Jesus has just healed a boy of an evil spirit.
Mark 9: 30-32, Betrayal and a hard three days
They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 1 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 1 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
Jesus withdraws to teach his bewildered disciples. (This ministry is just not turning out like the disciples expected!)
Mark 9: 33-37, Live like children
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
They return home to Capernaum. In the overturned world of the Kingdom of God, death brings life, leadership means being like a child….
Mark 9: 38-42, Living for Messiah
"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."
"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
"And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck."
"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."
"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
"And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck."
The kingdom of God is greater and more important than we understand. Even some we don't know are ministering in that kingdom (and they may not even know it) while others who may look good and decent, are doing damage to the Kingdom.
Mark 9: 42-50, Harsh warnings
"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out."
"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell."
"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where "`their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' "
"Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."
What is the teaching at the end here? And a teaching about Heaven digresses into a harsh warning about Hell! Clearly this is a call to commitment, but it seems very harsh to me.
Some later manuscripts add in to two places the description of hell as "where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" an Old Testament quote (see verse 48) from Isaiah 66:24.
We continue on the road to Jerusalem in chapter 10.
We continue on the road to Jerusalem in chapter 10.
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