Chapter 9

9:1Summoning the Twelve, He gave them power and authority over all the demons, and power to heal diseases. 2Then He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
3"Take nothing for the road," He told them, "no walking stick, no traveling bag, no bread, no money; and don't take an extra shirt. 4Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. 5If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." 6So they went out and traveled from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.
7Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was going on. He was perplexed, because some said that John had been raised from the dead, 8some that Elijah had appeared, and others that one of the ancient prophets had risen. 9"I beheaded John," Herod said, "but who is this I hear such things about?" And he wanted to see Him.
10When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus all that they had done. He took them along and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. 11When the crowds found out, they followed Him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and cured those who needed healing.
12Late in the day, the Twelve approached and said to Him, "Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here."
13"You give them something to eat," He told them.
"We have no more than five loaves and two fish," they said, "unless we go and buy food for all these people." 14(For about 5,000 men were there.)
Then He told His disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about 50 each." 15They did so, and had them all sit down. 16Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them. He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17Everyone ate and was filled. Then they picked up 12 baskets of leftover pieces.
18While He was praying in private and His disciples were with Him, He asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
19They answered, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back."
20"But you," He asked them, "who do you say that I am?"
Peter answered, "God's Messiah!"
21But He strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one, 22saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day."
23Then He said to them all, "If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it. 25What is a man benefited if he gains the whole world, yet loses or forfeits himself? 26For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and that of the Father and the holy angels. 27I tell you the truth: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."
28About eight days after these words, He took along Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became dazzling white. 30Suddenly, two men were talking with Him-Moses and Elijah. 31They appeared in glory and were speaking of His death, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.
32Peter and those with him were in a deep sleep, and when they became fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who were standing with Him. 33As the two men were departing from Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it's good for us to be here! Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"-not knowing what he said.
34While he was saying this, a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. They became afraid as they entered the cloud. 35Then a voice came from the cloud, saying:
This is My Son, the Chosen One;
listen to Him!
36After the voice had spoken, only Jesus was found. They kept silent, and in those days told no one what they had seen.
37The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. 38Just then a man from the crowd cried out, "Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he's my only child. 39Often a spirit seizes him; suddenly he shrieks, and it throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; wounding him, it hardly ever leaves him. 40I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn't."
41Jesus replied, "You unbelieving and rebellious generation! How long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here."
42As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, cured the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43And they were all astonished at the greatness of God.
While everyone was amazed at all the things He was doing, He told His disciples, 44"Let these words sink in: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."
45But they did not understand this statement; it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.
46Then an argument started among them about who would be the greatest of them. 47But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, took a little child and had him stand next to Him. 48He told them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me. For whoever is least among you-this one is great."
49John responded, "Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us."
50"Don't stop him," Jesus told him, "because whoever is not against you is for you."
51When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up, He determined to journey to Jerusalem. 52He sent messengers ahead of Him, and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for Him. 53But they did not welcome Him, because He determined to journey to Jerusalem. 54When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?"
55But He turned and rebuked them, 56and they went to another village.
57As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go!"
58Jesus told him, "Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head." 59Then He said to another, "Follow Me."
"Lord," he said, "first let me go bury my father."
60But He told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God."
61Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house."
62But Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."