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 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 

 

 Yesterday we read that when Jesus came to the disciples (as He, James, John, and Peter came down from the Mount of the Transfiguration), 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 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.  This is the second time that Jesus predicts His death and Resurrection to the disciples.  See this reading for the first.  My study Bible comments that He does so yet again in order to show that He goes to His Passion freely, and will not be taken against His will.

 

 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 comments that the dispute among the disciples as to who would be greatest indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Christ therefore gives them the example of a little child, as a model of true discipleship.  In this way, He emphasizes the virtues which are required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven; these are (as indicated by my study Bible) humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  Here His emphasis is not simply on service, but also humility and what we know as graciousness -- as it is in receiving even these "least" not only receives Christ, but God the Father who sent Him.

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 notes here that according to commentary by Theophylact, John's comment is voiced as a regret, as his conscience has been pricked by Christ's teachings on the first and the last.  But St. Ambrose, on the other hand, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  But, my study Bible says, in either interpretation, 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 is cited as saying, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.   On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.

 

In yesterday's reading, we commented on how the focus was on faith, and how faith would be necessary for the future Church.  Here in today's reading, besides the corrective discipline necessary for the disciples to understand the nature of service, we see a hidden emphasis on the grace of the Holy Spirit.  Clearly, this also would have to be understood as instrumental to the future Church.   Although not nominally the subject of Christ's actions in today's reading, we find insight in Theophylact's comment:  "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  Indeed, in speaking of grace, the entire concept of what grace is and does -- and especially of what "graciousness" would come to mean is laid out for us in Christ's response to the disciples self-centered response to His repeated predictions of His death and Resurrection.  Our understanding of grace and of graciousness is always something that needs repeated renewal and awareness in the Church.  For without it, we don't really have Christianity.  This is first of all found most poignantly in Christ's teachings on how the "little ones" are to be treated, coupled with His expression of acts of compassion in His name:  "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."   In Matthew's Gospel, a similar statement by Jesus emphasizes the gracious care of the "little ones" -- "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward" (Matthew 10:42).  Of such is what we know not only as compassion but graciousness.  It is the foundation of what would come to be understood as what constituted "gentleness" (as in a gentleman or gentlewoman), and good manners, social conduct which defines a good society.  If we consider this on a social basis, apart from political movements which would strictly define and limit those to whom we may be "gracious" or "kind" or "compassionate," then we come to see its importance as a social value, in a society structured upon righteousness and peace.  Today's reading begins with Christ's second warning about His death and Resurrection, which possibly leads the uncomprehending disciples to think that a worldly kingdom will soon manifest, in which Christ will rule.  Hence their disputes about who will be the greatest.  Their thinking is in purely a worldly sense, with worldly understanding of greatness.  But Jesus' reply is intended to set this thinking on its head.  Not only is He beginning to correct their expectations regarding an earthly kingdom, He starts with conduct and relationship between persons as the definition of greatness to which they must learn to adhere.  His teachings turns worldly notions of greatness upside down, emphasizing graciousness and compassion -- and especially the treatment of the least powerful, such as a little child.   This is the greatness in His sight, and it should still serve to define for us what makes a person "great."  Christ's description of Judgment, in His parable of the Sheep and Goats, defines even salvation on this basis (Matthew 25:31-46).   For in that parable, it is acts of compassion -- or the lack of it -- that determines judgment by Christ.  So we should, all these centuries later, continue to understand our place in the world as those who would follow Christ.  No matter how many ways the world wants to redefine concepts of justice or righteousness, or even right-relatedness, it is only in this sense that such concepts remain true and meaningful for all of us, for each of us, no matter who we are.  For it is before Christ that we all stand as equals, and before Christ that the true reality of our lives is laid bare.  It is only He, the One who suffered for us, to whom our ultimate loyalty belongs.  Let us follow His gracious teachings for us, which alone offer to each of us the capacity for true greatness, as well as its reward.