Mark 9:30-41

New Testament for Everyone

True greatness

³⁰ They went away from there and were traveling through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know, ³¹ because he was teaching his disciples.

“The ‘son of man,’ ” he was saying, “is to be given over into human hands. They will kill him; and, when he’s been killed, after three days he will rise again.”

³² They didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

³³ They came to Capernaum. When they got into the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”

³⁴ They said nothing, because on the road they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

³⁵ Jesus sat down and called the Twelve. “If you want to be first,” he said, “you must be last of all, and servant of all.” ³⁶ He took a small child, and stood it in the middle of them. Then he hugged the child, and said to them, ³⁷ “If anyone welcomes one child like this in my name, they welcome me. And if anyone welcomes me, it isn’t me they welcome, but the one who sent me.”

Warnings about sin

³⁸ “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone casting out demons in your name. We stopped him, because he wasn’t following us.”

³⁹ “Don’t stop him,” said Jesus. “No one who does powerful things by my name will be able to say bad things about me soon afterwards. ⁴⁰ Anyone who’s not against us is on our side. ⁴¹ Anyone who even gives you a cup of water in my name, because you belong to the Messiah—I’m telling you the truth, that person won’t go unrewarded.