Gospel 

Mark 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,

but he did not wish anyone to know about it.

He 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 the Son of Man will rise."

But they did not understand the saying,

and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,

he began to ask them,

"What were you arguing about on the way?"

But they remained silent.

For they had been discussing among themselves on the way

who was the greatest.

Then 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."

Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,  

and putting his arms around it, he said to them,

"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.”

Reflection

It seems clear to me that when Jesus reveals the way he is going to conquer evil, by giving into it and then rising. They have no idea of what he's really talking about. They do not realize that one has to die before one can truly live. But they're on a journey to discover it. And one of the things he's pointing out here is that anything in you that is caught up in a position of power over people is not the kingdom of God.

And so he does something very unusual. He just said, look, he takes a child and puts his arms around it and said, you must become little, not so powerful, just valuable. That's what I want you to feel. You're valuable, but you're not greater than anyone else.

Closing Prayer

Father, it's part of our human nature to want to perfect who we are and to do good things and important things. And yet, if we're not careful, we get caught up in something where we are going to determine that we are better than others, more capable of doing what we need to do. The disciples were very much into that as they discussed who was the greatest, and what Jesus really saying is, anyone who accepts who they are as they are at this moment, that's the greatest in the Kingdom. So bless us with that kind of humility, Lord. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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