If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all

 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."

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

- Mark 9:30-41

On Saturday, we read that after the Transfiguration experience on the mountain with James, John, and Peter, when Jesus came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered them and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.   So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

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.  My study bible points out that here Jesus predicts for a second time His death and Resurrection.  What this indicates is a clarity for the disciples that He's freely going to His Passion.   He won't be taken against His will, but He will consent to what is to happen.

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."   My study bible explains that little ones include "all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit."  Most likely the disciples begin disputing over who is the greatest in the kingdom (despite the fact that Jesus has just announced for the second time His suffering and death!) because they believe that the Kingdom will be fully present at His rise.

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  My study bible cites two commentators regarding John's comment to Christ here.  Theophylact sees John as being pricked by his own conscience after Christ taught about the least and the great.  St. Ambrose sees John as acting with full expectation of obedience to accompany such blessings.  In either case, says my study bible, Jesus' response here shows that those who act in good faith aren't excluded -- even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  My study bible quotes Theophylact:  "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Moses' comment regarding Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp at Numbers 11:24-30.

 Today's reading gives us some considerations about hierarchy and leadership, structural organization and power -- in a sort of perfect time in which Jesus is preparing the disciples for His "departure" or "exodus."  But the disciples fail to grasp at all what He's telling them.  Perhaps they simply cannot conceive of a world without Him.  How could the Messiah leave them?  Why would that even be possible?   Jesus has spoken of rising after three days, and it seems very clear that the disciples believe this means that the Kingdom will be fully functioning, fully present.  And this is why they begin to dispute between themselves about who'll be greatest.  Far from thinking about what Jesus will be going through -- even immediately after He tells then of His suffering and death! -- they are considering what positions may be theirs when Jesus comes into His kingdom.  So what are we to think about this?  Surely this is included in the Gospels for very good reasons, because it's just all-too-human to be considering position, even just after some horrible news about someone (even Jesus, their Teacher) suffering.  So we're taught a lesson here, about ourselves and our natures, but also about the Church and what Jesus expects of those who serve Him.  Far from chastising them because they aren't even thinking correctly about what He's warning them is to come, Jesus straightens their thinking by teaching them about what He considers greatness.  This is His legacy to all of us, His way of thinking about power, hierarchy, and leadership.  It's an ideal for us.  It's so engrained as a concept for social institutions that our politicians call themselves "public servants."  But we know how leadership and hierarchy is easily abused, how our tendencies for the desire of power can get in the way of what Jesus is teaching.  One thing we can learn from Jesus is the absence of competition among His followers He envisions here.  If we would compare it to the ways in which saints have come to us, what we might take from this teaching is that there is room for everyone here.  If each of us are to be good servants to all, then there will be gifts each one will bring to the table, ways in which each serves.  Thus, we don't have to think in terms of greatness and competition and power.  Instead, we can think about plurality, a system in which each is essential and each is capable of great contribution.  Jesus' expansion on this teaching, which comes via John's question, about another group somewhere who were casting out demons in Jesus' name, is an extension of the same concept.  The type of exclusiveness that may apply here is just that we have one Teacher.  But that is where exclusivity ends in this picture:  all those who act in "good faith," as my study bible put it, belong to this Kingdom and are workers in it.  This new example serves as a greater enhancement of what it is to think about organization without competition.  It may seem strange to think of hierarchy this way, but it is Jesus' way.  If we look at the whole pantheon of saints, we can see this type of plurality at work:  each is so very unique.  We might say that saints are just like the rest of us, but more so -- with the most dynamic elements of personality being fulfilled in a perhaps greater and more dimensional nature than most.  But each contributes 100 percent, or, given the action of the Spirit, perhaps more:  a demonstration of life in abundance.   Each serves with their own gifts.  And that's the way that we need to think about this Kingdom and our own participation in it.  What can you give 100 percent of?  How do you increase that gift?  With God's help, all things are possible.  This is the way we each can be among the greatest in the Kingdom.