Matthew 17

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Then Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown and were terrified. Jesus came, touched them, and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” When they lifted their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus alone. As they came down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” The disciples asked him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He answered, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist. When they came to the crowd, a man approached him, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he suffers seizures and is in terrible distress. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [“But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.”] As they gathered in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they were deeply grieved. When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?” He said, “Yes.” When he entered the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect duties or taxes—from their sons or from others?” When he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt. But so that we do not cause them to stumble, 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 large silver coin. Take it and give it to them for me and for you.”

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