"Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day." But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.
Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?" But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."--Mark 9:30-37
To My Daughters…
This is so typical of us...of me! Here Jesus is telling them that He is about to be betrayed into the hands of men who would kill Him and His disciples are arguing about which one of them was the greatest. We so often make everything about us. We relate everything to us and our situation. Matthew 17:23 even says they were extremely sorrowful after Jesus told them these things but apparently not sorry enough not to put their own aspirations and personal disputes aside and concentrate on Him. Our minds are so often on ourselves. What hurts, how we look, what we are going to eat, what people think of us...what we think of them...the list is endless and oh, ever so boring. I cry out with Paul here...who will deliver me from this body of death!
The disciples are too ashamed to tell Jesus what they were arguing about, but, of course, Jesus already knew. The first lesson He teaches them is that the way up is down and the way down is up. He who exalts himself will be humbled, he who humbles himself will be exalted. He who loses his life here will gain it in the next...he who gains his life here will lose it in the next. He who desires to be first shall be last of all and servant of all. If you really want to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. take the lowest spot and serve all....Live for others instead of yourself. What an example we have in Jesus who came as a Servant and gave His life as a ransom for many.
He then places a little child in their midst and takes him in His arms as an example of the least among them. This is such a beautiful picture...please don't miss it. Jesus is saying that treating the least among us with kindness is truly an act of greatness. These are the ones that cannot do anything for us...that cannot return our kindness....the ones that can only take and not give. Our God does not show partiality. We are to see people with His eyes and receive them in His name. When we do, it is as if we were showing this kindness to God Himself! Jesus spent much, much time with the common people and the least among men. He took time with the weary, the sick, the afflicted, the aged and the young and yes even the rich. We are to do the same.
Jesus makes the way of the cross so clear and His teachings really expose our wicked hearts revealing to us our wrong motives and self life in all its ugliness. We are all guilty of favoritism, of selfish ambition, of conceit and a striving to be the greatest while stepping on or over the least. Praying that by the power of His Spirit working and living in us we can put off our own selfish desires and ambition and allow Him to live through us.
Love
Mom
