son of Man will be handed over to people 23who will kill him. But three days later he will rise to life.” All this made the disciples very sad.
Paying the temple tax
24When Jesus and the others arrived in Capernaum, the collectors for the temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your teacher pay the temple tax?”#Ex 30.13-15; 38.26.
25“Yes, he does,” Peter answered.
After they had returned home, Jesus went up to Peter and asked him, “Simon, what do you think? Do the kings of this earth collect taxes and fees from their own people or from foreigners?”#17.25 from their own people or from foreigners: Or “from their children or from others”.
26Peter answered, “From foreigners.”
Jesus replied, “Then their own people#17.26 From foreigners…their own people: Or “From other people…their children”. don't have to pay. 27But we don't want to cause trouble. So go and cast a line into the lake and pull out the first fish you hook. Open its mouth, and you will find a coin. Use it to pay your taxes and mine.”
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012