Mark 9:30-37

New International Reader's Version

Jesus Speaks a Second Time About His Coming Death

³⁰ They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were. ³¹ That was because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men. They will kill him. After three days he will rise from the dead.” ³² But they didn’t understand what he meant. And they were afraid to ask him about it.

Who Is the Most Important Person?

³³ Jesus and his disciples came to a house in Capernaum. There he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴ But they kept quiet. On the way, they had argued about which one of them was the most important person.

³⁵ Jesus sat down and called for the 12 disciples to come to him. Then he said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last. They must be the servant of everyone.”

³⁶ Jesus took a little child and had the child stand among them. Then he took the child in his arms. He said to them, ³⁷ “Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me also welcomes the one who sent me.”