The Little Ones

³⁰ They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, ³¹ because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” ³² But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

³³ They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house,he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”³⁴ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

³⁵ Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

³⁶ He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

³⁸ “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

³⁹ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, ⁴⁰ for whoever is not against us is for us.⁴¹ Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

⁴² “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. ⁴³ If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. ⁴⁵ And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷ And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸ where

“‘the worms that eat them do not die,
    and the fire is not quenched.’

⁴⁹ Everyone will be salted with fire.

⁵⁰ “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

As the disciples continue their journey with Jesus, Mark turns to an extended passage of Jesus' teaching.  Jesus wants to keep their movements secret, which is not unusual, but this time Mark explains why.  The secrecy is due to Jesus' desire to teach his disciples.  This suggests that teaching is best done in small settings, something that the megachurch movement needs to take seriously.

For the second time, Jesus tells his disciples of his impending death at the hands of his enemies and the coming resurrection.  They continue to be unable to understand and are afraid to ask questions.  It is easy for us who live on this side of the cross to forget how astounding Jesus' claims must have sounded.  It also is interesting that in this age where we have domesticated Jesus into a comfortable friend that the disciples were afraid to ask Jesus about what he has said.

They come to Capernaum and in a house (the place where teaching often happens--this may be Mark emphasizing that the house church was the logical extension of Jesus' ministry) the session continues.  Jesus begins by asking them what their animated conversation on the way had been about.  The disciples behave like children (as they do again and again in the gospel--and perhaps what follows is hope that childish disciples can become child-like followers) and refuse to answer since they know that their conversation about who was greatest would not make Jesus happy.  It is sadly not surprising in the least that immediately after Jesus tells them about the resurrection they don't talk about that. It is almost like they suffer from attention deficit disorder.  

Unlike in our culture, the one with authority would sit and others would stand.  And so when Jesus sits it is not only to assume the correct position of the rabbi, but also to answer the question of who is greatest among them.  Despite, the lack of an answer from the disciples, Jesus appears to know their dispute and addresses it as he continues to teach.  In the Kingdom economy, he tells them that the last and the servant will be greatest and by extension that those who argue about their right to be at the front in the line reveal their inadequacy to be there.

As an object lesson, Jesus takes a child and places him at the center of attention.  Where this child appears from is not at all clear.  Perhaps he is a child who lives in the house or maybe the disciples are not just the twelve, but also friends and family who stand just outside the frame, we do not know.  Jesus makes it clear that those who welcome the powerless and dependent welcome him and by extension welcome God who sent him.  With his arms wrapped lovingly around the child, it is hard to imagine why the disciples are afraid to ask Jesus a question or to admit the content of their conversation.

John finally does speak, but not a question (and certainly not about resurrection) but a statement that seems to show that he has missed entirely Jesus' point in embracing the child.  The disciple seems to expect that Jesus will praise him for maintaining orthodoxy.  He tells Jesus that they have stopped someone from healing (doing good!) in Jesus' name who they did not recognize as one of "us".  This pride in orthodoxy rings not only in the past, but also in the present.  What are we to make of other churches or traditions than our own?  Jesus reprimands John and tells him that anyone who does ministry in the name of Jesus is one of them whether they are in the group or not.  Then as now, this notion of other disciples seems a very dangerous idea to those who want to claim that only they have a tight claim on the gospel.

Often the line about a cup of cold water given in Jesus' name is invoked to support social ministry.  This seems a misuse of the passage (not that there is not significant support for social ministry!).  It seems instead to point to ecumenical encouragement.  The cup of cold water in Jesus' name is given not to those who are not already followers, but to "you" (the disciples).  And this cooperative ministry is a source of comfort for those ministered to as well as to those offering the help.

Jesus turns his attention again to the child and issues a stern warning.  For the disciples who are a little slow on the uptake, he explicitly identifies the child as a metaphor for those who follow.  Whoever causes them to stumble would be better off in the end if the New Jersey mafia had put their feet in concrete and dropped them in the Hudson river.  In fact whether it is your hand, foot or eye that causes you to stumble, it would be better to self mutilate than to fail as a follower.  A place of voracious worms and fire is the destination for those who refuse to recognize their shortcomings.

Jesus changes themes when he begins to speak of salt.  Salt in the ancient world was not only used to flavor foods, but also to preserve them.  Everyone faces challenges (the fire), but these struggles preserve the followers of Christ for life eternal.  Salt is valuable only as long as it does its purpose, so if something is preserved without salt it does not last.  We are to salt each other (preserve and encourage our faith) and to live at peace.  Sadly, the disciples to this point have spent most of their time arguing and tearing each other down.

Only By Prayer

¹⁴ When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. ¹⁵ As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

¹⁶ “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸ Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

¹⁹ “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. ²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

²⁵ When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,”he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

²⁶ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

²⁸ After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁹ He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

The quiet conversation between Jesus, Elijah and Moses has ended, and immediately Jesus is once again confronted by the needs of the world.  The disciples have entered into an argument with the teachers of the law in his absence.  In some ways, the scene is reminiscent of when Moses and Elijah come down from their respective epiphanies on mountain tops.  Moses descends with the decalogue to hear the clamor of the people around the golden calf because his second in command has led the people astray.  Elijah comes down from the mountain top to call Elisha as his disciple.  It is a call that Elisha obeys.  So when Jesus comes down to the crowd, we wonder whether he will find them to have been unfaithful (like Aaron) or ready to serve (like Elisha).

Of course now, Jesus does not bring the law down from the mountain.  The law has become the golden calf in Jesus day--setting up a rigid series of practices that took the place of God in the minds of the people of Israel.  Jesus seeks to strike down that idol and instead brings relationship with God as God's son who the divine voice implores the disciples to heed.

When Jesus enters the fray, he immediately becomes the center of attention.  The crowd looks at him with wonder.  Whether this is merely because he has been the focus of the conversation and now they can go straight to the horse's mouth or there is some lingering luminescence from the transfiguration, we are not told.

The reason for the dispute, Jesus is told, is the disciples inability to heal the the young man who is mute and appears to suffer from what a modern diagnosis might describe as epileptic seizures.  The father of the man asked the disciples to cure the boy, but they could not.

Jesus response is unexpected.  He calls some or all of the man/boy/disciples/teachers an unbelieving generation.  He seems to understand from his discussion with Moses and Elijah that his time to be physically present is limited.  This limitation seems to focus his mind on the continuing problem he has had trying to teach others to believe.  This suggests in some ways that the primary problem Jesus identifies in people (perhaps including disciples as well!) is a lack of faith.

Despite his condemnation of faithlessness, Jesus calls for the young man to be brought to him.  In the presence of Jesus, the spirit immediately manifests itself.  The man's son is convulsed and foams at the mouth.  For some reason, Jesus is interested in how long the youth has suffered from his possession.  The father like many of us when faced with the desperation of illness moves quickly from Jesus' question about time (since childhood) to a graphic description of the suffering (he spirit has tried to burn him in fire and drown him) and the overwhelming desire for a cure (if you can do anything).

This again allows Jesus to highlight the faith problem.  "If?" he asks.  "Everything is possible for those who believe."  The man shows his mettle (and that he is worthy to be a disciple) when he declares that he does believe, but that he needs Jesus to help with the parts of him that are still filled with doubt.  This may well be the best that any of us can do.

Jesus notices the crowd rushing towards him now that it appears that he is going to try to do what the disciples have failed to do.  Jesus rebukes the evil spirit and tells it to leave the young man alone.  As we have seen in the latter miracles, this one is a little more complicated than those earlier in the gospel of Mark.  In a scene out of The Exorcist, the spirt screams on its way out leaving a lifeless body behind.

And the healing looks to the people without belief as if it has failed.  They are convinced that it is a dead body before them on the ground.  They have called Jesus to help, but he seems to have made things infinitely worse.  But Jesus reaches out to the prostrate form before him and lifts him to his feet, and it becomes clear that despite the difficulty, the spirit has been driven out and the young man left whole.

The story closes with some private instruction for the disciples.  This takes place, as it often does, indoors.  So far Jesus has told the disciple privately about the meaning of parables and his death, but now he tells them that their failure to heal is a result of a lack of prayer.  It seems to be a reminder that human striving and rule keeping (like that embodied by the teachers of the law) is unable to bring the healing that faith provides.

Dazzling White

² After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

⁵ Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ⁶ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

⁷ Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰ They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

¹¹ And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

¹² Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? ¹³ But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”

It would be good to remember when approaching this passage that when Simon Peter responded to Jesus concerning who he believes him to be, Peter says, "You are the Messiah."  He noticeably leaves out the second half of the designation that Mark tells his reader in the prologue.  Jesus (and Mark) want disciples to understand that Jesus is not only Christ, but also son of God.

So with his halfway right definition, six days later (the specificity of this is a bit odd--six is a number that the Greeks believed symbolized imperfection--so perhaps Mark mentions it to remind the reader of Peter's incomplete faith) Peter and James and John are taken by Jesus up a high mountain.  This immediately prepares us for either teaching or epiphany or both.  In the Jewish tradition, it is on the tops of mountains that God reveals God's self to people.

There all alone with the inner circle of disciples, Jesus is changed.  His clothes take on a heavenly pallor.  It is clearly a divine event, as Mark tells us that no human could have bleached the garments as white as they became.  This clearly prefigures the resurrection.  Occurring where it does, near the middle of the gospel, this moment serves as an important marker and transition in the book.  The new focus will be on Jesus death and resurrection rather than on wonders and teaching.

Suddenly Jesus is not alone as he is joined by Moses and Elijah in conversation.  So there are two threesomes.  One filled with people who understand what God is doing (Jesus, Moses and Elijah) and three who have no clue (Peter, James and John.).  We have of course already come across Elijah's name before as both the disciples and Herod suggest that some believe Jesus is really a reanimated Elijah.  Moses has been mentioned twice as well, in both instances with regard to the Law (once in reference to the decalogue and the other time for telling how to confirm a cleansing).  It seems likely that these two figures are included to show that both the prophetic and the legal traditions point to and are in conversation with this new work of God in Jesus.

Peter continues to know exactly the half the right thing to say, as he correctly says that is good that they are able to be present but then suggests the building of shrines in which these great figures of the faith can reside.  Mark further points to his lack of understanding by telling us that Peter did not know what to say.  This however did not stop him from talking!

The cloud appears and from it comes the second part of the confession of Jesus' identity that Peter has not been able to say.  "This is my son whom I love."  The second part of the statement seems redundant and unnecessary.  If Jesus is God's son, won't the disciples listen to him without any additional instruction?  The short answer is no, but the longer answer is that they may listen, but like those Jesus has spoken of before they listen but do not understand.

As they descend the mountain, Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone about what they have seen until he rises from the dead.  This is the second time (the first being after Peter's confession) Jesus has indicated to the disciples that he will be resurrected.  They talk among themselves about what it means, whether Jesus has refused to explain himself or they are afraid to ask about it, we don't know.

But they do question Jesus about the primacy of the return of Elijah prior to the arrival of the Christ.  Their question about why Elijah is to proceed the Messiah, once again shows the disciples more concerned with the questions of what it means that Jesus is the Christ rather than what the sonship means.    Jesus (perhaps with a shrug?) patiently explains that Elijah has already returned and that the way is clear for Christ.  He is clearly not referring to the most recent moment, but says that Elijah has returned and been mistreated.  The disciples know that Elijah prophesied to and suffered under the leadership of a weak king (Ahab) and his evil wife (Jezebel).  The identification then points implicitly to John who has prophesied to and been beheaded by a weak king (Herod) due to the machinations of his evil wife (Herodias).

The Way Of The Cross

²⁷ Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

²⁸ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

²⁹ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

³⁰ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. ³² He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

³³ But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? ³⁷ Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

The conversation between Jesus and his disciples as they journey to the area around Caesarea Philippi calls to mind the earlier passage in chapter 6 when Herod's beheading of John is related.  As Jesus had become well known, the suggestions of his identity multiplied.  It is proposed that he is John the Baptist raised from the dead, Elijah or one of the prophets, which leads to Herod's assertion that Jesus must be John whom he has had killed.  It is interesting that no one seems able to see Jesus as something new, but instead believes that he is the reincarnation of some older tradition.

When Jesus asks the disciples who people say that he is, their list is precisely the same as Herod's.  This suggests that even with the additional ministry of Jesus that takes place between chapter 6 and 8, there is no greater understanding of who he is.  What Jesus has done has not led people to a clearer picture of who Jesus is.

But Jesus is not interested in the opinion of the crowd.  He is concerned instead about the conclusions that the disciples have drawn.  Whether he works to their opinion from the opinion of others to make the conversation easier or to try to draw a contrast between the disciples and the world is not clear.

It is not surprising that Peter who is always quick to reply is the first to answer.  He is after all, with Andrew, the first to respond to Jesus' call to follow.  "You are the Christ." he tells Jesus.  "Christ" literally means anointed one and refers to the person who will deliver the Jewish people.

This is the title that Mark uses in his prologue and this is the first time one of the disciples correctly identifies Jesus.  And we might expect praise for Peter, but his declaration is followed by an admonition to not tell anyone.  This is the same warning that has been given to many who have received the power of God but lack a true understanding of who Jesus is.  Peter has only half-way identified Jesus.  He fails to name him son of God as the prologue does.  In addition, Jesus has just completed ministering in the Gentile world and the title that Peter has given is specifically Jewish.  He seems to have missed the larger work of Jesus to all humanity.

It is at this moment that Jesus' teaching takes on a different tone.  Unlike his previous teaching, he does not focus with parables on the Kingdom of God.  Now his focus is on who he is and the suffering that he will face.  He tells the disciples that the religious leaders will reject him and that he will be killed.  He also tells them about his resurrection.

This plain speaking of Jesus is all to much for Peter who has imagined Jesus as a new king who will use his obvious power to defeat his enemies and take the throne from Herod and drive out the Roman occupiers.  He takes Jesus aside and tries to rebuke him.  This is strong language, it is the word that describes how Jesus deals with evil spirits.  Peter thinks Jesus has become possessed!

But Jesus rebukes him instead.  It is Peter who is possessed by a victorious vision that will bring earthly glory rather than God's Kingdom.  Jesus tells him that he has human concerns and not God's concerns.  This parallels well with his partial confession that fails to identify Jesus as God's son.

Then Jesus calls the disciples and the crowd to him and challenges them to accept the reality that those who follow him are destined to suffer.  They must also take up crosses.  The only way to true life in God's Kingdom is by not focusing on life here.  Too often, then and now, disciples become more concerned with earthly ease than heavenly service.  We claim to follow Christ and at the same time bring shame on Christ's name when we refuse to make Jesus our primary allegiance because it requires too much of us.

Then Jesus tells them that some of them are going to see the glory of the Kingdom of God before they die.  Some have argued that this is said in mistake.  Either Jesus believed that his second coming and the reordering of the world would happen soon after his death, or Mark wanted to reassure those who had read the gospel that the return would happen in the very near future.  Neither of these occurred.  It can more properly be taken to refer to the resurrected Jesus.  Jesus' resurrection is the Kingdom of God coming in power and the hope of all humanity.  And even though they did not yet fully comprehend it, they would live to see it!

A Second Touch

²² They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. ²³ He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

²⁴ He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

²⁵ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶ Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

The disciples and Jesus continue on their journey and come to Bethsaida.  Once again a person with a physical difficulty is brought to Jesus.  It is a not so subtle reminder from Mark that people who need Jesus may need help from people who care about them to help.  Like the man born deaf and mute, the blind man's companions beg Jesus to touch their friend and heal him.

As he did with the deaf mute, Jesus removes the blind man from the crowd.  He even seems to try even harder to find privacy for the miracle when he takes the man outside of the town.  Also reminiscent of the prior miracle, Jesus spittle is instrumental in the healing.

If it were merely this, the miracle would be like any number of others in the gospel.  But Jesus looks to the man and asks him about the efficacy of the cure.  Do you see anything?

And the man reports that while he has received sight, the vision that he has is far from 20/20.  The people he sees look like trees walking around.  This is an exceedingly strange moment.  It could be that this is a continuation of the difficulty Jesus seems to be having with healing people.  Remember the complicated effort required for the deaf mute, and now it takes more than a single touch.

Or, the healing miracle may be a lesson for the disciples and for us.  They have responded to Jesus call, but still only imperfectly see what Jesus is about.  They don't understand the feedings, their hearts are hardened.  They, like the crowds, have been amazed by the displays of power, but they have not brought them faith or understanding.

So the man, who still does does not see people clearly as special creations of God but as moving objects, is once again touched by Jesus.  And with this second touch, his sight is completely healed.  

This miracle prepares us for the need for Peter who will proclaim correctly who Jesus is to be touched again to realize that he also needs to go to the cross.  It is the same second touch we need to remind us that Christianity is not merely about the joy of salvation but also the discipline of sacrifice.  

The corrective second touch of Jesus helps us to see others clearly and to realize the responsibility of our calling to them.

It is not surprising at this point that Jesus tells him to go straight home and not into the village.  What is surprising is that the man appears to do exactly what Jesus told him to do, a feat that the excitement from being healed seems to be impossible for others.  He sees clearly that Jesus' ministry is more than just power and that discipleship is following Jesus' instruction.  With clear sight, he is the first to listen.