Mark 9:33-37

Welcome the Greatest

Devotional 48 of 50 · Mark chapter 9

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After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of

Mark 9:33-37 · BSB

³³Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. ³⁵Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.” ³⁶Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, ³⁷“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”

Jesus

Such wisdom, glory, and heavenly humility is seen here in Jesus Christ. He cuts to the heart of how the disciples were missing the mark in a single moment and reveals rich and divine mysteries about Himself and our Father.

This simple moment, in a house in Capernaum, must have been a sight to behold as Jesus addressed their argument for being the greatest. On the road, the disciples likely thought they were in-the-clear and could bicker among themselves on who is the best disciple. Yet somehow, all their reasons for their own greatness dried up the instant Jesus asked them what they were discussing.

Now, like the wisdom on Solomon, Jesus states “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.” and then He picks up and holds a little child, likely under the age of four. And Jesus instructs them to welcome a little child, like this, in His name.

There is a connection between welcoming a child in Jesus name and being the greatest. To welcome a child, you often have to do what was listed above: be the least, and be the servant of all. Those that care for children, still to this day, are some of the least paid occupations around. And the thing that makes children so hard to care for is that they can not do the things adults can do. This automatically make them in need of care and service.

Yet there is a divine mystery here: the welcoming of a child in Jesus’ name, means ultimately welcoming The Father. What greater role could we ever wish for than to welcome and hold The Father? What lengths people go through to welcome Kings, celebrities, and presidents. And yet we can welcome The King of Kings when we become the least, the servant of all, and welcome children in His name.

What a glorious and radical messiah Jesus is!

His Desires

Jesus does not desire them to be the greatest among one another, by the standards of men. Instead, He desires that they ultimately be least, serve all, and welcome Him by welcoming the Father.

He doesn’t do this to because He wants us the be miserable. He does this because He wants us to be connected with Him and the Father. He does not want us to seek being the greatest, but to be united with the greatest—the Father.

Follow Through

Seek to be last
Seek to be the servant of all
Welcome little children in the name of Jesus

Testimonies

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