The Bible — World English Bible
Matthew 17
In brief
Matthew 17 opens with the transfiguration: Jesus lets Peter, James and John see his glory, in the presence of Moses and Elijah, and a voice tells them to listen to him. At the foot of the mountain, the disciples fail to set a boy free, and Jesus speaks of faith, even as small as a mustard seed. He then announces his death and resurrection, and in Capernaum settles the question of the temple tax with a teaching about his status as Son.
The chapter in 4 parts
1After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves.
2He was changed before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.
3Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.
4Peter answered, and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let’s make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
6When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were very afraid.
7Jesus came and touched them and said, “Get up, and don’t be afraid.”
8Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone.
9As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Don’t tell anyone what you saw, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
10His disciples asked him, saying, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11Jesus answered them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things,
12but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they didn’t recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so the Son of Man will also suffer by them.”
13Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptizer.
14When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic, and suffers grievously; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water.
16So I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.”
17Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me.”
18Jesus rebuked him, the demon went out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?”
20He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
21But this kind doesn’t go out except by prayer and fasting.”
22While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,
23and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.” They were exceedingly sorry.
24When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the didrachma coins came to Peter, and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the didrachma?”
25He said, “Yes.” When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from strangers?”
26Peter said to him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Therefore the children are exempt.
27But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin. Take that, and give it to them for me and you.”
Key verses
He was changed before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.
Jesus is transfigured before his three disciples: his face shines like the sun. For a moment they glimpse the glory of the Son of God, hidden in his humanity.
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
The voice from heaven names Jesus as the beloved Son and tells them to listen to him. Even beside Moses and Elijah, he has the last word.
He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Jesus explains the disciples' failure by their unbelief, then compares faith to a mustard seed. What matters is not the amount of faith but the One in whom it rests.
But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin. Take that, and give it to them for me and you.”
Jesus asks Peter to pay the temple tax so as not to cause offense, while reminding him that sons are exempt. The coin found in the fish remains a quiet sign of his mastery over creation.
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Frequently asked questions about Matthew 17
What does the transfiguration of Jesus mean in Matthew 17?
Jesus shows three disciples his divine glory: his face shines and his clothes become white. Moses and Elijah, who represent the law and the prophets, speak with him, then disappear. The voice from heaven says to listen to Jesus. The event confirms his identity as Son of God just before he announces his death.
What does faith like a mustard seed mean?
The mustard seed is a tiny seed. Jesus says that even faith that small can move a mountain, an image of what seems impossible. The point is not to force your faith to get what you want, but to trust God for what he wants to accomplish. Christians discuss the exact scope of the image, but all stress that faith is worth what the one it rests on is worth.
Why does Jesus ask Peter to pay the temple tax?
Jesus reminds Peter that the sons of a king do not pay tax, which implies that he is the Son of the one to whom the temple belongs. Yet he asks Peter to pay, so as not to cause those who would not understand to stumble. The episode shows both his dignity and his willingness to avoid needless offense.
Articles quoting Matthew 17
World English Bible translation — public domain.