Mark 9:30-50

Jesus and His disciples now begin making the long trek to Jerusalem where Jesus would eventually be crucified. It seems Jesus is taking more chances to be alone in order to prepare His disciples for the events which would transpire in a few months. While they are traveling, Jesus taught His disciples that He would be “betrayed into the hands of men and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day” (9:30-31). The disciples didn’t say anything because they lacked understanding and were “afraid to ask Him” (9:32). The group arrives in Capernaum and Jesus asks them what they were arguing about on the road. Although Mark does not specifically mention the argument, but he does reference Jesus’ inquiry and that the disciples were in a dispute about “who would be the greatest” (9:33-34). They were ashamed of their argument and therefore did not answer Jesus’ question. So, Jesus sits them down to teach a lesson and says, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (9:35). In contrast to the examples of leadership around them, Jesus taught that true greatness is found in serving others first. There is a child nearby and Jesus takes the child in His arms and says, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him [God the Father] who sent me” (9:36-37). This child represented the very least respected person in the culture of their day where age and maturity were honored, but youth was ignored. Showing kindness to this little child was Jesus way of telling the disciples that everyone should be loved equally, regardless of their status or respectability. When they love and serve others, they are loving and serving God.

John speaks up and asks Jesus about a man who was casting out demons in His name. The disciples had apparently confronted him and informed him he could not do the work they were doing. Since this man was casting out demons, he was probably a believer in Jesus Christ but not one of Jesus’ twelve. The disciples thought they were better than everyone else because of their close association with Jesus. Jesus answers John’s question by saying, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side” (9:39-40). Jesus declares that anyone who does a good work in His name is, in essence, doing the work to Christ and will receive reward in the kingdom (9:41). Jesus then warns anyone who would contribute to a person’s unbelief or their turning away from God. The disciples were not to discourage people, whether an exorcist or little child, in their work for Jesus Christ but rather encourage it (9:42).

Jesus ends this teaching session with a command for His followers to guard themselves from sin. The illustrations He uses are graphic but remind the believer of the importance of keeping sin out of their life at any cost. Following Christ meant forsaking earthly desires so that we may pursue holiness and walk in God’s ways. Anything that would distract from this pursuit must be removed (9:43-50). “It is better to be a disciple and to enter eternal life maimed, minus earthly possessions that have been renounced, than to be an unbeliever. An unbeliever retains his allegiance to this world, refuses eternal life with God on His terms, and so will be thrown into hell” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary by John F. Walvoord and Roy B Zuck, p. 147.)

Dear God, help me to be a servant to all and guard against sin in my life that I may be a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.