Study Desk

Now when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he began asking his disciples, saying, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me will find it.

For what will a person be benefited if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what will a person give in exchange for his life?

For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and at that time he will reward each one according to what he has done.

Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

And after six days Jesus took along Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became bright as the light.

The Transfiguration And after six days Jesus took along Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became bright as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. So Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here! If you want, I will make here three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!" And when the disciples heard this, they fell down on their faces and were extremely frightened. And Jesus came and touched them and said, "Get up and do not be afraid." And when they lifted up their eyes they saw no one except him—Jesus alone. And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them saying, "Tell no one the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead." And the disciples asked him, saying, "Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" And he answered and said, "Elijah indeed is coming, and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did with him whatever they wanted. In the same way also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist. And when they came to the crowd, a man approached him, kneeling down before him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers severely, for often he falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they were not able to heal him." And Jesus answered and said, "O unbelieving and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!" And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him and the boy was healed from that hour. Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, Why were we not able to expel it?" And he said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him that a large millstone be hung on his neck and he be drowned in the depths of the sea.

"See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven constantly see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a certain man has a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go and look for the one that wandered away? And if he happens to find it, truly I say to you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not wander away. In the same way it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish. "Now if your brother sins against you, go correct him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take with you in addition one or two others, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses to listen to the church also, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven. Again, truly I say to you that if two of you agree on earth about any matter that they ask, it will be done for them from my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them." Then Peter came up to him and said, "Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I will forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven! "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. And when he began to settle them, someone was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents. And because he did not have enough to repay it, the master ordered him to be sold, and his wife and his children and everything that he had, and to be repaid. Then the slave threw himself to the ground and began to do obeisance to him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay back everything to you!' So the master of that slave, because he had compassion, released him and forgave him the loan. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and taking hold of him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back everything that you owe!' Then his fellow slave threw himself to the ground and began to implore him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will repay you!' But he did not want to, but rather he went and threw him into prison until he would repay what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were extremely distressed, and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘Wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you implored me! Should you not also have shown mercy to your fellow slave as I also showed mercy to you?' And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the merciless jailers until he would repay everything that was owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from your hearts!"

The Question About Who Is Greatest At that time the disciples came up to Jesus, saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling a child to himself, he had him stand in their midst and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you turn around and become like young children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven! Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child, this person is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever welcomes one child such as this in my name welcomes me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him that a large millstone be hung on his neck and he be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of causes for stumbling, for it is a necessity that causes for stumbling come; nevertheless, woe to the person through whom the cause for stumbling comes. And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it from you! It is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame than, having two hands or two feet, to be thrown into the eternal fire! And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it from you! It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than, having two eyes, to be thrown into fiery hell! "See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven constantly see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.

And because he did not have enough to repay it, the master ordered him to be sold, and his wife and his children and everything that he had, and to be repaid.

But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and taking hold of him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back everything that you owe!'

Then his fellow slave threw himself to the ground and began to implore him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will repay you!'

So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were extremely distressed, and went and reported to their master everything that had happened.

Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘Wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you implored me!

And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the merciless jailers until he would repay everything that was owed.