THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW ~ Chapter 17
Six days later, Yeshua took with Him Simon
(Peter), James and his brother John, and brought them up to a high mountain to
be alone. And He was changed – transfigured – before them. His face shone like
the sun and His clothing became as white as the light. And all at once Moshe
(Moses) and Elijah came and talked with Him. Simon then said to Yeshua, ‘It is
good for us to be here. If You permit it, I shall put up three sukkahs (shelters)
here; one for You, one for Moshe and one for Elijah.’ While he was yet
speaking, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them and a voice out of the cloud
said, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” When
the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, greatly terrified. Yeshua
then came to them, touched them, and said, “Get up; don’t be afraid!”
As they were coming down from the mountain,
Yeshua said to them, “Be sure not to tell anyone about the vision – not until
the Son of Man shall have risen from the dead.” The disciples asked Him, ‘Why
is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ Yeshua replied, “Surely
Elijah will come first, and he will re-establish things. The fact is that
Elijah has already come, but he was not recognized, and they did to him
whatever they pleased. In the same way the Son of man is about to suffer at
their hands.”
The disciples now understood that He had been
talking to them about John the Baptist.
When they reached the crowd, a man ran up to
Him and fell on his knees before Him. He said, ‘Adonai, take pity on my son,
for he is a lunatic and suffers terribly! Sometimes he falls into the fire, and
more often into the water, I brought him to Your disciples but they could not
heal him.’
“O you unbelieving and misguided folk! Said Yeshua.
“How long shall I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to
Me!” And Yeshua rebuked the demon, and he came out of him, and from that moment
the boy was healed. Afterwards, when they were alone, the disciples came to
Yeshua and asked, ‘Why could we not drive him out?’ Yeshua answered, “Because
you lacked Faith. I tell you truly, if you had faith – even though it be as
small as a tiny mustard seed – you could say tot his mountain, ‘Move over from
here to there! And it would move over. No, nothing will be impossible for you.
This kind, however, is cast out only by the help of prayer and fasting.”
While they were still going about in Galilee,
Yeshua said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of
men; and they will kill Him, but on the 3rd day He shall rise again.”
And they were much distressed.
When they came to Capernaum, those who
collected the temple tax came to Simon and asked, ‘Doesn’t your Master pay
taxes?’ He replied, “Yes.” When Simon came into the house, Yeshua spoke up
first, saying, “Simon, what do you think? From whom do the kings of the world
collect duties or taxes – from their sons or from others?” Simon answered, ‘From
others.’ Yeshua then said, “Then the sons are exempt, aren’t they? But, so as
not to offend them, go down to the sea, throw in a hook and take the first fish
you catch, open its mouth and you will find a silver coin there. Take it and go
pay the tax for Me and yourself.”
