Who Is the Greatest?(A)

33 (B)Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you [a]disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had (C)disputed among themselves who would be the (D)greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, (E)“If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then (F)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, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and (G)whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

Jesus Forbids Sectarianism(H)

38 (I)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.”

39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, (J)for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For (K)he who is not against [b]us is on [c]our side. 41 (L)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.

Jesus Warns of Offenses(M)

42 (N)“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me [d]to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 9:33 discussed
  2. Mark 9:40 M you
  3. Mark 9:40 M your
  4. Mark 9:42 To fall into sin

33 They came to Capernaum.(A) When he was in the house,(B) he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.(C)

35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”(D)

36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms,(E) he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”(F)

Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us(G)

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”(H)

39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us.(I) 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.(J)

Causing to Stumble

42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble,(K) it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.(L)

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