Don't Offend My Children, Or Else

Don't Offend MY Children, or Else!

Mark 9:38-50

It is a bit odd that this week’s gospel text from the lectionary begins with John’s response to what Jesus had just said. It is poor practice to start in the middle of a paragraph. Before we can analyze this text, we need to ask: “What was John answering? What had Jesus just told the disciples? Therefore, we need to look first at the preceding verses so that we can put this week’s text in its proper context.

We need to go back to verse 30 in which Jesus begins to tell the disciples that He was going to be delivered into the hands of men, be killed, and on the third day rise from the dead. Like the previous time at Caesarea Philippi, the disciples were dumbfounded at this. This was completely contrary to their expectations. Expectations can blind us to the truth, Since then, John saw Jesus transfigured. He appeared with great glory, that which was proper for a divine monarch. But now, Jesus goes back to the rejection theme again. The twelve remembered how Jesus had earlier rebuked Peter by calling him Satan because he rejected what Jesus had said about His upcoming death in Jerusalem, Certainly, they were going to Jerusalem to crown Jesus King and Messiah. So this time they kept their mouths shut. But Jesus knew what they were thinking, so when they were in the privacy of His house, Jesus drew what they were thinking out in the open.

They showed that they had not listened to what Jesus had said. They were thinking about the greatness of the Kingdom, and which of the twelve would be the greatest in the Kingdom next to Jesus. This was a recurring thought of the disciples which Jesus had to rebuke again and again, even at the Communion table. Luke records this strife and Jesus’ verbal reaction and John tells us of the foot washing as an acted out sermon on the greatness of service.

Jesus tells them here that the one who desires to be first must be the last of all and the servant of all. This is the complete inversion of greatness. Jesus, who had talked about His upcoming death is the greatest of all. Yet He came to serve and die for our sins. Jesus was asking nothing of His disciples that He did not model first before them. The splendor of the Kingdom will come it its proper time. There is the theology of glory. But first, there is the theology of the cross.

Jesus then takes up a child to make His point. Children are dependent upon their parents. They had no status in society in their own right. There status was derived from their parents. In the same way, our status is not to be in ourselves, but must be derived from the fact that God is our Father. The respect (or lack thereof) derives from the attitude others have of God the Father. The implication is that if one accepts the Father, then the children will be accepted as well.

It is in this context that John tells Jesus that the had forbidden one who was casting out devils in the name of Jesus because this person did not directly follow Jesus as they had done. Perhaps John’s conscience was pricked. But John, at this point, was one of the Sons of Thunder. It seems that John was seeking affirmation for his action. But Jesus responded by saying they should not forbid Him. The one who does something in the name of Jesus cannot quickly speak evil of Him. He continued by telling them that the one who is not against us is on our side.

The response of Jesus must be carefully nuanced here. Jesus tells us in various places that there is no room for neutrality in concerning the person of Jesus. There are only two groups of people, the Children of God and the Children of Satan. Jesus never let His disciples stay silent. Sooner or later, secret disciples like Nicodemus must declare for Him or against Him. We must also remember that Jesus consistently silenced the demons who tried to reveal His true identity. The declaration of the person of Jesus belongs to disciples and not to devils. We can also remember what happened to the seven sons of Sceva who tried to do exorcisms in the name of Jesus whom Paul preached. This leads to the conclusion that Jesus knew the heart of the man who had been casting out demons. This is why He allowed him.

In verse 42, Jesus goes on to warn against attacking His children. To the disciples it was a rebuke because they had tried to attack another believer. The one who offends one of His children would be better off it he put a millstone around his neck and threw himself into the lake. The Jews had a natural fear of the sea. The terrors of drowning would be for a moment before death relieved him of his terror. For many in this world, as terrifying as this seems, at least it would mercifully end after a few seconds. When we see one die of cancer, we are prone to say at the funeral: “At least he or she is not suffering. But this is not necessarily true. It is true, indeed, if one is a follower of Christ as far as that goes. But one should emphasize in these circumstances that the deceased is with Jesus. There is resurrection.