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 

 

On Saturday we read that, coming down fro the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, when He came to the disciples who remained behind, 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.  Here Jesus predicts for a second time to the disciples His death and Resurrection (see this earlier reading for the first).  My study Bible says that this repeated prediction is meant to show that He is going to His Passion freely, and not being 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."   The disciples have been disputing who would be the greatest.  This is because, at this time, Jesus has begun the long journey toward Jerusalem, and has prophesied to them more than once what is going to happen there at His Passion and Resurrection.  They do not understand what it means; it's still mysterious to them.  But it's likely they presume that there He will come into His Kingdom, and this they envision to be a worldly type of kingdom, the common expectations of the Messiah among the people.  So when they dispute who would be greatest, they're speculating among themselves who will get the highest place among them in this worldly kingdom they imagine is coming.  My study Bible comments that it indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Addressing this particular problem, Jesus points to a little child as a model of true discipleship.  He emphasizes thereby the virtues required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.  These are, as noted by my study Bible, humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  

 

 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 remarks that Theophylact sees John's comment as a regret, that John's conscience has been pricked by Christ's teachings on being first and last.  But St. Ambrose, on the contrary, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  In either interpretation, my study Bible comments, 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 comments on this similar passage in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 9:46-50), "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.  On those who would use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.

 

 Jesus teaches the disciples about greatness in today's reading.  He defines it through humility and through service.  He takes a little child in His arms, and tells 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."   To honor God -- even God the Father -- is to seek to receive and to save even the least of these among us, even a little child.  Yet there will be more talk and more teachings about the relevance of little children to discipleship.  Jesus will teach, a little later on in St. Mark's Gospel, "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it" (Mark 10:14; see also Matt 18:3-4, Luke 18:17).  This adds another dimension of humility to our understanding of discipleship.  For, what does it mean to become like a little child (or "as a little child") but to understand that we have so much to learn?  Humility, then, is receiving God and the things God seeks to teach us like a little child, who knows that they have so much to learn.  Indeed, in the Orthodox theological tradition, there is what is understood as an apophatic orientation.  What this means is that, as we understand there is so much more to God than we know, it is wiser to make negative statements regarding what we know God is not, than to proclaim what God is.  For God is so infinitely unknowable compared to our capacity for discerning and receiving God.  Only God is capable of fully knowing God in this sense in which we seek to know a person or a thing.  To become like a little child is to admit that we don't know.  When we approach God as a little child we are an appropriate disciple, for we approach with our minds open to be taught.  We remove our assumptions and our need to prove that we know better; perhaps even more importantly, we prepare to let go of the certainties we think we know, the follow God's direction for expanding our understanding and hence orientation to life.  If once upon a time I always assumed X was correct, perhaps as I grow in maturity spiritually I will grow to see the wisdom of a different way.  For this author personally, that has for a very long time been a process of coming to understand the traditions of the Church in a way I could not see and perhaps could not receive when I was younger.  It has meant discarding my own fears and reservations, and coming to see what was always there, but which I could not perceive without becoming more like a little child in my own orientation toward God, and in my prayers.  For this understanding, I had to un-learn a lot of assumptions and popular theories, and to incorporate in my own life the glimmers of wisdom in the Church I hadn't previously been able to understand.  And this is grace, to become like a little child in order to receive God's grace, Christ's teachings, where the Spirit seeks to lead in teaching us who we need to be and to become.  This is a lifetime process, just like the growth of a little child is an ongoing process.  To receive a little child, or even an adult, in Christ's name, is more than simply to practice graciousness, for perhaps the key phrase here is "in My name" as Christ teaches it.  For this is the true Kingdom He's speaking about; when we act in His name we are within the grounds of the kingdom of God, and clearly, as Jesus teaches us, the rules in this Kingdom are different than those of a worldly kingdom.   In His name, the stature of a little child is as if one receives even God the Father.  He also teaches in today's reading, "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."  Note again, that qualifying phrase, "in My name."  Once again this stamp, like the seal of a royal king or emperor, means that we are in the realm of His kingdom, not a worldly kingdom.  And there, even those who practice the smallest grace in His name and for the sake of another belonging to His name "will by no means lose his reward."  Let us consider all the things it may mean to become as a little child in order to receive and to dwell in this Kingdom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 

 

 And when He 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 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.   Here Jesus predicts His death and Resurrection a second time to the disciples (see also this reading).  My study Bible says that He does so in order to show that He is going to His Passion freely, and not being taken against His will.  Let us note that the disciples still did not understand what He was telling them, and they were afraid to ask Him about it as well.  

 

 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."   It's likely that Christ's talk of rising again on the third day has the disciples convinced that He is speaking about a worldly kingdom that will manifest, with Jesus the Messiah at its head.  My study Bible comments that the dispute among the disciples as to who would be the greatest in the kingdom they envisioned indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus powerfully asserts the norms of service, and of humility as those which must operate regarding greatness in His kingdom (and His Church).   To receive even a little child in Christ's name is to receive Christ; and to receive Christ is to receive 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 that Theophylact sees John's comment voiced as a regret, his conscience having been pricked by what Christ said about the least and the great.  But St. Ambrose, on the other hand, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany these blessings of the Kingdom.  In either interpretation, my study Bible says, Christ's response shows those acting 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."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.  

 

 There are interesting "directions" (or perhaps we should call them "redirections") in today's reading.  By that one intends to note how Jesus asks us to redirect our perception of persons to Himself.  In the first case, we're told that 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."  Jesus asks us to redirect our gaze upon those whom we receive in His name, and to look beyond them to see Himself.  In this case, we're to redirect our gaze yet again -- in order to see God the Father received wherever He is.  Note that He sets down the specific condition under which this happens:  when they are received "in My name."   That is, when the disciples are acting on Christ's behalf, as we all might do when we are acting as His disciples, serving in His Church, living our faith.  In the second instance, to act in Christ's name is something He asks us to observe also in other people, whom we perhaps do not even know.  And for those people as well, we are supposed to perceive Christ in the midst of their action.  Jesus says,   "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."   From this latter statement, we can presume that one who acts (gives you a cup of water to drink) in His name, and also because the receiver is somehow "in His name" (because you belong to Christ), will by no means lose his reward.   From these statements we can conclude that the power of Christ's Person, and particularly of His "energies" or spiritual activity in the world, is always going to be at work accompanying those who act in His name, and those who live lives of faithfulness to Him.  When we maintain this kind of faithful living for ourselves, and when we receive even those of seeming least importance in His name, then we are to see Him in that person (as well as the Father by implication), and we are those who carry His blessings as well.  We're given a hint in these statements about the power and blessings that accompany the presence of Christ.  Perhaps we should rather say that Christ's words affirm His presence in all that we do, if we act "in His name."  That is, when we are living faithful lives, and acting as His disciples, seeking to live His will for us.  This principle is true when we are the principle actors, or are the recipients of faithful action, as one who belongs to Him.  Moreover, we're to carry this action of Christ's presence over to our own awareness, our consciousness of receiving Him even in "the least of these," and -- even more powerfully -- this magnifies moreover into the presence of God the Father who sent Him on His saving mission in the world.  Like a powerful worldly emperor or king, all that is "in His name" belongs to Him and represents the presence of His Person, even of the One who sent Him.  When St. Paul writes about a great "cloud of witnesses," he is referring by extension to all those who played a role in the salvation history of the world, the creation and unfolding of the faith that we receive.  But such a cloud could not exist without what it means to act and be faithful "in His name" -- for, as St. Paul also writes, "He is the author and finisher of our faith" (see Hebrews 12:1-3).   In these senses in which Christ is present with us in our faithfulness, through people we receive in His name, and also through us when those who receive us do us kindness, that faithfulness "in His name" makes possible a kind of icon.  That is, in all of these encounters, and in living this life of faithfulness, icons of Christ Himself -- images which point to and reflect Him -- become possible in all encounters.  This chain of meetings and images and meanings works to turn Christ's creation into His icon, when we live and practice faith in His name.  Let us be ready and willing for these encounters and the life He asks of us.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.  

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet,  to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

 

- Mark 9:30-50

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came to the disciples (as He came down from the Mount of 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.   My study Bible comments that Jesus here predicts His death and Resurrection a second time (see this previous reading) to show that He is going to His passion freely, and not being 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."   Perhaps Jesus' warnings about His Passion, and especially that He will rise on the third day has convinced the disciples that He will come into a worldly kingdom as Messiah, and thus they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest in that kingdom.  But my study Bible comments that such a question indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus points to a little child as the model of true discipleship, and thus emphasizes the virtues which are required for entrance into Christ's kingdom.  My study Bible names those virtues of the "little child" as humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In the iconography and tradition of the Orthodox Church, St. Ignatius of Antioch is depicted as this child.  In certain legends of saints, he is the boy who gave the loaves and fishes in John 6:9.   Let note that the kind of humility, and expression of love, that Christ asks for is to condescend to even a little child, in the same sense that Christ as Son so deeply condescended to become one of us as human being.  Within the name of Christ ("whoever receives one of these little children in My name") there are no disparities; this is a communion and kingdom of love.

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."  According to Theophylact, John makes this comment with regret, and his conscience has been pricked by what Christ said earlier.  But St. Ambrose, on the other hand, sees John as expected full obedience to accompany such blessings.  But in either interpretation, Christ's response teaches us that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes (on the similar passage at Luke 9:46-50), "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.   Once again, let us notice in this passage the pervasive nature of the communion between those who act in good faith in Christ's name.  Any act of kindness or compassion in His name, no matter how seemingly small or trivial ("a cup of water to drink, because you belong to Christ"), results in the same outcome, one will by no means lose one's reward.

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  My study Bible adds that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3).  Here Jesus makes it clear that not only are the good things we do in His name rewarded, but to harm the "little ones" -- the humble and meek of the Church, those with less agency and power, and especially those dependent upon teachers such as these disciples will be -- will result in disaster for the one responsible for misleading them, and causing them to stumble.  The power and authority of the name of Christ works both ways:  for the good, and against abuse.

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'their worm does not die,

and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet,  to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"  This reference to forms of mutilation is an illustration of decisive and strong action, deliberately shocking as it is meant to give us a sense of what measures we are to go to in order to prevent abusive behavior.  It's not an advocacy of literal amputation, but an illustration regarding what it is to avoid sin, to cut off even what is so habitual that it feels as if it is indeed a part of ourselves.  A hand may go where it is not welcome, intruding upon others, to take what does not belong to the person.  A foot may hurt, or cross boundaries not open to it, treading upon others or where it should not go.  An eye may gaze with covetousness or with envy, or even malice.  My study Bible comments that these illustrations of drastic steps to cut off sinful behavior can also refer to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Isaiah 66:24.

 

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."  My study Bible explains that to be seasoned with fire means to be tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  When Christ states that every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, He quotes from Leviticus 2:13, in which salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  Especially for the ancient world, but still today, salt had preservative powers, was necessary for life, and the ability to give flavor.  Thereby it had religious and sacrificial significance.  My study Bible explains further that to eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty.  In Matthew 5:13, Jesus says to His disciples, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."

Jesus gives the starkest warnings possible regarding abuses of power and authority in His Church, especially in harming or misleading the "little ones."  As my study Bible says, "little ones" does not refer only to little children, but to those who are simple and have the heart of the poor, all those who are poor in spirit and look to the authorities and teachers in the Church for guidance.  Overall, Jesus gives to the disciples a clear sense of the power and authority regarding actions done in His name.  The smallest and least significant act of charity done in His name ("a cup of water to drink") results in reward for those who do so because the recipient belongs to Christ.  And, on the other hand, Jesus gives the starkest and most shocking warnings possible -- in language that is meant to startle and cause the hearer to pay attention -- regarding doing harm to the little ones in the Church.  In this way, the disciples who apparently were engaged in a somewhat too flippant dispute regarding who would be greatest (have the most powerful positions) in the kingdom they anticipate, are startled into the solemnity of their future service in the Church, and what powerful forces are at work in their choices.  Humility is the number one requirement, an understanding of what it means to be like a "little child" and what it means to care for the "little ones" -- being aware and mindful of how they function as future leaders and pillars of the Church.  It is time for Christ to give them a strong lesson in what leadership will mean in His kingdom, in His Church, and for the missions that will be ahead of them in service to Christ and in His name.  We should seek to pay equally close attention to Christ startling words and images, and take it equally seriously in terms of how we live out our faith, and what it means to show real leadership and shoulder such responsibility.  How would our lives look if we all took the power of acting in Christ's name so seriously as He describes it?  What would that look like if we were so careful of the little ones -- or so conscientious about the harm we might do?  Let us also pay close attention to Christ's words when He says that dire consequences would follow for one who "causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble."  Perhaps we might try to imagine what it would mean to cause one of them to stumble:  a misleading teaching, some form of abuse that results in terrible consequences and problems to deal with, or abuse of a darker kind that misleads and causes little ones to stumble.  There are all kinds of ways we might imagine what He is talking about -- but there is no doubt about the stark nature of His warning and the consequences to ourselves, and especially for those in positions of leadership.  Let us consider the powerful words Christ has reserved for this occasion, because He does not always speak so harshly.  Let us only imagine the real power of the teaching that we are to hear Christ's sayings (teachings) and do them (Matthew 7:24-25), and to keep His words, remembering that "the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me" (John 14:24).  Jesus gives us a taste, a stark clue, of the power that is at work in those words either to harm or to do good -- and how that power will also be at work in the ones who use it for good or for ill (to cause a little one to stumble).   Let us think about how powerful a force our own lives can be if we choose to live them in good faith.   For, after all, to receive a little one in His name is not only to receive Christ, the also the One who sent Him.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 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 (from the Mount of the Transfiguration, with Peter, James, and John), 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 also Mark 8:31).  My study Bible says that He does so in order to show that He is going to His Passion freely, and is not being taken against His will.  Note that the disciples still cannot comprehend what He is saying to them.  

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."  Today's reading really reflects upon the conventional understanding of what the Messiah would bring.  Just as the disciples cannot comprehend that the Messiah should be killed, they also seem to expect a worldly or "earthly" kingdom to be initiated by Christ.  Hence, their dispute as to who would be the greatest.  That is, who would occupy the highest position in such a kingdom.  My study Bible comments that it indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Thus, Christ points to a little child (see Matthew 18:2-4).  This emphasizes the virtues which are required for entrance into His Kingdom.  The qualities of the little child are humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In Mark's version, Jesus' emphasis on receiving the little child teaches the disciples the need for humility and service:  even in receiving one of these little children, we receive Christ Himself -- and not only Christ, but 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."  My study Bible comments on this same story in Luke 9:46-50 that Theophylact sees John's comment as a regret, his conscience having been pricked by what Christ has just said.  But St. Ambrose, on the other hand, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  In either sense, Christ's response shows those acting 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" (see also Numbers 11:24-30).  On those using Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23, Acts 19:13-16). 

"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 some sense, this statement is another version of the one about receiving a little child in Christ's name.  It also is like another parable teaching about the nature of the kingdom of God.  There is a kind of network effect at work here, where faith forms a circuit of blessedness.  For a person to show hospitality in Christ's name -- even a cup of water to drink --  to such a one who bears the Kingdom is to also receive a reward.

Jesus tells the disciples, "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."   I can't say that I perfectly understand what the word "reward" means in this context.  One supposes it has to do with the ultimate Judgment of Christ, and the understanding of the heart that is possessed only by God.  In Greek the word is μισθός/misthos, a word indicating something like wages, payment for work, recompense for labor.  (In modern Greek, it means "salary.")  In this case, we can consider it the reward for a good work.  It is the same word used in Matthew 5:12, where Jesus states in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12).  It is a reward in the sense that one reaps what one sows, as again it is the same word used when Jesus states speaks of hypocrites who fast in order to show to others their holiness, and He declares, "Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward" (see Matthew 6:16).  In this case, He means there is no heavenly reward awaiting, but only the "worldly" award they sought in making such an appearance to others.  If we dismantle this sentence, we see there are two parts to the blessed action:  The cup of water is given by someone "in My name" and to "you" who "belong to Christ."  It is a sense in which believers who offer the least gift of charity in His name, to others who are seen as belonging to Christ shall not lose their blessed reward.   Jesus has just introduced a little child who, if received in His name, is the same as receiving Christ and also the Father who sent Him.  Moreover He has added that the disciples should not discourage others who work in His name.  Putting these two teachings together, we can simply imagine the many scenaria that would apply here to our own graciousness, and the gift of hospitality which is so important and was so cherished from the earliest years of monasticism.  Do we know who we receive?  Do we act in His name to offer graciousness or kindness to another, even a cup of water?  Let us recall the words of St. Paul, referring to the hospitality of Abraham: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels" (Hebrews 13:2).   This two-way reciprocity of both receiving and giving in His name and those who belong to Christ reminds us of the instructions Christ gave to the disciples when sending them out on their first apostolic mission:  "And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" (Matthew 10:12-15).  The special peace of which He speaks is linked to the blessing of the reward He names, a very spiritual understanding of blessedness and the hidden realities that connect us in faith and in grace.  There is a blessedness to faith which is not only necessary for Christ's miracles, healings, and exorcisms, but also for the spiritual fruits of a life in Christ.  Let us not forget how they are connected to hospitality, an understanding of graciousness, and how we are linked to our fellow faithful in His name, even strangers whom we don't know.  For we are connected in a fellowship which belongs to Him, and to the One who sent Him.

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 on 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, after the Transfiguration, when Jesus (with John, James, and Peter) 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 become 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 on the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  This is the second time that Jesus has predicted to the disciples what will be coming after Passover in Jerusalem, known to us as Passion Week or Holy Week.  The first time He spoke to them of His death was directly after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ (see this reading).  Let us note that at this time Jesus again did not want anyone to know of His presence, although they are in Galilee.  It is not yet His hour for death.  In this second revelation to the disciples about what is to come, He includes that He will be betrayed.  My study bible says that this second prediction of Christ's death and Resurrection is done to show that He is going to His Passion freely, and is not being taken against His will.  Note also the reaction of the disciples:  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."   My study bible comments that this dispute over who would be the greatest shows a selfish interest in worldly power.  They have likely assumed that Christ's prediction of what is to happen at Jerusalem heralds the coming of a worldly kingdom, ruled by Christ.  So, they began to dispute the positions each would have in such an imagined kingdom.  My study bible comments that, pointing to a little child as the model of true discipleship, Jesus emphasizes what is necessary to be first or greatest.  One must be servant of all, understanding that to receive even a little child is to receive Christ, and to receive Christ is to receive 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 cites the commentary of Theophylact on this passage, who sees John's comment as a regret, his conscience having been pricked by what Jesus has just said about the last and the first (see immediate verses above).  On the other hand, it notes, St. Ambrose sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany the blessings of ministry.  But in either understanding.  the response of Jesus teaches 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."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.   Regarding those using Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23, Acts 19:13-16.

In today's reading, our Lord gives great expression to His own compassion and open heart.  There is first of all His willingness to sacrifice Himself for those whom He has come into the world to save.  He has brought the love of God in Himself as a gift to the world, and as a part of that gift He will express the greatest love possible, He will lay down His life for His friends (John 15:13).  His generosity extends to all possible boundaries in terms of the love He shares.  In His teachings to the disciples regarding how they are to become the bishops and "great" in His Church, He extends the same generosity as a demand upon them.  He tells them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."   Unless one truly considers the hierarchy of creation, the "ratio" of grandeur, if you will, between creature and Creator, one cannot begin to truly grasp the magnanimity of His teaching that follows:  "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   If the disciples think that being the "greatest" is something they really desire, then they must consider what He tells them, that to receive a little child in His name is to be receiving Him -- and that to receive Him is to receive the Father who sent Him.  How gracious and expressive of the expanded heart of Christ can they be?  These words express far more than we can even imagine.  In His final expression to the disciples in today's reading, He expresses great generosity in embracing those not of His immediate following, but who also work miracles in His name, extending tolerance among followers.  If only we had individuals in public life who sought to embody such a spirit of gracious and generous behavior, rather than the many who seem to desire to divide and enrage.  I wonder where we would be if all could seek to measure up -- to no matter how small a degree -- to the generous spirit of Christ?  It is part and parcel of our faith to understand the idea that to receive a child in Christ's name is to understand that one also receives Christ, and thereby the One who sent sent Him.  We take this to such depths of rootedness in our theology that we understand it as teaching us that all are created in the image of God, and all carry the image of Christ within.  And yet, we seldom see this attitude embraced around us, at least in our so-called secular lives.  As I have written before in this blog, the secular life -- for a Christian -- is not meant to be separately lived from the holy or sacred.  Rather, it is our internal life of reaching toward Christ in worship and communion that is meant to tinge all of our life, and that includes our common relations with those around us.  There might be times when we really do need to stand up and distance ourselves from injustice, abuse, and bad behavior that goes contrary to what we know is good, or true, or beautiful.  But that does not stop us from understanding that ours is meant to be a communion in love, and a participation in the grace of God.  It is possible to disagree with one another on all matters of public (and even private) dispute, and yet, at the same time, to hold oneself to the highest standard of loyalty in communion and worship of the generous and gracious Jesus Christ.  In a world that seems to ratchet up degrees of hatred by the day, let us consider our place in our worship of Jesus and where He calls us to be both in relation to Him and in conforming to His teachings.  There is nowhere in the Gospels where Jesus speaks frivolously or vainly.  On the contrary, He promises that it is in following His word that we are His disciples.  In John 14:15, at the Last Supper, He tells the disciples, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."  There is nothing He says that is negotiable or negligible.  Each word has meaning, all is deliberate and chosen.  Everything that He teaches to the disciples is also meant for us.  Unfortunately, in today's world, we may observe even those who proclaim they act in the name of love and tolerance, and yet manage to preach hate, vengeance, and evisceration for their political and social enemies.  Let us consider the words of St. Paul:  "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma" (Ephesians 5:2).  Let us endeavor, in all our worldly lives, to ever be that sweet-smelling aroma that fills heaven with its love of Christ, and seeks truly to live to His word and teachings.

 

 

 

 

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

Christ and St. Ignatius, detail of fresco, 1321-22.  Gračanica Serbian Orthodox Monastery, Kosovo

 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, coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration with James, John, and Peter, when He came to the disciples in the town, Jesus 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 has predicted His death and Resurrection to the disciples (see 8:31).  My study bible comments that by doing so, Jesus shows He is going to His Passion freely, and not being taken against His will.   Let us also note carefully the bewilderment of the disciples.  They did not understand, but also they 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."  Clearly Jesus' teaching that He will rise on the third day (above) has given ideas to the disciples about the imminent manifestation of the Kingdom as a worldly kingdom, fitting the popular expectations about the Messiah.  So, they have been disputing among themselves which one would be the greatest in that material, earthly kingdom they imagine is coming.  This is a disappointing response to Jesus' warning of His suffering that is to come.  Jesus uses this as an opportunity to teach the essential nature of what constitutes greatness within His Kingdom and His community of the Church:  humility and service.  My study bible says that pointing to a little child as the model of true discipleship, Jesus emphasizes the virtues required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven:  humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and to be loved.  Frequently, St. Ignatius of Antioch is depicted in icons as this child.  In various legends of saints, he is the boy who gave the loaves and fishes in John 6:9.  Jesus' teaching emphasizes the power of the communion of the Church, as He speaks of receiving one of these little children in My name -- and connecting that child not only to Himself, but also to 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 comments here that Theophylact sees John's comment as regret, in response to his conscience having been pricked by what Christ has just taught about the first and the last.  But St. Ambrose offers a different understanding, that John expects full obedience to accompany the blessings of ministering in Christ's name.  Either way, my study bible comments, Christ's response shows those acting in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not contemporaneously numbered among the disciples.  Theophan writes, "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 the name of Christ without good faith, see Luke 11:23, Acts 19:13-16.   The final verse emphasizes the teaching about receiving the little child.  These disciples, also, upon being received by others, convey a blessing upon them for their good will, because they belong to Christ.

Today's readings emphasize the communion of Christ, the link between all those who live, act, work, and minister in His name.  Jesus' teachings, while most clearly about the need for humility and service, emphasize also our communion, the special link that exists between all those who work or act bearing the name or image of Christ.  Let us first of all be clear on an understanding of "the name" especially in times when the authority of emperors or kings was well-understood in a certain respect.  All those things that bore the name of the king or his house (or family) bore the presence of that king or that emperor.  To deface a public work depicting the monarch was to insult and do damage to the monarch, and great penalties could result.  The name of the monarch also bore the same presence:  the signature of such a person was full representation of that person, whether the monarch was physically present or not.  (This is linked to present-day protocols of respect regarding the flag of a country, for it stands for and represents the country itself.)  So it is here in a similar sense with Jesus' name.  All those who belong to Christ convey Christ Himself into the world.  So much so, that even should we receive a little child in His name, we must understand that we receive Him, but also moreover, even the Father who sent Him.  That is as great a personage as is possible indeed.  The power of God lies in all things having to do truly with the name of Jesus.  Therefore in Jesus' teaching today we not only understand that to receive even a little child in His name is to receive Christ, and even to receive the Father who sent Him, but also the receiving of anyone bearing Christ's name conveys a blessing on the receiver, even one who so much as offers a cup of water.  What Jesus is saying, therefore, we can conclude, teaches us that each good thing we do for one another within the body of Christ, within this communion, includes Christ Himself -- and therefore it is as if we have served Christ Himself and will receive the proper reward for doing so.  These powerful words and concepts convey to us the strength that lies in true ministry, because they give us a sense of the divine power of holiness -- unseen by so many, and yet at work in our world and in what we do in our lives.  There is no telling how truly powerful a good work can be, a kind word or gesture, even the smallest thing we give of ourselves.  Moreover, that gesture need not be to one who has a powerful profile or position in this world, for even to receive a little child in His name is as if we receive Him, as if we receive even the Father who sent Him.  The power in this communion is great indeed.  If we understood the power of holiness that is at work even in this world, how much more seriously would we take these maxims of our faith, these teachings of Christ?  How much more solemnly would we accept the need to be conscious of the ways in which we treat one another, or the ways in which we might so easily dismiss one another?  How much more would we cherish our capacity to do even the smallest good for another, or commit the smallest act of charity?  This understanding of these teachings of Christ refines, hones, and gives body to our understanding of grace.  It gives shape to a consciousness of blessing and what that means, and how blessings are conveyed.  If each of us has the power to convey such blessings through our faith in Christ, through our choices in His name, then that indeed makes the power of His communion all the more great.  Let us be aware of our choices -- both those we make, and those we fail to make, and what we lose by not understanding the power of His name.

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 right 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 when Jesus came to the disciples (from the Mount of the Transfiguration, together with Peter, James, and John), He saw a great multitude around the other nine disciples, 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 right after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Jesus has only recently been revealed to the disciples as the Christ (see Thursday's reading from last week).  But this is a repeated, second warning to the disciples about the suffering that Jesus will go through, and that they must be prepared for.  Jesus is being explicit:  He will be killed, and rise the third day.  We note again, they still do not understand this saying, and they are afraid to ask Him.  Moreover, there is a repeated note in the fact that Jesus did not want anyone to know that He was passing through Galilee.  In our recent readings, He has tried to avoid public notice by going to Tyre and Sidon (the Gentile region to the north of Galilee) and returning south in a roundabout way, through the Decapolis.  Now He goes again into Galilee, but wants to remain hidden.

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."  Jesus returns to His ministry "headquarters" in Capernaum.  But we note He speaks to the disciples in the house and not openly in public.  This is Peter's family home, the "residence" for Christ's ministry.  Apparently, when the disciples understood that He was to die and "rise the third day," they assume this means into the kingdom of Israel, with Christ as eternal ruler, as understood in popular expectation of the time.  With such an understanding, they had disputed among themselves, while on the road, who would be greatest in that worldly kingdom they expect to manifest.  My study bible says that this indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus then begins to teach them about true leadership, what it is to be great in His kingdom and among them all.  They must not think of greatness in  conventional sense, but in a compassionate sense.  To receive a little child in His name is to receive Him -- and to receive Christ is to receive the Father who sent Him.   To care, in whatever capacity we have, for the littlest or least powerful among us, as if we receive Christ, and therefore the Father, is to use the power we have His way.

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 commentaries on John's remark about others who cast out demons in the name of Christ.  Theophylact sees this comment as a kind of regret, that they "forbade him because he does not follow us," after Christ's teaching above about the "first" and the "last."  But St. Ambrose, on the other hand, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany the blessings of discipleship.  But in either interpretation, my study bible concludes, Christ's response shows that all those who act in good faith are not excluded -- even if not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, in commenting on this episode as reported by Luke (Luke 9:46-50), "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples.  Regarding those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23, Acts 19:13-16.  Let us note also how grace works:  even the gift of a cup of water, extended to one of Christ's in the name of Christ, brings a blessing.

Christ uses a little child to teach the disciples about power and its use.  They must not think like the worldly think about power.  Even a little child is one they must receive as if they are receiving Him, and if receiving Him, therefore the Father in heaven who sent Him.  This is how we are told by Christ that we are to receive those who come into our lives, as His disciples.  What a hard and vivid teaching this is, indeed.  I find that this teaching is a great antidote to modern ills that in psychological parlance would be called "violation of boundaries."  Can one imagine the incidents of child abuse -- of any type -- that one may consider if Christ's rules about how we receive even the most powerless in our lives were followed?  It is truly the great teaching about power that we need as antidote to the things that ail us in our world, and which are all around us.  Correction can come with love, discipline, through Christ, comes with love.  Rebukes come with love.  The key to love is truly wanting what is best for the other person.  In the example of the little child, we are often tempted to merely think that this is a description of little children and their virtues as emblems of faithful.  Indeed, this may indeed be the case when Christ speaks of little children this way, as in Matthew 19:14.  But here, Jesus is giving us a different message.  This is not only about little children, but the little children are an example of all the humble, those least powerful among us, whether they be our fellow parishioners or others we meet with in the course of our lives.  Let us consider that Jesus addresses those who will be the pillars of His Church, our first bishops, and He addresses them as those who will lead when He is gone.  He gives us the example of leadership in this reading about little children.  He also teaches us about the communion that is present in His name:  all are linked, from the least to the greatest, to both Christ and to the Father.  God's presence, thereby, is always with us!  Let us remember, also, that today's reading contains the teaching that even a cup of water extended in faith to another one who also belongs to Christ, is noted and known by God, and will bring with it a reward, a blessing.  (To balance, we also recall His warning about giving away what is holy, or  pearls of spiritual beauty to those who will respond with contempt in Matthew 7:6; we are called to discernment, not careless blindness or waste.)  There is no gesture that goes unnoticed, no time when God is not present with us, even God the Father who sends the Son into the world.  It is a teaching for us and for the importance of our lives and what we do -- and moreover a clear teaching about our faith and how powerful a connection it is even when others cannot perceive this.  So how do we use power?  In whose name and for what purpose?  Let us remember God watches and knows, and that we always rely on this presence -- always with us in the Spirit and in the angels with us "who always behold the face of God" (Matthew 18:10) -- to guide us and help us use our own capacity and strengths in the ways He would have us do so.