Mar 9 | LSB | STEP | And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God having come in power.”

Mark 9

The Transfiguration

1 And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God having come in power.”

2 And six days later, Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John, and *brought them up on a high mountain alone by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; 3 and His garments were shining intensely white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses and they were conversing with Jesus. 5 And Peter answered and *said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three ^{▼▼Or tents, tabernacles, cf. Lev 23:34-43; Deut 16:13-15; Zech 14:16-19}booths, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. 7 Then a cloud ^{▼▼Or occurred}formed, overshadowing them, and a voice ^{▼▼Or occurred}came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, ^{▼▼Or give constant heed}listen to Him!” 8 And all at once when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.

9 And as they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to recount to anyone what they had seen, ^{▼▼Lit except when}until the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10 And they ^{▼▼Or kept to themselves}seized upon ^{▼▼Lit the statement}that statement, arguing with one another ^{▼▼Lit what was the rising from the dead}what rising from the dead meant. 11 And they began asking Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has ^{▼▼Lit also}indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.”

I Believe, Help My Unbelief

14 And when they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed. And as they ran up, they were greeting Him. 16 And He asked them, “What are you arguing with them?” 17 And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18 and ^{▼▼Or wherever}whenever it seizes him, it ^{▼▼Or tears him}slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and ^{▼▼Or withers away}becomes rigid. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” 19 And He *answered them and *said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” 20 And they brought ^{▼▼Lit him}the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around, foaming at the mouth. 21 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and was saying, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” 25 Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was ^{▼▼Or running together}rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, ^{▼▼Or I Myself command}I command you, come out of him and do not enter him ^{▼▼Or from now on}again.” 26 And after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he stood up. 28 And when He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

30 From there they went out and were going through Galilee, and He was not wanting anyone to know about it. 31 For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be ^{▼▼Or betrayed}delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise again three days later.” 32 But they ^{▼▼Lit were not knowing}did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.

33 And they came to Capernaum; and when He ^{▼▼Lit had come}was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. 35 And sitting down, He called the twelve and *said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, ^{▼▼Or let him be}he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And taking a child, He set him ^{▼▼Lit in their midst}before them. And taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives ^{▼▼Lit one of such children}one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”

Warnings About Discipleship

38 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder him because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is ^{▼▼Or on our side}for us. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name because you are of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.

42 “And whoever causes one of these ^{▼▼ Humble} little ones who believe to stumble, it ^{▼▼ Lit is better for him if a millstone turned by a donkey is hung} would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he ^{▼▼ Lit has been thrown} had been cast into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into ^{▼▼Gr Gehenna}hell, into the unquenchable fire, 44 ^{▼▼vv 44 and 46, which are identical to v 48, are not found in the early mss}[and where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into ^{▼▼Gr Gehenna}hell, 46 ^{▼▼See v 44, note 1}[and where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into ^{▼▼Gr Gehenna}hell, 48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

49 “For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you ^{▼▼Lit season it}make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”