Mark 9:30-41
Lessons on Humility: The culture of true discipleship
Mark 9:30–41 (ESV):
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee.
It’s interesting that it says they “passed through” Galilee. This is Jesus’ hometown. This normally would have been a place they would have stayed for a while. But now they’re just passing through. Which reminds us that Jesus is now picking up speed towards Jerusalem where He will be crucified.
And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”
In other words, He doesn’t want anyone to know He’s in Galilee because He doesn’t want anything to disrupt His timeline. He will get to the cross exactly according to the plan of God the Father that has been laid out before the foundation of the world.
Notice: “be delivered” in verse 31. It says Jesus the Son of Man will “be delivered” into the hands of the men who would kill Him.
Literally, the one who came to live among humanity as a man would be delivered to man (humanity) who would do to Him the very worst.
Who will He be delivered by?
Jesus will “be delivered” ultimately by God the Father. He will be ‘betrayed’ by Judas, but the main idea is that Jesus is going to fulfill His mission according to the will of the Father.
John 10:17–18 (ESV): 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Acts 2:23 (ESV): 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
The Greek term used there for “did not understand” is only used here in Mark. It means they were ignorant. The meaning escaped them.
It’s amazing to think that the ones who had the greatest advantage to understanding Jesus still didn’t grasp His true mission. But they would eventually.
In the following two paragraphs, we are going to see two teachings on humility.
One in response to the disciples’ tendency to want to compete with each other,
and the next in response to their tendency to want to disregard other believers outside their immediate group.
It’s important for us to see that these teachings on humility are given immediately after Jesus tells them that He is about to suffer and die.
These are not just commands. These are qualities that our Savior has modeled for us in the most radical ways imaginable.
It is an honor to follow our Savior’s radical example of humility.
33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”
34 But they kept silent,
This is the same basic question and response we saw back in verse 16 when He found them arguing at the bottom of the mountain.
God always knows the answers to the questions He’s asking.
Adam and Eve in the Garden: “Where are you? Who told you you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?”
God knew.
for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
Here they are literally following behind the Son of God who has stepped out of eternal heavenly glory (which we got a glimpse of on the Mount of Transfiguration) in order to veil Himself in human flesh, live among the lowly, dine with sinners, rub shoulders with the broken and the demon possessed, and is about to give up His own life willingly for the sake of people who couldn’t deserve it any less… and yet the disciples are arguing about their own status.
This just further proves that they have not yet understood the mission of Jesus or the nature of the Kingdom of God. They clearly still thought they were following a political leader who would soon upend Rome and establish an earthly kingdom––and they wanted a piece of the glory.
35 And he sat down and called the twelve.
He was assuming the rabbinical teaching posture here.
And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
In one sentence, Jesus turns their world upside down.
In essence, He was saying, greatness in MY Kingdom is not found in having servants, it is found in being a servant. We hear this theme echoed throughout the NT:
“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and He will lift you up.” 1 Peter 1:5
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” James 4:6
Jesus not only modeled this, He also preached it repeatedly: Think of the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.”
36 And he took a child
In that culture, with the high infant mortality rate and such, little kids were not treated as important. They were often treated as more of a liability.
People didn’t have the luxury of being sentimental about kids like we are today. Kids weren’t productive members of society. They couldn’t work. You had to wait for them to get older until they could contribute in some meaningful way.
So in essence, by taking a child in front of the group, Jesus is calling their attention to the ultimate example of humble innocence.
and put him in the midst of them,
and taking him in his arms,
he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
Translation: ‘If you want to be honored in my Kingdom, get off your high horse and start taking care of lowly people. Because the way you honor me is by honoring them. The way you honor God the Father is by honoring them.’
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”
This statement is sadly ironic for at least two reasons.
First, it shows that even someone as ‘insider’ as John, a member of Jesus’ inner circle, still doesn’t get what Jesus is saying about humility.
It’s as though he didn’t even hear what Jesus has just said. He’s still thinking about status and privilege.
We can take this as a solemn warning that we ourselves may very well have the same blind spot.
Second, it shows that the disciples were arrogant enough to think that they were to be followed.
Notice: “we tried to stop him because he was not following…us”. Not Jesus. Not the Father. Us.
We have such a tendency to do this as Christians, don’t we? We look at those outside our particular church, or our narrow theological camp, or our specific ‘brand’ of Christianity… and we think, “they’re not on our team. They’re not following us.”
Just to be clear, I’m not talking about issues that we should divide over?
Galatians 1, Paul said “if anyone preaches to you another gospel let them be accursed”.
39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.
The disciples were ironically trying to stop someone from performing a mighty work in Jesus’ name when they themselves were unable to do so in the previous story.
40 For the one who is not against us is for us.
The key word here is us. He’s referring to the group of them.
Jesus is not saying that just because someone isn’t vehemently opposing Christ that they’re on His team.
We know this because In Matthew 12:30 Jesus inverts the saying when it comes to Himself: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
So when it comes to the person of Jesus, there is no room to differ: you are either 100% in agreement with Him and all that He is and says. Or you’re against Him.
But when it comes to us… our ways, our nuances as a group, our distinctives… we cannot be so exclusive.
The Apostle Paul saw people in his day preaching Jesus from false motives… yet he said he rejoiced over the simple fact that Christ was being preached. (see Philippians 1:18)
41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
Giving a cup of water to someone was a symbol of servitude and hospitality. Jesus is saying, you need to be loving and hospitable towards those who belong to me, but aren’t part of your immediate group.
Our takeaways:
First, we need to double check our own hearts and make sure we have an accurate understanding of the real Jesus and His real Kingdom. To follow the real Jesus is to follow a humble, suffering Savior who leads us to die to ourselves and lay down our lives (and our egos) for others.
Next, we need to think hard about how that should shape the way we treat others in the church. We must quickly extinguish any flame of rivalry or ego within the church.
Finally, we need to think hard about how we should treat others who may not be on our team but are definitely on Jesus’ team.
Christ is calling us to unity and Humility. He Himself has modeled it for us in the most radical ways imaginable.
Philippians 2:1–11 (ESV):
2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.