The Complete Sayings of Jesus

Jesus Transfigured — Moses and Elias Appear — A Lunatic Cured: "Help Thou Mine Unbelief."

A.D. 29 Age 32 On, and near, Mt. Hermon.

Luke 9, 28-42: Matthew 17, 1-21: Mark 9, 2-29.

IT came to pass, about an eight¹ days after these sayings, Jesus taketh Peter, John, and James his brother, and went up into a high mountain apart to pray: and Jesus was transfigured before them. As he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered: his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light, and glistering, shining as snow, exceeding white, so as no fuller on earth can white them. And, behold, two men, Moses and Elias: who appeared in glory: talking with Jesus [they] spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Peter and they that were with Jesus saw his glory, and the two men with Jesus. There came a bright cloud, and overshadowed them: and a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. The disciples fell on their face, and were sore afraid. Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. Suddenly, when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only. And he charged them, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

Questioning with one another what the rising from the dead should mean, his disciples asked Jesus, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? Jesus told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come already, and they knew him not; and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. The disciples understood that he spake of John the Baptist. They kept it close, and told no man in those days any of the things which they had seen.

When Jesus saw a multitude about his disciples, and the scribes questioning with them, he asked the scribes,What question ye with them? One of the multitude answered, Master, I have brought unto thee my son: Lord, have mercy; for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. A spirit teareth him that he foameth again, and gnasheth his teeth, and pineth away. I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. He is mine only child. Then Jesus said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring thy son hither to me. They brought him: and as he was yet a coming, the spirit tare him; and he fell, and wallowed foaming. Jesus asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? He said, Of a child. Have compassion on us. Jesus said, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Straightway the father said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief. Jesus rebuked the foul spirit, saying, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. The child was cured from that very hour.

When Jesus was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? Jesus answered,Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out, can come forth, by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Footnotes:

¹Thus Luke. Matthew and Mark have it, "after six days."