May 16, 2025

Discussions and Service

Mark 9:30-37

For the second time, in consecutive chapters, we have words from Jesus about his death and resurrection.  Whereas in the first instance (8:31-33) Peter responds to Jesus, here the disciples keep silent.  Considering how Jesus responded to Peter’s reaction the first time, it is not surprising that Peter keeps quiet here.  But Mark tells us that the reason everyone is quiet is that they just plain don’t understand what he is saying to them.

I think that we often read such things and, from our perspective these many centuries later, look at the responses and wonder how they could have missed things.  But they were being told things before they happened, and we react based on knowing where things lead for Jesus.

But I think that this raises an important dynamic in discussing Jesus, religion and all related things.  It is good and important to ask questions, and both the dialogue and possibly the debate that follows will be instructive and clarifying for all.  Ask those questions!

Then we come to the argument among the disciples about who is the greatest among them.  If they are all equally confused about things, it would seem that none of them is the greatest.  But I have two reactions to this passage.  The first is that I wonder if this reflects more of the early church situation than it does their actual time with Jesus.  As the church later developed, and different disciples had different ideas, one can imagine their angling for superiority.  I am not totally convinced that this conflict was true when they were walking with Jesus.  But the story as Mark brings it to us makes a central point about Jesus’ approach to life.  He repeatedly, in various circumstances, talks about how being a servant is what we are called to do.  If the disciples missed that point, either when they were with Jesus, or as they moved and worked in the early church, then they missed one of most critical things that they should have learned from Jesus.  It is as we serve one another that we get truly in touch with Jesus, and through that in touch with God.