30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Jesus spent time alone with His disciples training them and preparing them. He taught them that He was going to be handed over to men who would kill Him and then after three days He would rise. They didn’t understand Him but were too afraid to ask Him what this all meant.
I don’t know why the disciples were too afraid to ask but pride is often the reason we don’t want to admit we don’t understand something. Don’t fall into that trap. The humble are able to ask and they gain wisdom (Prov 11:2).
On the way to Capernaum, the disciples were arguing with each other. When they arrived, Jesus asked them what they had been discussing. They didn’t answer Him because they had been arguing with each other about who would be the greatest. Jesus sat them down and told them, the one who wants to be first must be the last and servant of all. Then Jesus took a child in his arms and told them that the one who receives (with honour) a little child, receives Jesus and God who sent Him. To be great in God’s kingdom is to be rewarded. To be rewarded, we must deny ourselves in this life and serve others (Mark 8:35-36).
At another time John tells Jesus that they found someone casting out demons in His name and they tried to stop him because he was not following “us” (the twelve). They had the idea that they were the exclusive means for administering the power of God. But Jesus says that anyone who does things in Christ’s name is on our side. All who minister for Christ are on the same side. All service for Christ, even something as seemingly insignificant as giving another believer a cup of cold water, will not go unrewarded. Don’t think that you can only serve God if you do something great. The world only recognises those who do great things. In God’s kingdom, even the smallest thing done for Christ is recognised and rewarded. In what ways are you serving Christ in your life?