Thoughts on Mark 9:30-50
Teaching the disciples
Jesus went back through Galilee secretly so that He could focus on teaching His disciples that as Messiah, someone would betray Him resulting in Him suffering death at the hands of other. Yet, after three days, he would rise again. However, the disciples did not understand and, for reasons not stated, were too afraid to ask for clarification.
The rest of the chapter is book-ended by the disciples arguing. Right after Jesus referred to His coming death, they argued over who was the greatest. Jesus, the Messiah and God-incarnate, was about to die for them. The irony of their argument was lost on them since they had not understood what Jesus said.
Jesus explained that those were great in His Kingdom were those who deny themselves to the point of serving everyone and not worrying about what others saw as their place. Such people would welcome children, those with the least to offer. Jesus elaborated further. By welcoming the least, His disciples would welcome Him. Further, in welcoming Him they welcomed God the Father as well.
Such teaching flew over their heads. John immediately boasted about stopping someone who cast out demons in Jesus’ name since that person wasn’t one of His disciples. Jesus told them that shouldn’t have done so. That someone would use His name to cast out demons indicated the person had some reverence for Him. Such a person would not turn around and speak ill of Him. In fact, they could be in the process of coming to Him. The same would be true of anyone who welcomed them in Jesus’ name.
As a principle, we must know that not everyone in the world is our enemy. In fact, many of them are coming or will come to Jesus. We shouldn’t turn the away those on their way to Jesus with a condemning and judgmental attitude. Doing so may in fact indicate that we are the ones who are condemned.
Therefore, we must deal with our sin that may turn them away. Using hyperbole, Jesus explained the danger sin posed and encourage His disciples to deal with sin in radical ways. A failure to take sin seriously could indicate a lost condition and that one’s eternal destination is not the Kingdom of God but hell.
True disciples seek to be useful like salt. Sin removes the value and benefits of salt. As disciples, we should encourage one another to combat sin and maintain our usefulness to God—not waste time fighting, especially not fighting over who is the greatest.