They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 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.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”—Mark 9:30–37

Introduction

This text follows the same pattern as previous stories. Jesus predicts his death and resurrection, the disciples do something dumb to show their blindness, and Jesus’ teaching is meant to correct their blindness. 

Outline

1. Death and Resurrection (vv. 30­­–31)
2. Disciples’ Blindness (vv. 32–­34)
3. Addressing the Blindness (vv. 35–­37) 

1) Death and Resurrection (vv. 30–31)

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 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.”

Jesus is now a man on a mission. He is passing through Galilee for the final time. He doesn’t want anyone to know because he is passing through on his way to Jerusalem where he will die and rise again on the third day. He is specific once again (just like Mark 8:31): I am going to die and rise again after three days!

2) The Disciples’ Blindness (vv. 32–34)

But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

Their spiritual blindness and unbelief can only be addressed through prayer and asking Jesus to remove it. Do you remember the point of last week? Faith brings everything to Jesus, even its doubts. The disciples should learn the lesson of the dad of the demon-possessed boy. What did he do with his partial faith and partial unbelief? He asked Jesus for help. What is the reason for the disciples’ inability? They haven’t asked Jesus. They are prayer-less people. So what do they do? Do they ask? They still don’t understand, and they are still afraid to ask (v. 32). Now the rest of the story is going to help us see that “afraid to ask” really means “too proud to ask,” or “too afraid to look back to ask.”

I think the next verses put this mindset on display. A lively topic of conversation is happening on the way. So Jesus takes the initiative to ask them what they were talking about: “What were you discussing on the way?” (v. 33).

Mark makes it clear that they kept silent. They were not going to go there. They refused to bring that conversation into the light. Why? “for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest” (v. 34). They are consumed in conversations about their own greatness and silent because they don’t want to look bad.

Isn’t there something about this series of events that is strikingly jarring and disorienting? What would you do if you just heard your beloved master that he was going to die? Imagine my wife coming home today and telling all of us to sit down. She tells us that she has an aggressive form of cancer that is very advanced so that she only has a few weeks to live. There is silence in the air for a moment.

Then suddenly I interject, “Wow. Interesting news. Well, let me tell you about my day. The sermon I preached today at the North Campus—yeah, I think it was one of my best—maybe my greatest—at least top five. (In case you are wondering, that is a conversation we never have.) But it would be even more inappropriate to talk about after my wife just declared that she was going to die! This blindness is flowing downstream from odious selfishness—delusions of grandeur.

Mark makes it very clear that this is happening “on the way.” He repeats the phrase twice (see vv. 33–34) so that we won’t miss it. 

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 

This phrase “on the way” is a reference to the journey they are taking to Jerusalem. They think it is a glory road leading to exaltation. But this is the Calvary road. This journey is leading to a destination that is one of degradation and humiliation before glorification. Suffering and then glory. But they still don’t understand that because they don’t understand what he means by death and resurrection. In their pride, they don’t seem to have a category for a road that leads downward in humiliation and suffering. They only have expectations for a road that leads upward in exaltation. So Jesus has work to do in teaching them some more.

3) Addressing the Blindness (vv. 35–37)

And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Jesus addresses their blindness by confronting their pride. They seem to be blinded by pride and a sense of self-importance. They simply cannot fathom the freely chosen humiliation of the cross. They don’t have a category for it because their categories are all colored by pride. They seem to have only categories for upward thinking—promotion or advancement—moving on up.

So Jesus starts with a lesson in humility. Jesus does not rebuke them for wanting to be first or great. He simply shows them that their search for being first is not wrong—just misguided or misinformed. It is category confusion. They are thinking the things of the world, not the things of God again (Mark 8:33). They are using worldly categories for greatness and first place. He teaches them about his upside-down kingdom where first really means last of all and servant of all (v. 35).

And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

We think of people on the top as #1 and then it goes down from there. Jesus puts #1 at the bottom and goes up from there.

Worldly Way of  Thinking            Jesus’  Teaching

1.                                                     10.
2.                                                       9.
3.                                                       8.
4.                                                       7.
5.                                                       6.
6.                                                       5.
7.                                                       4.
8.                                                       3.
9.                                                       2.
10.                                                       1.

Jesus uses an object lesson to reinforce this lesson about receiving the least. 

And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”—Mark 9:36–37

When you receive even a child “in my name,” you receive me. The child has no reason to be received on his or her own. The reason is not owing to the child (was he/she good enough, cute enough, well-behaved enough). The reason is owing to Jesus. One who receives one such child “in my name receives me” (v. 37).

This lesson is about prizing Jesus’ name and putting it above everything else. It is the single defining and unifying factor. Why do you receive people? What they do? The money they have? The clothes they wear? How nice they are? How much influence or clout they have? No. The reason for receiving is all because of Him, not them. The disciples seem to make everything about themselves. Jesus is making it all about him.

Now Jesus raises the stakes. What is at stake in receiving “little ones”—like a little child? Receiving Jesus is at stake. Receiving God the Father is at stake. They cannot receive Jesus and reject others who name the name of Jesus. That should be impossible. And they cannot reject others in Jesus name and receive the Father who sent Jesus. Rejecting others in the name of Jesus is a spiritual suicide that rejects Jesus and his Father. It is Jesus’ way of saying what John the apostle says later:

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.—1 John 4:20–21

True greatness has open arms as an expression of a wide-open heart for anyone that names the name of Jesus. True greatness is a big heartedness that can’t stand treating someone as a second-class citizen. It cannot stand spiritual snobbery in the family of God. This is very different than the world’s understanding of greatness.

Illustration:
Michael’s Jordan’s Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech

Many people think of Michael Jordan as one of the greatest (if not the greatest) basketball player of all time. His hall of fame acceptance speech was one of the most disappointing things I have ever heard from any athlete. It lacked grace and humility. He said that he had thought about just getting up there and saying “thank you” and sitting down. But he didn’t. Instead he gave a 23-minute speech that mainly highlighted people that helped him by giving him a challenge to beat.

Leroy Smith made the high school varsity team over Jordan—only because Leroy Smith was 6’ 7. And Jordan said that is all he had going for him and he probably still would play the same way today. Leroy Smith became someone to beat. Jordan was going to prove that his coach made a mistake. Next it was Mr. Basketball in North Carolina, who actually became a teammate of Jordan’s at the University of North Carolina. Now Jordan was going to beat him (even though they were teammates). “You can’t be the best in North Carolina, you never played me—you are not better than me.” 

On and on his speech went. He highlighted people—opponents who were competitive like him that only served to put logs on his competitive fire. His focus and relentless drive to beat his fellow competitors became ways to push himself to achieve greatness and dominance. Greatness that was dominating and humiliating toward anyone who would compete against him. Greatness for Jordan was elevating himself at the expense of others—they are like the rungs on the ladder of greatness that he steps on to climb up higher. 

The part of the speech that was the saddest to me was the part where Michael Jordan told everyone what the game of basketball meant to him. Michael Jordan talked about basketball as a god. The game of basketball was everything to him. It comforted him and gave him satisfaction like nothing else.

Jesus talked about true greatness in a way that is diametrically opposed to this mindset. The greatest are those that elevate others. They don’t look at others as those to tear down and defeat and dominate in order to assert and display their greatness. They see someone to serve. They go down as a servant in order to lift up the weak and the weary and receive the lowly.

Main Point: True greatness is total servanthood (being servant of all).

The way that Jesus unpacks servanthood is unique. One part of serving others is receiving others. The prideful selfish heart is bent on itself. Every heartbeat is self-focused. Our hearts beat for ourselves. The humble heart set on servanthood is a welcoming heart. The truly great heart is a big heart, a wide-open heart that leads to wide-open arms.

Application

Are we a receiving people or an aloof people? Are we a high-bar people—always comparing, always sizing each other up? Or do we eagerly welcome with open arms? Are we on the lookout for grafting people into our fellowship? Do we come to church with our eyes peeled for those who are newcomers or those who are outcasts—or do we come with eyes peeled for those that are easy? those who are like us? those who are comfortable? Do we just run to our friends and stick close to our comfort zones?

A flourishing church is a church were the weak and poor and frail flourish. A flourishing church is a church not of big shots, but of big hearts. We see people not to size up and evaluate and compete, but people to serve. I will say this as strongly as I know how—to the degree that we are not a welcoming people, we are not a Christlike people.

Jesus left heaven and came to earth. How low could he go? He couldn’t go up—he went down. When the world talks about the promotion track and going up, Jesus goes the other way. He humbled himself by taking on flesh and taking the form of a servant. Being found in human form, he humbled himself to the point of death—even death on a cross.

God highly exalted him and gave him the name above every name. We are here to lift him up in worship because he lifted us up and rescued us out of the pit. He left heaven; can we not leave our pew? He endured the cross; can we not endure the awkwardness of introducing ourselves? When heaven was closed to us, he came to open up the family of God to us. How can there be closed small groups? If Christ said that nothing was beneath him, then how can we see something as beneath us? Shall we be proud when our Savior has been humble to save us?

He purchased your acceptance. The Father’s arms are open to you and the family of God is open to you because the Son stretched out his arms for you on the cross. The cross of Christ is the highest expression of the heart of God. 

Those who have no hope of heaven, who have not come to Jesus: Are you ready to be received today? All you have to do is come. Humble yourself. Admit you cannot save yourself. Confess that only he can, and he will. Jesus is the ultimate example of arms wide open to receive sinners—rebels against his rule and reign. Those who come to him he will not cast out. Consider words from C.H. Spurgeon (Treasury of the New Testament, vol. 3, p. 862):

I tell you, if he were to shut you out, dear soul, whoever you may be, if you go to him, he would deny himself.  He never did deny himself yet. Whenever a sinner comes to him, he becomes his Savior. … He will be more glad to receive you than you will be to be received. … I tell you again that he cannot reject you. That would be to alter his whole character and un-Christ himself. To spurn a coming sinner would un-Jesus him and make him to be somebody else and not himself any longer. “He cannot deny himself.” Go and try him; go and try him.

Receiving the free grace of Jesus is the most freeing reality in the world. You no longer have to use people to get something you need that they need to supply. You can receive others and not use others because your need for unconditional love is met and filled up in Jesus.

In the same year at the same ceremony as Michael Jordan’s hall of fame speech (2009), David Robinson also gave his hall of fame acceptance speech. It was nine minutes and was radically different. He took eight minutes to thank everyone who had touched his life. Then he closed with the passage from Luke 17:11–19 about the 10 lepers who were healed, with only one who coming back to say thanks. David Robinson presented himself simply as a leper healed by Jesus. He came to the microphone only to say thanks to Jesus. He said that if anyone had seen anything inspiring in his life, it was all owing to Jesus.

Isn’t that why we gather together? We are lepers here to give thanks to Jesus for all that he has done for us. We are not impressed with ourselves. We are stunningly thankful to him.

Conclusion: Communion 

The only way that God could pour out love on us was to pour out wrath on his Son. He had to be forsaken in order for us to be accepted. His blood was poured out for us on the cross so the Father’s love could be poured out on us. Christ was crushed for our iniquities. The open arms that receive sinners lead to a pouring out of Christ’s life blood. He gave all of himself for us. He was broken and spilled out with not a drop held back. Salvation is not a potluck where we all bring something to the table. The only thing we contribute to salvation is the sin that made it necessary.

Sermon Discussion Questions

Outline

1. Death and Resurrection (Mark 9:30–31)
2. Disciples’ Blindness (Mark 9:32–34)
3. Addressing the Blindness (Mark 9:35–37)

Main Point: True greatness is total servanthood. 

Discussion Questions

1. How does Mark 9:32 tie back to the previous text (Mark 9:14–29) about the dad of the demon-possessed boy and the failure of the disciples?
2. What else did the disciples do to show that they were still blind to the meaning of the cross? What were they talking about “on the way”?
3. How did Jesus address the disciples’ blindness? How does he teach them about true greatness?
4. How is Jesus the perfect expression of true greatness?

Application Questions

1. How can Bethlehem as a whole grow as a welcoming church? What can you personally do in order to make Bethlehem a more welcoming, big-hearted, open-armed church?
2. Have there been moments in your life when you sounded more like Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame speech? Have there been moments in your life when you sounded more like David Robinson’s Hall of Fame speech?
3. What can you take from this message and share with others in your life? Are there people in your life that you need to open your arms to?

Prayer Focus
Pray for a grace to be a humble, big-hearted, wide-armed, welcoming people.