On the Way of Discipleship II
Peter’s confession of faith at Caesarea Philippi had marked a turning point, the beginning of Jesus’ journey toward his passion. In this section Jesus continues along “the way” with his disciples, an image of the Christian life for all who would later follow him. As we will see, the disciples do not yet understand that the way of the Messiah is the via dolorosa, the way of the cross. They are expecting the Messiah-King to enter his capital city, take up his throne, and begin his glorious reign. They have not yet truly “seen” and “heard” (8:18) Jesus’ call to deny oneself, take up the cross, and follow him (8:34).
Jesus’ second prophecy of his passion, like the first, will be followed by a blundering response on the part of his disciples (9:34), which becomes an occasion for further teaching. This time Jesus expounds on three deep-rooted tendencies of fallen human nature: the craving for power (9:33–50), pleasure (10:1–16), and possessions (10:17–31), and shows how they must be countered with the lifestyle of the gospel: humble service, lifelong fidelity in marriage and family, and detachment from earthly goods.[1]
Second Prophecy of the Passion (9:30–32)
30They left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. 31He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.” 32But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.
OT: Isa 53:12
NT: Rom 4:25; 8:32. // Matt 17:22–23; Luke 9:44–45
Catechism: Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, 557–58
9:30 Setting out from the mount of the Transfiguration (9:2–8), Jesus and his disciples make their way through Galilee toward Jerusalem. The action is markedly different from Jesus’ Galilean ministry earlier in the Gospel. Instead of teaching multitudes by the sea or being mobbed by crowds bringing the needy and afflicted, Jesus is privately instructing his disciples in the final and most intensive part of their formation. For now, he does not wish anyone to know about his travels so that his disciples’ attention can be entirely focused on what he has to teach them about the ordeal that lies ahead.
9:31 He was teaching and telling them: the verbs indicate a continuous process of teaching rather than a single statement. It is the second formal announcement of the passion (see 8:31; 10:32–34 for the first and third). Now Jesus begins to hint at the divine drama underlying the mystery of the cross: The Son of Man is to be handed over to men. The Greek verb for hand over (paradidōmi) was a key word in the early Church’s understanding of the passion, expressing the whole process by which Jesus was rejected and given over to death by those he loved:[2] Judas hands him over to the Jewish leaders (14:10), who hand him over to Pilate (15:1), who hands him over to be crucified (15:15). This theme evokes Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant, who “surrendered himself” (paradidōmi) to death (Isa 53:12 LXX). Jesus was not a helpless victim of forces beyond his control; he handed himself over in loving obedience to the Father’s plan. But the greatest mystery is that it is the Father himself who sent Jesus (v. 37) and thus originated all this handing over: God “did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all” (Rom 8:32). The human handing over of Jesus out of sin, betrayal, and hardness of heart becomes the instrument of the Father’s handing over of his Son in love for the redemption of the world. Jesus is †Son of Man in that he has fully identified himself with humanity and shares our nature with all its frailty. Yet he is “handed over to men,” as if from the side of God, to be subject to all the concentrated violence of human rebellion against God.
Jesus’ forewarnings of the passion never end on a note of gloom, since his suffering is only the necessary prelude to a glorious triumph: Three days after his death he will rise. The verbs “be handed over” and “be killed” are in the passive, indicating actions to which Jesus is subjected, but “rise” has an active meaning: Jesus will take up the divine power and sovereign control of his own destiny that he had temporarily laid down.
9:32 This time Peter and the disciples voice no protest (see 8:32), but remain in stunned silence. They did not understand the saying. Jesus’ words were simple enough at face value. Readers might wonder, what part of “be killed” is hard to understand? With the hindsight of two thousand years of Christian catechesis we have to strive to appreciate how utterly shocking, counterintuitive, and worldview-shattering was this idea of a suffering Messiah. It simply did not fit into any of the preconceived categories of Jesus’ contemporaries. Perhaps we can glimpse a fraction of their bafflement by observing our own reaction to a heavy cross in our life. Surely this can’t be part of God’s plan! How could any good ever come of it? It is no wonder that the disciples were afraid to probe Jesus any further. Was he speaking metaphorically, or could he possibly be referring to a violent death in the literal sense? They are terrified that their worst fears might be confirmed. Jesus patiently persists in his instruction, recognizing that it takes time for human minds to conform themselves to the utter otherness of divine logic.
Who Is the Greatest? (9:33–37)
33They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. 35Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” 36Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, 37“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me.”
OT: Isa 29:19; Zeph 2:3
NT: Phil 2:3–4; 1 Pet 5:3. // Matt 18:1–5; Luke 9:46–48
Catechism: authority as service, 876, 2235; love for children, 1825
Lectionary: Common of Pastors
9:33 Jesus and the disciples come to Capernaum for the last time, arriving at the house of Peter and Andrew, which Jesus has adopted as his own (1:29; 2:1). In private once again, Jesus takes the occasion to question his disciples about their discussion on the road. On the way, mentioned twice, recalls Mark’s theme of Christian discipleship, prominent throughout the travel narrative (8:31–10:52).
9:34 The disciples are silent with embarrassment, since they had been discussing … who was the greatest. This is the second time that Jesus’ prophecy of the passion has been followed by a completely inappropriate response (see 8:32). Having just heard Jesus speak of his willing acceptance of rejection and death, they are suddenly preoccupied with jealous competition for privilege and prestige. No conversation could have been more contrary to what he was trying to impart to them. Yet Mark, once again, does not display the disciples’ failures so his readers can marvel at their ineptitude. Rather, it is to bring us face-to-face with our human tendencies to seek our own glory in competition with others, which hinder us from yielding ourselves to God’s marvelous plan.
9:35 Jesus sits, the customary posture for a teacher in the ancient world (see 4:1), and calls the Twelve around him for a further lesson on discipleship. For those appointed to leadership in the community Jesus is founding (3:13–15), there is all the more need to preclude a false idea of authority. If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all. To be first means to have priority over others, as for instance the “leading men of Galilee” (literally, the “firsts of Galilee” in 6:21) had more influence, prestige, and power than ordinary folk. Jesus does not condemn the innate desires for grandeur in the human heart. But he turns human thinking on its head: the only way to fulfill these desires, paradoxically, is to put oneself last in priority. And this is not merely a pious thought; it must be expressed in concrete actions, by becoming a servant (diakonos) of all. This was a radically unconventional idea in the ancient world, where humility and meekness were viewed not as virtues but as signs of weakness. Those in authority should expect to be served and showered with honors. No one in their right mind would aspire to be a servant. The early Church’s embrace of this new ethic was part of what made Christianity so novel and attractive to many in the ancient world. The same principle is expressed by St. Paul to the believers at Philippi: “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves” (Phil 2:3–4; see 1 Pet 5:3).
9:36 In prophetic style, Jesus follows the pronouncement with a symbolic action: he puts his arms around a child. The connection with his previous statement (v. 35) would be natural to his listeners, since the word for child (both in †Aramaic and in Greek) can also mean servant. Jesus is continuing to overturn their worldview and system of values. In ancient society, children were viewed as nonpersons who had no legal rights or status of their own. Already in the Old Testament God had revealed his special love for the lowly, who are often overlooked or oppressed by the powerful (Deut 10:18; Ps 146:9; Isa 29:19). With his gesture Jesus shows human affection for this child (see Mark 10:13–16), and at the same time teaches his disciples to have a whole new esteem for and responsibility toward those who seem the most helpless or inconsequential.
9:37 Jesus explains his gesture: Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me. To receive a little one is to accept, lovingly serve, and care for those who most need it and cannot repay it. To receive “in Jesus’ name” is to welcome such a person for the sake of Jesus and in deference to him. This implies that Jesus identifies with those who are most insignificant in the eyes of the world—so much so that he himself is mysteriously present wherever they are welcomed. Moreover, to receive them is to receive the one who sent me. A principle recognized in the ancient world, as today, is that an emissary should be accorded the same respect and dignity due to the authority who sent him. Jesus is making an astounding claim: our treatment of the lowly, the “nobodies” of the world, is the measure of our treatment of God himself. The reference to the Father as “the one who sent me” alludes to Jesus’ incarnation, using the same verb “send” (apostellō) from which “apostle” is derived. Jesus is the apostle of the Father. Thus all that his apostles are and do is an extension of his own apostleship, the mission on which he has been sent into the world.
38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” 39Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. 40For whoever is not against us is for us. 41Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
OT: Num 11:24–29
NT: Matt 12:30; Acts 19:13–16; Phil 1:15–18. // Matt 10:42; Luke 9:49–50
9:38 This episode is linked to the previous one by the idea of someone acting in Jesus’ name (see v. 37). The apostle John complains about a fellow who has been spotted driving out demons in Jesus’ name even though he does not belong to the band of disciples (see Luke 9:54 for a similar instance of intolerance). It is interesting that John says follow us rather than “follow you.” Apparently his criterion for legitimate ministry is acting under the disciples’ authority. Perhaps he does not yet fully recognize that Jesus himself is the only source of their power.[3] His protest echoes the objection of Joshua, who grumbled to Moses that Eldad and Medad were not in the gathering of those to whom Moses imparted his spirit, yet they too received the gift of prophecy (Num 11:24–29). Moses’ reply could be paraphrased for this occasion: “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD drove out demons! Would that the LORD might bestow his Spirit on them all!” Indeed, at the end of the Gospel, the risen Lord will announce that those who believe in him will drive out demons in his name (Mark 16:17).
One might wonder why, in this instance, the unnamed exorcist is successful, whereas the book of Acts recounts an episode where those who tried to drive out demons in Jesus’ name were thoroughly defeated and humiliated (Acts 19:13–16). In light of Mark 16:17 the most likely reason is that here the unknown exorcist is acting with an authentic faith in Jesus, whereas the seven brothers in Acts 19 were using his name as if it were a magic formula (see also Matt 7:22–23).
9:39–40 Jesus’ reply directs his disciples to take an expansive rather than a restrictive approach toward others who are acting in his name: Do not prevent him. There is no place for exclusivism among those who invoke the name of Jesus. Paul illustrates a similar principle in Phil 1:15–18: “Some preach Christ from envy and rivalry.… What difference does it make, as long as in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed? And in that I rejoice.” The disciples should not presume to restrict the invocation of Jesus’ name, because no one who performs a mighty deed in his name can at the same time speak ill of him. There were plenty of people who did speak ill of him, and Jesus will take all the friends he can get! To do a work of healing or deliverance in his name is to honor him, and is not compatible with being his adversary.[4] For whoever is not against us is for us. Jesus is directing the disciples to take a stance of openness toward those who are not within the formal bounds of the Christian community, and not to consider them foes. But the converse is stated in Matt 12:30: “Whoever is not with me is against me.” In the end there is no neutral ground in relation to Jesus: sooner or later everyone chooses (consciously or unconsciously) either to be on his side or to oppose him.
9:41 With the solemn formula amen, I say to you, Jesus emphasizes God’s generosity toward all and the great value of simple, humble acts of service. No good deed will be overlooked, whether done by someone inside or outside the Church. Even the smallest act of kindness toward a disciple because of his association with Christ will be rewarded by God. Reward does not mean compensation that is earned but a generous gift freely given by God in response to a good deed. Mark words this saying so as to highlight its relevance for his audience: because you belong to Christ is similar to Paul’s description of Christians as those who are “of Christ” (1 Cor 1:12; Gal 3:29).
Reflection and Application (9:38–41)
This passage is applicable to evangelization today, in which Christians often find themselves in a situation of disunity and competition that hinders the spread of the gospel. Since Vatican Council II the Church has encouraged Catholics to collaborate with Christians of different traditions, even in missionary work when possible, without ignoring the real doctrinal differences that exist. “Other Churches and ecclesial Communities which draw people to faith in Christ the Savior and to baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit draw them into the real though imperfect communion that exists between them and the Catholic Church. Catholics … should be careful to respect the lively faith of other Churches and ecclesial Communities which preach the Gospel, and rejoice in the grace of God that is at work among them.”[5]
42“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe [in me] to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. [44] 45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. [46] 47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, 48where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
OT: Deut 30:19–20; 2 Macc 7; Isa 66:24
NT: Rom 14:13–15. // Matt 18:6–9; Luke 17:1–2
Catechism: scandal, 2284–87; temptation, 2846–49; hell, 1033–37
9:42 To preclude any risk of the previous saying being misunderstood Mark inserts here a second group of sayings, quoted by Matthew and Luke in different contexts (Matt 18:6–9; Luke 17:1–2). Whereas verses 38–41 accented the need for broadmindedness regarding the good deeds of others, the present passage shows how seriously Jesus takes sin. If God graciously rewards little acts of kindness, he also severely punishes acts of evil, especially those that lead little ones astray. “Little ones” is synonymous with “child” in 9:36–37, and here too it refers more broadly to those who are weak or vulnerable. The verb translated as causes … to sin (skandalizō) is literally to “lay an obstacle” that causes someone to stumble. Scandal can be caused either deliberately or by irresponsible negligence, especially by speech or conduct that shakes the faith of others and so leads them into sin. Paul wrote at length on the obligation to moderate one’s behavior so as not to lead weaker Christians into acting against their consciences (Rom 14:1–15:6; 1 Cor 8:1–13).
Fig. 8. Ancient millstone found at Capernaum.
Church Teaching on Scandal
The Catechism teaches, “Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor’s tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.
“Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized” (2284–85).
Jesus could hardly have stated more strongly the gravity of sins that harm the weak. Drowning was among the punishments reserved for God’s enemies (Exod 14:28; Neh 9:11; Zech 9:4; Rev 18:21). A great millstone is literally a “donkey millstone,” the kind so heavy it had to be turned by a donkey, in contrast to a smaller one turned by women (see Matt 24:41). One might picture a giant stone collar around a person’s neck that would make him quickly plummet to the bottom of the sea. Such a person suffers the fate that is destined for sin itself: God “will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins” (Mic 7:19).
9:43 The next three sayings consider the effect of scandal not on others but on oneself. Jesus uses graphic imagery, in typical Jewish style (see Deut 10:16), to convey the eternal consequences of our choices for good or evil. These parallel sayings emphasize the absolute value of life in the world to come relative to life in this world—reinforcing Jesus’ earlier words about forfeiting one’s life (Mark 8:36–37). If your hand causes you to sin (skandalizō), cut it off. Obviously, in the literal sense it is not a body part that causes sin but the human will. Jesus is not advocating physical self-mutilation but ruthless action against all our sinful drives, temptations, and attachments—even the ones that seem to be an inseparable part of ourselves. No earthly good or pleasure is too costly to give up, in view of gaining eternal life. Enter into life is parallel to “enter into the kingdom of God” in 9:47, referring to the heavenly life to come, which begins even in this life. Far better to lose a limb and gain eternal life than to go into Gehenna with limbs intact. The unquenchable fire echoes Isaiah’s warning about the fate of God’s enemies: “Their worm shall not die, nor their fire be extinguished; and they shall be abhorrent to all mankind” (Isa 66:24; see Jdt 16:17).[6]
The Fires of Gehenna
Jesus’ listeners might have shuddered at the mention of Gehenna (in Hebrew, the Valley of the Son of Hinnom), a steep ravine southwest of Jerusalem where idolatrous Israelites had sacrificed their own children to the pagan god Moloch (Jer 7:31; 19:5–6). Under the reforms of King Josiah, this vile site was desecrated (2 Kings 23:10) and later became a garbage dump, full of maggot-ridden carcasses and burning refuse. In Jewish extrabiblical literature, Gehenna became an image of the future punishments of the damned,[a] and Jesus uses it in this sense.
Church Teaching on Hell
“The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, ‘eternal fire.’ The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs” (Catechism, 1035).
“God predestines no one to go to hell” (1037).
9:45–48 Verse 45 repeats the same thought. The idea of a hand or foot being cut off for the sake of eternal life brings to mind the heroic mother and seven brothers who endured torture and dismemberment rather than disobey God’s law (2 Macc 7). Jesus intensifies the pronouncement by speaking of being thrown into Gehenna.
The final saying (9:47) again contrasts the two possible destinies resulting from God’s final judgment. Jesus’ whole preaching has centered on the kingdom of God (1:15); now he reveals that the kingdom is something we will enter into fully only at the final judgment. A more radical self-denial could hardly be imagined than amputating one’s limb or plucking out one’s eye. Yet just as a surgeon would do so to save a life, so we are called to cut off the sinful enticements that imperil our eternal destiny. But no one need worry that they might remain forever maimed, crippled, or one-eyed; the resurrected body will be glorious and liberated from all the brokenness of earthly existence (1 Cor 15:42–44; Phil 3:21). The final verse again quotes Isa 66:24, describing in figurative language the unbearable torment of eternal separation from God.
Reflection and Application (9:42–48)
Jesus’ teaching on the two possible destinations of human life after death—heaven or hell, the eternal joy of union with God or the eternal misery of separation from him—has been constantly reaffirmed throughout Church tradition. Yet it is often brushed over or treated with outright skepticism by Christians today. Many of those who teach or catechize seem reluctant to comment on this most crucial perspective within which to live our lives. Some may be struggling with the question of how a good God could send someone to hell. But the truth conveyed in Jesus’ teaching is that we choose our own destiny. With every decision and action over the course of a lifetime we orient ourselves either to heaven or to hell, and at the moment of death we embrace what has truly become our choice. C. S. Lewis expresses it well: “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell.”[7] But God never ceases to hold out his unfathomable mercy, even at the very moment when a person steps over the threshold into eternity.
Jesus’ warnings can also help to arouse in us a healthy hatred of sin, especially the sin toward which we are most inclined. Recognizing the seriousness of our responsibility to others can lead us to zeal for avoiding speech, attitudes, or conduct that could cause others to stumble. Recently at a large dinner party I was edified to notice that the hosts quietly avoided serving alcohol, aware that one of their guests was struggling with alcohol addiction. Similarly, I have observed people making sacrifices to avoid employment in a field that brings temptation to others.
49“Everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
OT: Exod 30:35; Job 6:6; Ezek 43:24
NT: // Matt 5:13; Luke 14:34–35
9:49 The three sayings on salt seem to be only loosely connected with the foregoing passage (by the mention of fire) and with one another (by the mention of salt). Mark portrays Jesus teaching in typical rabbinic style, linking apparently disparate points through word association so as to invite his listeners to thoughtful reflection. Upon consideration, the sayings are not so disparate as appears at first. Everyone will be salted with fire. What could Jesus mean by this cryptic proverb? The meaning hinges on the purpose of salt, which is used both to preserve and to season. In the Old Testament, temple sacrifices had to be offered with salt (Ezek 43:24; see Exod 30:35), and the Israelites are warned not to insult God with offerings that lack “the salt of the covenant of your God” (Lev 2:13)—that is, offerings that are mere perfunctory ritual, devoid of genuine zeal for God and his covenant. Jesus is speaking of salt as a necessary quality in his disciples, the quality that keeps their spiritual life keen and vibrant. Perhaps “fervor” would best capture the meaning. In verse 48 he spoke of the fires of eternal torment, but here he balances the point by indicating that not all fire is bad. Even his disciples should expect to endure some “fire” in this life that will “salt” them. The fire of persecution and other kinds of suffering has a salutary, purifying effect, as in the refining of precious metals (see Mal 3:2–3).
9:50 The second saying is similar to those recorded in Matt 5:13 and Luke 14:34–35. Here Jesus refers to the possibility that salt can become so diluted that it loses its flavor (see Job 6:6). Salt is what seasons everything else; if even salt becomes tasteless, what is left to season it? Jesus is cautioning his disciples against falling into a bland, insipid spirituality that has no power to attract others. They are the salt of the earth (see Matt 5:13); if even they become mediocre in their Christian life, what is left for the world? In the context of the whole discussion (9:33–50) such spiritual blandness results primarily from a reluctance to embrace Jesus’ call to humility and radical self-denial.
The final saying rounds up the whole section that began with the disciples’ quarrel (9:33) by reminding them that the way to have peace with one another is to keep salt in themselves. Peace in biblical thought (shalom) means not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of all that is meant to be in a relationship: the fullness of communion. The idea is similar to Paul’s injunction: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt” (Col 4:6). The disciples’ conversations with one another and with outsiders (see 9:38) must be marked by the fervent love for Christ that leads to humility. It is their spiritual intensity, kept alive through a profound conformity to Jesus in his self-emptying love, that will bring them into unity with one another.
Reflection and Application (9:49–50)
Besides its seasoning and preservative qualities, salt has another effect: it makes people thirsty. Jesus is exhorting his disciples to maintain that spiritual vitality that will make others thirst for the living water that he gives, the Holy Spirit (see John 4:14; 7:37–39). And in placing these sayings at the end of Jesus’ instructions on humility and self-renunciation, Mark indicates that what can make the salt tasteless is the creeping attachment to self, the desire for human recognition, and the compromise with sin to which we can so easily succumb. Those who have had the privilege of being with a truly humble person—for instance, Mother Teresa of Calcutta—can testify to the indefinable lifting of one’s spirit, the deeper thirst for holiness, that arises simply from being in his or her presence. St. Seraphim of Sarov, a Russian saint, expressed a similar idea: “Acquire the Spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved.”