Part 2: they were silent ...

Mark 9: 33-37 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

Context: Although most of Jesus' early teachings and miracles occurred around the Sea of Galilee, tradition says during this time, he made his home in Capernaum at the family home of his disciple, Peter. From the picture, you see a modern Franciscan church which stands on the supposed site of the house of Peter in Capernaum, where Jesus lived. In this passage, Jesus and the disciples come home ...

Going Deeper: Can you close your eyes and see Jesus turn to his feisty friends to say, "What were you arguing about on the way?" They were silent. They didn't want Jesus to know. They just cannot fathom the message. Competition for power, wealth, and prestige infected the culture of the 1st century in much the same way it infects the culture of the 21st century. They were silent. But Jesus knew anyway.

Jesus doesn't get angry at their inability to grasp his message. He gives them several images of powerlessness. The one who is truly the greatest is the one who is willing to be last ... who is willing to be, not just a servant, but the servant "of all" which was the servant in the lowest rank of those who served meals. In Mark's day, this servant of all would have been allowed to eat only what was left over after everyone else had been satisfied. Jesus then reaches out to pick up a small child as he gives us another image of powerlessness. A child, just as a servant, has no social standing ... they were both "without honor" in the eyes of the culture.

As Jesus takes the child in his arms and "welcomes" it into his heart, he teaches the disciples and us the values of the kingdom, or the reign, of God. Sharon Ringe, professor of New Testament at Wesley Theological Seminary, prepares us for the depth of this message. She says this passage "is a powerful and even shocking depiction of the paradoxical values of God's will and reign, which confront the dominant values of human societies and assign worth and importance to every person." Welcome the powerless, the marginalized, the homeless ... welcome me, says Jesus. They were silent.

Pondering: I am silent. How have I struggled for prestige and power recently? Who have a knocked down or stepped over in my rush to find my value and my "place" in the small world I inhabit? I wonder ... who have I welcomed into my heart lately? How have I "welcomed" God into my life? What about you? How have you "welcomed" the powerless, and in the process, welcomed God?

Praying: Take a deep, deep breath. In your mind's eye, visualize yourself sitting alongside Jesus as he teaches you about welcoming the stranger ... perhaps a stranger that represents a segment of the population that you don't particularly care for. Allow the image of this stranger to emerge in your visualization. As Jesus turns to introduce the stranger to you, who is it? What are your feeling toward this person? Ask Jesus to transform your feelings into "welcoming." Give thanks to God for giving you a glimpse of the kingdom!