Mark Chapter 9
The Transfiguration
2 Six days later Jesus tookp Peter, James, and John up on a mountain by themselves, and was transfigured in front of them. 3 His clothes turned brilliant white like no laundryman can bleach them. 4 Elijah appeared with Moses, talking to Jesus. 5 Peter respondedp, “Rabbi, it’s good to be here. Let’s set set up three tents—one each for you, Moses, and Elijah.” 6 He didn’t know what to say because they were afraid. 7 A cloud engulfed them, and a voice came out of it, “This is my dearly loved Son; listen to him.” 8 Suddenly they looked around and didn’t see anybody but Jesus.
Mk 9:2-8
Discussing the Vision
9 As they were coming back down the mountain, he impressed on them not to pass on to anybody what they’d seen till the Son of Man arose from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves and wondered what “arising from the dead” meant.
11 They asked him, “Why do the scribes say Elijah has to come first?”
12 “Elijah does come first to restore everything, and how does the scripture say that the Son of Man has to suffer many things and be rejected? 13 But Elijah has in fact come, and they treated him however they wanted to, like scripture says.”
Mk 9:9-13
Healing the Demoniac Boy
14 When they got back to the rest of the disciples, they saw a big crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. 15 When they saw him, the whole crowd was really surprised and ran to greet him. 16 Jesus asked, “Why are you arguing with them?”
17 A man in the crowd answered him, “Rabbi, I brought you my boy. He has a spirit that makes him unable to talk. 18 Wherever it seizes him, it throws him on the ground. He foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. I spoke to your disciples about casting it out, but they couldn’t do it.”
19 “Unbelieving bunch, how long am I going to be with you? How long am I going to deal with you? Bring him to me.”
20 When the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into convulsions. He fell on the ground and started rolling around and foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked his dad, “How long has this been going on?”
“Ever since he was little. 22 Lots of times it even throws him into the fire or the water to destroy him. But if you can, help us; have sympathy for us.”
23 Jesus said, “‘If you can’? Everything’s possible for someone that believes.”
24 His dad cried out, “I believe! Help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw a crowd quickly coming together, he commanded the unclean spirit, “Mute and deaf spirit, I charge you to come out of him and don’t go into him again.”
26 It cried out and threw him into severe convulsions and came out. The boy looked like he was dead, so much so that many of them said he’d died. 27 But Jesus took hold of his hand to raise him up, and he stood.
28 When Jesus went into a house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?”
29 “This kind doesn’t come out except by prayer.”
Mk 9:14-29
Third Prediction of His Death
30 They left and began traveling around Galilee. He didn’t want anybody to know it, 31 because he was trying to teach his disciples, “I’m going to be betrayed to authorities that will put me to death. Three days later I’ll resurrect.” 32 They didn’t understand, but they were reluctant to ask him about it.
Mk 9:30-32
Discussion About Rank
33 When they came home to Capernaum, he asked them, “What were youpl arguing about on the road?” 34 They kept still because they’d been arguing about who had highest rank. 35 He sat down and called the Twelve over, “If anybody wants to be first, he’ll put himself last as servant of all.” 36 He took a little child and stood him among them and put his arms around him, 37 “Whoever receives one of these children in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the One that sent me.”
The Unknown Exorcist
38 John said, “Rabbi, we saw a fellow casting out demons in your name and tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”
39 “Don’t stoppl him. Nobody that performs a miracle in my name will turn right around and say something bad about me. 40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Whoever gives you a cup of water in my name because you’re following the Messiah, will certainly not miss out on his reward.
Mk 9:33-41
The Question of Stumbling Blocks
42 “Whoever makes one of these little ones stumble that believes in me, would be better off to have a large millstone put around their neck and be thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you problems, amputate it. It’s better to go about life deformed than to have two hands and go to hell—into the unquenchable fire. [ 44 ]ms 45 If your foot causes you problems, amputate it. It’s better to go about life deformed than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. [ 46 ]ms 47 If your eye causes you problems, gouge it out. It’s better to get in God’s kingdom with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where the worms don’t die, and the fire doesn’t burn out.
49 “Everybody will be tested with fire. 50 Salt’s good, but if it loses its saltiness, how will you make it salty? Have salt in yourselves and get along with each other.”
Mk 9:42-50