‘The First Must Be Last’
“They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me (Mk.9:30-37).”
This passage is the second of three ‘passion predictions’ and another piece of discipleship instruction. This repeated reference to Christ’s passion keeps the focus of Mark’s gospel on Calvary and moves the story consistently to that end.
Jesus and his disciples were again passing through Galilee, but this time his objective was to get to Jerusalem without delay. It appears that there were two things on his mind. One was to have a private instructional time with his disciples, and the other was to fulfill his messianic mission of announcing the Kingdom’s arrival and going to Calvary. Two things should be noted regarding this second passion prediction: first, it’s a statement of certainty and severity - “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him…”. This isn’t simply a reference to Judas’ betrayal. Jesus uses theological language that underscores the Jewish understanding of martyrdom. The underlying message of the word ‘delivered’ is that Jesus would be handed over to men by God in order to die and fulfill God’s redemptive will. What is about to happen is providential. It’s ultimately God at work, not man. Also, this prediction created tension between Jesus and his disciples. It can be sensed in this line - “....they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.” Communication stopped, and the disciples were filled with puzzlement and apprehension and were hesitant to ask for clarification.
After arriving in Capernaum Jesus has a private conversation with his disciples. It begins with Jesus asking an uncomfortable question - “What were you discussing on the way?” There had been a rather animated discussion regarding prominence in the Messianic Kingdom. Who among the disciples was the greatest? Among the Jews this was not an uncommon conversation. What it exposed was the cultural impact on the disciples’ thinking. Their ‘way of seeing’ was still worldly. Their thinking hadn’t been transformed by Kingdom values and vision. This is a challenge to us as well. Christian conversion involves the radical reordering of our values, priorities, and our understanding of our role in the world. It transforms how we see ourselves and understand greatness. Greatness is no longer a matter of public prominence and power; rather, it’s discovered in servanthood and self-emptying - “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” This understanding turns normal assumptions about greatness and rank on their heads. It’s this kind of self-denial that’s required of those who would follow Christ faithfully.
Having stated the principle of self-denial propositionally, Jesus now illustrates it - “...he took a child and put him in the midst of them…”. This is what a disciple of Christ looks like. Jesus is saying, “If you are going to be great and serve the Kingdom of God well, you must become like a child, having no basis on which to assert your own greatness.” Being humble and stripped of self-assertion and desires of self-advancement distinguishes a true follower of Christ. It’s this humble servant’s disposition that accurately replicates the nature of Christ and authenticates our discipleship. As Christ’s disciples we have the privilege and responsibility of publicly representing him.
As ‘Christ followers’ we are called to a life of self-denial and servanthood. These traits of character will be formed in the faithful follower of Christ.