Mark 9:30
Who’s Who
Mark 9:30 And they departed thence (the mountain
on which the transfiguration took place), and
passed through Galilee; and he would not that any
man should know it.
Let’s remember what was happening. Jesus had taken the disciples to
the northern edge of the nation of Israel, Caesarea Philippi; after
which, we suppose He headed back south, stopping somewhere along the
way to take three disciples on a high mountain \\#Mark 9:2\\ where He
was transfigured.
There was no doubt what was heavy on Jesus’ mind after He and the
disciples left Caesarea Philippi:
Mark 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the
Son of man must suffer many things, and be
rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests,
and scribes, and be killed, and after three days
rise again.
Neither was there any doubt where Jesus was determined to go.
Luke 9:51 …he stedfastly set his face to go to
Jerusalem,
The journey will be deliberately long and winding, covering as many
cities, villages, and hamlets as possible; but Jesus’ destination and
determination were unquestionable.
Going south, Jesus traveled south back into Galilee, even going again
into His city headquarters, Capernaum; but He did not preach or heal
there.
Mark 9:30 …and he would not that any man should
know it.
It appears that Jesus stayed out of sight in Capernaum. If Jesus was
successful, it would mean that on Jesus’ last time through Capernaum,
He did not heal any or even preach. They had already seen and heard
the Messiah for the last time.
Perhaps Jesus’ stop was very short. Perhaps it was to let the
disciples see their families before they made His final leg of the
journey. Perhaps not, but Jesus’ goal was that no one should know He
was in the city.
1. How many times had Jesus walked through that city?
2. How many times had He preached publicly, in the synagogue,
in the city gate, by the seashore?
3. How many hundreds had Jesus healed there? how many thousands?
4. But the last time Jesus passed through Capernaum, "He would
not that any man should know it."
On the way, Jesus told the disciples again what would happen when He
arrived at Jerusalem:
Mark 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said
unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the
hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after
that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
This was a redundant message now. We do not know how many times Jesus
told and retold this prophecy to the disciples on the journey to its
fulfillment. Matthew recorded at least four times:
\\#Matt 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:18-19, 26:2\\.
Yet they did not get it.
Mark 9:32 But they understood not that saying,
and were afraid to ask him.
I am not certain how that could be except to say that the mind cannot
understand the spiritual unless the Holy Ghost makes it possible.
Mark did not give us many details of Jesus and His disciples as they
traveled, but he did on this leg of the journey. There were problems
that still needed to be ironed out among Jesus’ merry band. Questions
that needed to be asked. Answers that needed to be known.
Let’s see if we can find the questions and learn the answers.
I. \\#33-37\\ Who is the greatest among us?
Mark 9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in
the house he asked them, What was it that ye
disputed among yourselves by the way?
34 But they held their peace: for by the way
they had disputed among themselves, who should be
the greatest.
35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and
saith unto them, If any man desire to be first,
the same shall be last of all, and servant of
all.
A. I find it sad and ironic that as Jesus was marching to His
death, the disciples were debating who among them was to
be the greatest.
1. I wonder why?
a. Was it because Jesus had told them that He would soon
be killed?
b. Was the only thing they had understood that they would
be left and someone would have to be their leader?
2. Lord, I hope not.
3. I hope no follower of Jesus, no believer, no Christian
would ever be that cold and calloused; but even if that
wasn’t what caused their conversation, it was still
pretty close.
B. \\#35\\ Jesus heard this conversation and had to have a "sit
down" conversation with the disciples about it.
1. Sit down conversations are serious conversations.
2. Those are the kind of conversations you have when you
don’t just want to tell somebody something but you want
to make sure they understood what you told them.
C. As Jesus walked to the cross, He had to explain to the
disciples that God’s army doesn’t work that way.
1. The greatest in God’s kingdom will not be determined by
appointment or calling. and they will not be denoted by
a title or insignia.
2. The greatest will always be the one who serves the most.
3. While I hope the sit-down conversation worked, I’m not
very hopeful.
a. \\#31\\ Jesus repeated told the disciples what would
happen to Him when He got to Jerusalem, but \\#32\\
tells us they did not understand.
b. I’m not just thinking their spiritual tuner is on a
different frequency than Jesus’.
c. I’m thinking it’s turned off all together.
4. That should not surprise us because we have had His words
to study for 2,000 years, and I’m thinking most of us
haven’t gotten the message either.
a. In fact I suspect that many will be surprised when we
get to heaven to find out that preachers and pastors
will have no advantage when we get to heaven in the
rewards department.
b. Neither will the males over the females…
c. …nor the people who lived in populated places over the
people who lived in rural areas…
d. …nor the talented over the seeming untalented…
e. …nor the charismatic over the introverted…
f. …nor the popular over the unknown…
5. The truth is all of those things are the gifted to us by
God: our abilities, our lots in life, our callings and
positions.
a. Our rewards will not be based on those.
b. Our rewards will be based on what we did with what God
gave us, our service!
D. Jesus figured we would not get it so He gave the disciples and
us an object lesson.
Mark 9:36 And he took a child, and set him in
the midst of them: and when he had taken him in
his arms, he said unto them,
37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children
in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall
receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent
me.
1. "receive" means to take, accept, care for, love on, and
the idea is that we take responsibility for a child like
Jesus would have.
2. But rewards won’t just go to those who take on major
responsibilities. (i.e. \\#41\\, one who would give a
cup of water in Jesus’ name.
3. It is the people who are sending the secret cards, making
phone calls to the sick and missing, sitting with the
lonely, helping the elderly, praying for the hurting,
sharing the gospel with the lost, giving their money and
time, and all of the other things that seem to go
unnoticed that God is going to reward.
II. \\#38-40\\ Who is against us?
Mark 9:38 And John answered him, saying, Master,
we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he
followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he
followeth not us.
39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is
no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that
can lightly speak evil of me.
40 For he that is not against us is on our part.
A. Notice the condition for this conversation.
1. On this road trip, John and the other disciples stopped
someone from doing a miracle.
2. It doesn’t appear the man was doing anything wrong.
3. John’s reasoning for stopping him was…
Mark 9:38 …he followeth not us.
4. First, it seems a bit amazing to me that there was a man
casting out demons that Jesus would say was "on our part"
that the disciples did not even know!
B. But notice what Jesus said.
Mark 9:40 …he that is not against us is on our
part.
1. Jesus did not say, "He that is not on our part is against
us."
2. That is the way some read it. (I have read it that way
before.)
C. Jesus was attempting to teach an important lesson here.
1. LESSON: One doesn’t have to be like you to be for God.
2. Maybe it is the calling that makes every preacher think he
has to make everyone like himself.
a. We know the Bible.
b. The Bible teaches standards.
c. We naturally think you are either with us or against
us.
3. Maybe it is just our arrogance.
4. But just because this man was not part of John’s group,
didn’t make the man an enemy of God.
D. I think there is a phrase every pastor needs to learn.
1. "That’s none of my business."
2. Most every preacher things his calling was to be an
apostle.
a. Pastors get charge of their flock.
b. Only apostles got charge over all the flocks.
c. I suspect that just like I would not appreciate the
pastor from another church telling me how to lead my
flock, that pastor probably does not like me telling
him how to lead his.
E. By the way, this was not just John.
Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another
man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or
falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is
able to make him stand.
III. What are the sides?
A. There are only two.
Mark 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of
water to drink in my name, because ye belong to
Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose
his reward.
42 And whosoever shall offend one of these
little ones that believe in me, it is better for
him that a millstone were hanged about his neck,
and he were cast into the sea.
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it
is better for thee to enter into life maimed,
than having two hands to go into hell, into the
fire that never shall be quenched:
1. Notice the two sides:
a. \\#41\\ "…because ye belong to Christ…."
b. \\#43\\ Those who "…go into hell…."
2. That is all the sides there are.
3. Jesus was teaching some other lessons, but first let’s be
certain, we know that there are only two sides.
B. What were these other lessons?
1. \\#41\\ Those in heaven will be rewarded for service they
render.
2. \\#42\\ Those who do evil will be rewarded in hell.
3. \\#43, 47\\ There is nothing worth going to hell for.
a. Not your hand, your foot, or your eyes.
b. Is Jesus recommending we cut off those tempters?
(1) I don’t think so.
(2) Even if you did, it would not charge your heart.
(3) I believe what Jesus was saying was that if you
had to cut off your hands, your feet, or pluck
your eyes to get out of hell, it would be worth
it.
c. But you DON’T!
(1) You have to believe and repent.
(2) Then God will remove the lusting heart and you
can keep your hands, feet, and eyes.
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