MARK 9:30-37   Lesson 23

THE KEY TO GREATNESS: RECEIVING

I. Greetings:

II. Introduction:
Q Have you ever gone to a special leadership meeting? Have you ever been on a privileged committee? How did you feel?
An = Sometimes it is fun to be in the inner circle and among the privileged few. However, when you work for Jesus things can often be quite different than in other settings. Let us see just how different. Jesus called a special meeting in Mark 9:30-50. It is the last episode before He entered back into His public ministry (beginning again in chapter 10) towards Jerusalem and therefore towards His death.

III. Teaching the Key Truths Once Again: Mark 9:30-32.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 9:30-31.
Note: He was traveling in familiar territory but not wanting to be known.
Q What was His goal or intention for not wanting anyone to know?
An = It appears He wanted to teach His disciples! He did not want to do public ministry and deal with the crowds. He wanted to deal specifically and specially with His disciples.
So today’s lesson, as well as the next lesson, are not for the general public but those who consider themselves part of the leadership or part of the important people in a school, group, or church. If you are not in leadership then watch how a true leader is supposed to act.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 9:31-32.
Q What three things did He want to teach?
An = The Son of Man was going to be delivered into the hands of men, they would kill Him, and three days later He would rise.
Q How did the disciples respond?
An = They did not understand what Jesus was saying, and they were afraid to ask Him what He meant. He had told them this exact truth before (8:31 and 9:9-10).
Q Why did they react this way?
An = (see Lane, p. 337). In my opinion they were acting primarily in fear. To explore further what He was saying or meaning was too painful for them. There are times we do not want to understand because we are afraid to understand. Sometimes we do not hear what those closest to us are saying because we unconsciously believe we cannot afford to really look at it.
The disciples were much like we are today. They had selective hearing. They heard what they wanted to hear. They did not want to hear their leader was going to be given over to His enemies and killed.
Q Did Jesus press them further at this time on this issue?
An = No.
Note: Key to the whole teaching today is this: if you do not understand the cross then you will not understand the crown. If you do not understand the cost then you will not understand the reward or glory. The disciple’s refusal to deal with His death would stop them from understanding His real glory. If they could not understand His “death”, then they could not see the resurrection (9:31 d). Similarly, they had to understand their own death (especially to their selfishness or selfish ambitions) if they were to understand their real role in the kingdom of God.

IV. The Key to Greatness Is Receiving: Mark 9:33-37.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 9:33-37.
Q Did Jesus need to ask His question about their discussion topic?
An = He seems to think this was an important issue to discuss. Therefore, He raised the question because they were part of the inner circle.
Q Why didn’t they answer?
An = They were probably a bit embarrassed.
Have them turn back to Mark 9:31.
>>>> You read Mark 9:31.
Note: They would not face the truth of Mark 9:31. They did not want to deal with this, so Jesus tried another route with His men. He now worked off their agenda, their discussion topic, which happened to be: who will be the greatest. They were going off on power trips.
Note: It was a sign of their culture to constantly ascertain their status in social situations. Sounds familiar today, does it not? We often buy, eat, drive, (and even work at) certain things, because it elevates our status, not because it is really good or even enjoyable (Lane, p 339).
Jesus’ disciples probably thought they were all going to be high up in the coming Kingdom of God. They would be Secretary of State, Head of Transportation, Vice President, Governor of Egypt, etc.
Q What was Jesus’ answer to their quest for greatness?
An = See Mark 9:35, >>> Re-read Mark 9:35.
Q How did Jesus illustrate His answer of 9:35?
An = He did so with an object lesson, He used a vivid illustration, that of the child in 9:36.
>>>> Re-read Mark 9:36-37.
Note: In Aramaic, the word “child” means “servant” too (Lane, p. 340).
Note: If receiving a child or a servant is the key to greatness then how is such a thing done?
Q How do we receive a child or a servant in His Name?
An = Let me give you four possible ways to apply this.
#1 Dealing with those seemingly below us.
Q Is it important how we treat waitresses in a restaurant?
Q Is it important how we treat any employee that is lower down on the totem pole of where we work? Is it important to God how we perceive them?
An = our greatness is tied to this. If we receive them graciously and politely and with respect then we receive Jesus, and thus we receive God.
Note: Imagine a child that was extremely rude to the other children. When questioned as to why they thought themselves superior to the other children they told us: “I have three quarters ($.75) in my pocket”. We would laugh, for we have a lot more quarters than that. We see the value of all the children, and that how many quarters they have in their pockets is not really an essential issue. Yet how many times do we look down on others, because they do not have the money we have. Jesus is not impressed! He made the world. All the cattle on a thousand hills are His. He is not even impressed with the super-rich of the world. He will judge them not by how much money they have or how much they give to charity. They will be judged by how the super-rich treat their lowest employee or their lowest servant.

#2 Understanding the Importance of Dealing with Children
Q Do we receive children? Are they important to us?
Q Are those who preach or teach Sunday School the great ones in the church? What about those who work in the nursery, or with our youth?
An = It is not those who serve on boards or give money who are great in our church, but those who receive the lowly and the children. It is where the heart of God is.

#3 Seeing the Need to Repent in our Handling of the “Little Ones”.
Q What children do we know of who are not presently received? Who could Jesus possibly be talking about?
Q Are their children in our extended family that are not well received?
An = It is the true Christian that will go out and aggressively seek to receive such a family member, especially the child without a father or mother, or the child that comes from the weaker financial position of the extended family, or the child whose parents are not living the life of wisdom. In addition, He would be interested in us reaching out to the extended family member who had made a terrible mistake.
Jesus is watching, hoping. If we receive them, we receive Jesus Christ and therefore God.

#4 Focusing on the Non-Believers.
Q = What about the neighborhood children right here around our campus or church?
An = I do not think we can say we are followers of Jesus Christ and not reach out to the children in our very neighborhood. Their only chance of hearing the Christian gospel is through us. We cannot hide behind “that is not our ministry”, because our very greatness depends on how we receive these very children.
Note: Many in this room secretly wish they were greater Christians. The beginning may not be in getting some type of position, reputation, joining a mission team, or getting the correct doctrine, but in obeying Jesus Christ.
What are we doing for children? What about the outcasts in your own family? What about helping out in a program that helps children? What about the evangelism of lost children?
Q How would receiving such types of children as discussed above be dying to oneself? How is this taking up our cross?
Note: It is only the elite, the specially called ones, and the disciples that are taught how to be great. So when you find yourself being especially concerned about children or a waitress and how that waitress is treated that we realize we have been instructed by the Lord Himself. We are special, only those in the inner circle have been taught this.
When we meet people who receive people like Jesus wants them to be received we need to share with them that they are in His inner circle as well.[:]