Mark 9:30-37 Commentary

God gives us many opportunities to learn humility. As we join Jesus and the disciples on the road, we are met with an all too recognizable human pattern of response to such chances. Jesus has returned to what’s about to happen, talking with his disciples about his suffering, dying, and rising while they walk.

This is not the first time Jesus has explained things to them and yet they still do not understand. This time, Mark really underscores the point, telling us that “they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.” If they don’t understand now, then they surely have not understood any of the other times Jesus has brought it up. Now, they’ve spent so much time trying to hide that they don’t understand that fear is thrown into the mix.

They are afraid to ask Jesus to help them. Isn’t that typical of us? We know who can help us but we’re afraid to ask for it. It’s not even like we’ll have to grovel or be made to feel embarrassed when we ask God for help in understanding. Graciously, God is like no one else in this regard. When it comes to humility, the experience does not need to include being humbled—unless we make it so.

That’s what the disciples do here. Instead of asking for help to understand, they distract themselves with a topic that will make at least one of them feel better about themselves. Looking for a pick-me-up in the face of embarrassment and fear about what that means for their self-image, each tries to argue about why they are the greatest of the group.

Jesus knows this is what they are talking about and when they reach their destination, he gives them an opportunity to ask for help again. This time he does so by creating the opportunity for one—or all—of them to confess their pettiness and to turn their back on their fear of looking stupid by asking Jesus to help them understand not only what he’s talking about but their own emotions about it all.

Instead, they keep silent, seemingly embarrassed yet again, but this time for being found out by their rabbi. Picture the scene: Jesus and his disciples have arrived to someone’s home, have likely received a hospitable welcome by its inhabitants, from servants washing their feet to providing them with food to eat. At every turn they have been welcomed and treated well, as though they are great and important. Then Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Some people are busy talking about being great while others are living it…

To stress the point, Jesus tells them to grow their hospitality in order to live with humility. Children were part of the vulnerable sector of the community: they had no rights of their own and were the property of their father; they had nothing to offer a stranger in terms of status or importance. And here is Jesus, sitting among a group of men who were playing at who was most important. Jesus calls one of the household children to him, picking up the child in a big hug and repeatedly using the word “welcome.”

Welcome, welcome, welcome. It’s the shared characteristic of hospitality and humility. When we welcome those who are vulnerable, who are on the edges, who have nothing to offer us personally, we welcome humility. But more importantly, we welcome God.

The disciples wanted to feel better because they were afraid and probably embarrassed, so they argued about who was the greatest. But Jesus says that the way to feel better about themselves is through humility and hospitality: by having a right view of ourselves, we’re free to find life’s truest joy.

Textual Point

When you picture Jesus taking a child into his arms, picture it as a hug because that’s what the word enankalizomai means. Hugs signal a message to the people who witness it and to the person who receives it. By hugging that child, Jesus was loving them and telling others to do the same.

Illustration Ideas

Most of us have been in a situation where we were meant to know something, like someone’s name at a party, but we don’t. Instead of just admitting we don’t know, we pretend, change topics, avoid other guests or try to coerce the knowledge we lack out of someone else. And as the party goes on, the more our worry about getting caught grows. Is this how the disciples felt?

This is a story from the desert fathers about humility and greatness. Once a religious and pious man went to community of monks and wanted to see the Abba (father).

He said to a brother, ‘Please will you be so kind as to take me to see Abba Poemen?’ So the brother brought him to the old man and presented him, saying, ‘This is a great man, full of charity, who is held in high estimation in his district. I have spoken to him about you, and he has come because he wants to see you.’ So Abba Poemen received him with joy. They greeted one another and sat down. The visitor then began to speak of the Scriptures, of spiritual and heavenly things. But Abba Poemen turned his face away and answered nothing. Seeing that he would not speak to him, the other brother went away deeply grieved and said to the brother who had brought him, ‘I have made this long journey in vain. I have come to see the old man and he does not wish to speak to me.’ Then the brother went inside to Abba Poemen and said to him, ‘Abba, this great man who has so great a reputation in his own country has come here because of you. Why did you not speak to him?’ The old man said, ‘He is great and speaks of heavenly things and I am lowly and speak of earthly things. Now if he had spoken of the passions of the soul, I should have replied, but he speaks of spiritual things and I know nothing about that.’ Then the brother came out and said to the visitor, ‘The old man does not readily speak of the Scriptures, but if anyone consults him about the passions [sins] of the soul, he replies.’ Filled with compunction [repentance], the visitor returned to the old man and said to him, ‘What should I do, Abba, for the passions of the soul master me?’ The old man turned towards him and replied joyfully, ‘This time, you come as you should. Now open your mouth concerning this and I will fill it with good things.’ Greatly edified, the other said to him, ‘Truly, this is the right way!’ And he returned to his own country giving thanks to God that he has been counted worthy to meet so great a saint.

(Quoted in “The Desert Tradition,” in Spiritual Classics from the Early Church, edited by Robert Atwell)