TEXT [Commentary]

7. The greatest in the Kingdom (9:33-37; cf. Matt 18:1-14; Luke 9:46-48)

33 After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” 34 But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”

36 Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[*] welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”

NOTES

9:33 Capernaum. Jesus traveled back to his ministry headquarters.

What were you discussing? The verb for “discuss” (dialogizomai [TG1260, ZG1368]) often means “to reason”; here it suggests that sides have been taken and the issue has been discussed in detail (BDAG 232; Luke 9:46, where the related noun is present). Perhaps the question about who was greatest was sparked by the fact that only Peter, James, and John were taken up the mountain with Jesus (9:2-8).

9:35 Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else. Jesus’ reply went in the exact opposite direction as the debate; he stressed that those who took the last place and served others stood in first place, as far as he was concerned. The term “servant” (diakonos [TG1249, ZG1356]) stands for one engaged in everyday service, such as Elisha was for Elijah (Josephus Antiquities 8.354), or like government officials, table attendants, and couriers (Rom 13:4; Col 4:7).

9:36 little child. Mark uses the general term for a child (paidion [TG3813, ZG4086]), so it is not clear just how old he was. Since Jesus took the child into his arms, he was probably small. Children were largely ignored in the ancient world, so they are good examples of people lacking status.

9:37 Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me . . . not only me but also my Father who sent me. In bringing up a “little child” (paidion), Jesus illustrated his point about service (Luke 9:48) in a natural way, since the word for “child” in Gr. (pais) could also be used to mean “servant” (Hurtado 1989:153). The expression “on my behalf” is more lit. “in my name,” and could indicate that the “child” was a follower of Jesus.

COMMENTARY [Text]

The juxtaposition of Jesus announcing his approaching suffering and the disciples debating who was the greatest is ironic, for it shows how little they understood God’s way. The sense of embarrassment suggested in the text underscores their sense that something was wrong with their debate.

This passage discloses Jesus’ values. Humanity is of value and so is service. Concern about rank should not be an issue for disciples. An apparently insignificant child provided an example. The one who welcomed this child of no status was actually welcoming Jesus and the Father. In this remark, Jesus elevated “nobodies” to a position of great significance, so that status became meaningless. If you are a person, you are important. Another point is more subtle. Given the rejection Jesus had faced, welcoming him was commendable, just as welcoming someone else of seeming insignificance was.

The tone of this text is similar to that of Matthew 25:31-46. To act kindly on someone’s behalf was to perform this act for Jesus. If everyone is important, then the status question the disciples were debating was meaningless. This reversal of the world’s values is the major lesson of this text.