Bible Study series: Mark 9:33-37. Take the low road before God. Be a servant. Become like little children. Don’t lord it over people.
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Let’s begin.
Scripture: Mark 9:33-37
33 They came into Capernaum and, after going into the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they were silent, for on the road they were arguing about who was greatest. 35 He sat down and summoned the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and a servant of all.” 36 Then, taking a child, he stood him in the middle of them and embraced him in his arms and said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me (only) but the one who sent me.” (Mark 9:33-37)
Comments:
33:
Capernaum was his adoptive hometown. “The house” was probably Peter’s house, or Jesus may have bought or borrowed one (Mark 3:20). He seems to have come from a fairly prosperous family with a family business. But my guess is that it was Peter’s house.
He overheard them and asked them a question. He knew what they had been arguing or disputing about or discussing.
34:
They knew that the topic was wrongheaded. They kept quiet. Their consciences stung them because they had been spending time with Jesus, and he develops anyone’s conscience when they learn his words and ways. It is widely believed that Mark got his Gospel from hearing Peter preach. Mark heard Peter fill in the missing element to the story. They were arguing over who was greater.
It is ironic that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to die there as a servant of all of humanity, while the disciples were arguing over who would be the greatest (Wessel and Strauss).
35:
In this society, honor and shame and status were important, so the twelve are jockeying to come out on top.
Now this lesson is for all of the twelve.
A paradox is defined as placing seemingly contradictory ideas side by side (see also v. 23). Here are two possible paradoxes, but only one really is:
1.. To be great, you must use all your willpower and ambition and drive.
2.. To be great, you must become like a child, the least of all.
The paradox is the second statement. Everyone follows the first one, but the way of the kingdom leads to the second one. In the world, the paradox (no. 2) makes no sense. In the kingdom, God lifts you up.
36:
“child”: It can be translated as (1) “very young child, infant” or (2) “child.” The Shorter Lexicon suggests the second definition. Then it can even mean a figurative child, as we find in v. 3. We are supposed to enter the kingdom as a little child and then keep the childlike faith, without complications.
“him”: grammatically it could be “it” because the word for child is neuter, but I went with him, since Jesus is making the point to twelve men.
A child must have been nearby. Was it a boy or girl? Let’s say a boy. Did he belong to one of the disciples? What about one of the women’s child? Recall that women were following Jesus (Luke 8:2-3). Or was he a child from the crowd? We don’t know, but it is fun to speculate.
Jesus stood the child next to him. He was to be a living object lesson. Sweet scene.
In his comments on Luke 9:47, the parallel verse, commentator Darrell L. Bock cites a passage from the Mishnah (completed in about 200 AD, but reflecting earlier traditions) showing that it was a waste of time to chat with children: “Morning sleep, midday wine, chattering with children, and tarrying [dawdling] in places where men of the common people assemble destroy a man (Luke 1:1-9:50, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament [Baker, 1992], p. 895, m. ‘Abot 3.11). Jesus was overturning the cultural prejudice among the extra-devout.
In this society children had the lowest status, so the living lesson of this child was perfectly done, perfectly selected to drive home the point. Become like a child in your relentless pursuit of status in Christ’s kingdom, paradoxically speaking.
It is imperative to welcome a child in the name of Jesus. When we welcome the least child, we welcome Jesus. When we welcome Jesus, we welcome the Father who sent him. So we have a ladder of authority, and only the Father and Jesus can occupy the top rungs. If the disciples want to be great, they must occupy the rung that the child stands on. To be great, one must become last in the pecking order.
One quick point that is a little outside the main teaching here. Yes, we are initially to welcome or receive Jesus as children, but we must not remain children (1 Cor. 13:11).
“name”: this noun stands in for the person—a living, real person. Let’s develop this thought, so it can apply to you. What’s in a name?
You carry your earthly father’s name. If he is dysfunctional, his name is a disadvantage. If he is functional and impacting society for the better, then his name is an advantage. In Jesus’s case, he has the highest status in the universe, next to the Father (Col. 1:15-20). He is exalted above every principality and power (Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:20-23; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8). His character is perfection itself. His authority and power are absolute, under the Father. In his name you are seated in the heavenly places with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1). Now down here on earth you walk and live as an ambassador in his name, in his stead, for he is no longer living on earth, so you have to represent him down here. We are his ambassadors who stand in for his name (2 Cor. 5:20). The good news is that he did not leave you without power and authority. He gave you his. Now you represent him in his name—his person, power and authority. Therefore under his authority we have his full authority to preach the gospel and set people free from bondages and satanic spirits and heal them of diseases.
In this case, we could simplify the use of “name” to mean as “I would welcome the little child.”
GrowApp for Mark 9:33-37
1. To build your character, has God ever humbled you when you got above yourself?
RELATED
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2. Church Fathers and Mark’s Gospel
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14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
SOURCES
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