Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me

 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 into 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 when Jesus came to the disciples (after the events of the Transfiguration on the high mountain), 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 him 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 too 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.  After Jesus' previous encounter with the Pharisees, He made a great circuit which for the most part avoided His home region of Galilee altogether, which one can follow on a map of the region at the time.  In our readings He has gone far north out of Israel to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon, and then through the region of the Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. He then sailed to Dalmanutha (which some guess is on the west coast of the Sea of Galilee), touching down in Galilean territory, where there is yet another hostile encounter with the Pharisees.  after which He departs to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to Bethsaida.  There, we note, He also avoids the town and tells a man He healed to do so as well.  He then heads north to Caesarea Philippi, where He predicts His death on the Cross.  In this region also take place the events of Transfiguration, and a dispute between His disciples and some scribes, and the casting out of a demon (Saturday's reading, above).  So we note in today's reading that Jesus passed through Galilee, but did not want anybody to know it.  Once again this sort of secrecy is accompanied by a warning to the disciples about what is going to happen to Him.  This is the second time He predicts to them His death and Resurrection.  He shows them that He is freely going to His Passion and not being taken against His will.  The disciples still fail to take in what He is telling them.  The time has not yet come, and He is avoiding open confrontation.

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 into 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."    Jesus returns to His "headquarters" in Capernaum, where Peter's family home is.  We note that what takes place now is in the house.  After Jesus' second prophesy about His death and Resurrection, the disciples clearly fail to understand what He is saying, as the text told us.  Here it appears they have assumed the news that He will rise again means He will come into a great worldly kingdom, in accordance with popular expectations of the Messiah.  Therefore on the road through Galilee they had disputed among themselves who would be greatest in that kingdom.  That is, what positions they would have - particularly whose would be greatest or first.  My study bible says this indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus points to a little child in response, as the model of true discipleship.  He emphasizes the virtues that are required for entrance into His kingdom.  My study bible says these are humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  The great graciousness of life in this Kingdom is displayed by Jesus:  those who receive even one of these little children in His name receives not only Jesus Himself, but also God the Father.  Everything is relevant to faith, which establishes all relationship.

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."  The bible commentator Theophylact sees John's comment as a regret, his conscience pricked by what Christ has taught that he who would be first must be last of all and servant of all.  But St. Ambrose sees John (who after all is one of the "Sons of Thunder" with his brother James) as  expecting full obedience to accompany the blessings of discipleship.  My study bible points out that Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  For a similar teaching in the Old Testament, see Numbers 11:24-30.  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23, also Acts 19:13-16.

Mark's gospel repeatedly calls us to faith and the importance of faith.  Over and over again, we've commented on the text as it tells us how to shore up faith, how important it is that Jesus takes people away from those who would distract them or from those whose attitudes harm the faithful who are in need of healing, even who come for help for their children to be healed.  In today's reading we get two more central teachings about the importance of faith.  First of all, it is faith that determines the nature of relationships in His kingdom.  Jesus teaches the disciples that "whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  He is teaching that our faith sets in order particular relationships:  if one really would wish to be great, or "first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  That is, within this primary identity as faithful, we are to be like God, like Him - we are to serve.  Furthermore, to receive one of these "little children"  in His name is to receive Him and even the Father.  These men will go on to be the pillars and bishops in His Church.  What He is teaching them is about the power of that faith to establish righteousness, right relatedness.  The most humble and faithful will present to them the face of Christ and even of the Father.  This is relationship as established through faith.  Secondly, those who are not against them are on their side.  This is an establishment of relationship even to those not of their immediate circle who through faith form a kind of kinship or alliance with them.  Jesus tells them something similar to His statement about receiving a little child in His name:  "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."   That is, faith conveys a sense of relatedness and relationship through its work between people.  To help one who loves Christ is also to be blessed by that love and that faith.  The full center of this Kingdom, and all of the ways in which it works among us and between us is conferred through faith -- even blessings to those not of the same fold (John 10:16).  Faith is at the center of our identity and it confers a depth of "citizenship," if you will, that also determines how we interact with others.  The God-likeness that Christ would have us be a part of declares that graciousness must be the hallmark of such a citizen, receiving even the littlest and most humble as if they were Christ Himself, or even the Father.  Furthermore, this extends even to those nominally -- I would say -- not even of His flock, but to all whose hearts may receive one who loves Christ regardless of what group or identity they may belong to.  In this way Christ encourages a faith that produces fruits of love.  And He teaches us what that love must look like.  Faith doesn't just serve a kind of linear relationship to God or to Christ.  Its depth offers us something that is not only more broad but also which breaks all categories of boundaries and extends into dimensions we can't count.  Faith offers us a communion that extends beyond what we know and to people whom we don't know, to those whom we may not consider a part of a "family" we belong to.  It even extends beyond boundaries of time and space, to the communion of saints and even of angels.  In short, what Christ teaches us is that faith becomes the central determination of who and what we know ourselves to be a part of -- a love that extends beyond "me, mine, my own."  The reality of the name of Christ, which we enter into through faith, is in effect an entire cosmos beyond our calculation.  In daily encounters thus described by Christ, we may find ourselves receiving Christ in a person who needs our help or who relies on us for care.  We might find that those willing to offer us help are also those whom Christ teaches us are blessed.  In short, any encounter of every day life can become an occasion to meet Christ and to see His blessings and His love at work between us.  I think it's important to consider how the energies of love know no boundaries, and how into each specific encounter we can act on our faith and know that it confers grace where none exists through other means.  Let us remember this as we go through our day, and consider how great a thing we do when our faith becomes the core of who we are, and the truth about each small or brief encounter we may find in our lives.