(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
- And He was telling them: “Amen I tell you that there are some men *standing here who definitely won’t taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power.
The Transfiguration
- And after six days, Jesus takes Peter and James and John with Himself and leads them up to a high mountain alone on their own, and He was transfigured in front of them.
- And His clothes became an exceedingly radiant white, such as a launderer on the earth isn’t able to whiten this way.
- And Elijah with Moses appeared to them, and they were discussing with Jesus.
- And answering, Peter tells Jesus: “Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here, and should we make three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah?”
- (For he hadn’t known how he should respond, for they were frightened.)
- And a cloud formed, overshadowing them and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son; Listen to Him.”
- And having looked around, they suddenly no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus alone.
- And while they’re descending from the mountain, He commanded them that they describe what they saw to no one until the Son of Man rose from the dead.
- And they held onto that statement, discussing among themselves what is meant by ‘to rise from the dead’.
- And they were questioning Him, saying: “Why do the scribes say that it’s necessary for Elijah to come first?”
- And He was declaring to them: “Having come first, Elijah indeed restores all things. And yet how is it *written of the Son of Man, that He should suffer many things and be despised?
- “but I tell you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they were wanting, just as it has been written of him.”
Casting out a mute demon
- And having come to the rest of the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and some scribes disputing with them.
- And having seen Him, immediately all the crowd were stunned. And running to Him, they were welcoming Him.
- And He asked them: “What are you disputing with them?”
- And one man from the crowd answered Him: “Teacher, I brought my son having a mute spirit to you.
- “And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and he is wasting away.1“wasting away” is literal, but this could also be understood as rigid, since dried/withered things often become rigid. And I spoke to your disciples so they might cast it out, and they weren’t strong enough.”
- And answering him, He says: “Oh unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring him to Me.”
- And they brought him to Him. And having seen Him, the spirit immediately made him convulse violently. And having fallen on the ground, he was rolling and foaming at the mouth.
- And He questioned his father: “It’s *happened like this with him for how long a time?” And he said “From childhood.
- “And it also often threw him into fire and into waters so it might destroy him. But if you’re able to do something, then having been moved with compassion on us, help us.”
- And Jesus said to him: “If you are able? All things are possible to the man who’s believing.”
- Having immediately cried out, the child’s father was saying: “I believe, help my unbelief.”
- And Jesus, having seen that a crowd is running to them, He rebuked the unclean spirit, telling it: “Mute and deaf spirit, I order you: come out of him and you should enter into him no more.”
- And having cried out and with much convulsing, it came out and he became like a dead man, enough for many to say that he died.
- And having taken hold of his hand, Jesus raised him up and he arose.
- And with Him having entered into a house, His disciples were questioning Him on His own: “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?”
- And He told them: “This kind is able to go out by nothing, except by prayer.”
Jesus predicts His death again
- Having gone out from there, they were passing through Galilee and He wasn’t wanting anyone to know,2“He wasn’t wanting anyone to know” is more literally “He wasn’t wanting that anyone should know”
- for He was teaching His disciples and was telling them: “The Son of Man is handed over into the hands of men and they will kill Him. And having been killed, He will rise on the third day.”
- Yet they weren’t understanding the matter and were fearing to question Him about it.
Who is the greatest?
- And they went to Capernaum. And having been in the house, He was questioning them: “What were you discussing on the way?”
- But they were keeping silent, for on the way they discussed with one another who was the greatest.
- And having sat down, He summoned the twelve and tells them: “If someone wants to be first, he will be last of all and a servant of all.”
- And having taken a young child, He stood him in their midst. And having embraced him, He told them:
- “Whoever welcomes one of the children such as this in My name welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me doesn’t welcome Me, but the One who sent Me.”
- John was reporting to Him: “Teacher, we saw someone [who doesn’t follow us] casting out demons in your name, and we were hindering him because he wasn’t following us.”
- But Jesus said. “Don’t hinder him, for there’s no one who will do a miracle in My name and then will be able to quickly speak evil of Me.
- “For whoever isn’t against us is for us.
- “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you are the Anointed’s in name, amen I tell you that he definitely won’t lose his reward.
- “And whoever makes one of these little ones believing in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a large millstone is put around his neck and he was *thrown into the sea.
- “And if your hand makes you stumble, cut it off; it’s better for you to enter into the life maimed than having two hands and to depart into the Valley of Hinnom,3“the Valley of Hinnom” Most translations render this “hell” but any lexicon will tell you it’s a proper noun referring to a specific valley – the Valley of Hinnom – just outside Jerusalem. Symbolically, it’s where the Jews believed the wicked were punished in the afterlife. It was also very significant in judgement in Israel’s history as well. Two kings of Israel sacrificed babies as burnt offerings to the pagan gods Baal and Moloch in the Valley of Hinnom. (2 Chronicles 28:1-3, 2 Chronicles 33:6, Jeremiah 7:30-31) As a result, God sentenced them to judgement through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 19:1-11) Their sentence was carried out about 20 years later when Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem. He burned almost everything and enslaved all Judah. (2 kings 25:1-12) This happened again a few centuries later when Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. into the unquenchable fire.
- [“Where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire isn’t quenched.]4Quotation/allusion to Isaiah 66:24
- “And if your foot makes you stumble, cut it off; it’s better for you to enter into the life crippled than having two feet and to be cast into the Valley of Hinnom, [into the unquenchable fire].
- [“Where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire isn’t quenched.]5Quotation/allusion to Isaiah 66:24
- “And if your eye makes you stumble, cast it out; it’s better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes and to be cast into the Valley of Hinnom,
- “Where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire isn’t quenched.6Quotation/allusion to Isaiah 66:24
- “For everyone will be salted with fire, [and every sacrifice will be salted with salt].
- “The salt is good, but if the salt becomes tasteless, by what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves and be peaceful with one another.”
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