4
The Virtue of Being Last
(Mark 9:30–41)
From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it. For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.” But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.” John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.” (9:30–41)
As noted in the previous chapter of this volume, chapters 9 and 10 of Mark’s gospel record lessons Jesus taught to His disciples. His public ministry in Galilee was over, but He continued to minister privately to the disciples as they journeyed to Jerusalem. The first in that series of lessons was on the importance of faith (see the previous chapter of this volume); this second one was on humility.
Humility is not considered a virtue in our proud, self-centered, egotistical culture, nor was it in the pagan world of Jesus’ day. For example Aristotle, one of the most influential philosophers of the ancient world, described pride as the crown of the virtues (Nicomachean Ethics, 4.3). Every fallen human heart is a relentless worshiper of itself; fallen human nature is dominated by pride.
But in a bizarre twist, our society diagnoses the cause of people’s problems as a lack of pride or self-esteem. Such is not the case, however. No one lacks self-esteem; everyone is consumed with himself or herself to one degree or another. To diagnose the cause of all human ills as a lack of self-esteem leads people to be even more prideful than they already are. Inflating pride under the guise of promoting self-esteem as a psychological benefit exposes people to pride’s devastating consequences, including defilement (Mark 7:20–22), dishonor (Prov. 11:2; 29:23), strife (Prov. 28:25), and, most significantly, God’s judgment (Pss. 31:23; 94:2; Prov. 16:5, 18; Isa. 2:12, 17; Luke 1:51; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
Although humility is alien to fallen human nature, it is foundational to the Christian life. The exalted Lord, who declared, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?” (Isa. 66:1), went on to say, “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word” (v. 2). “He has told you, O man, what is good,” wrote the prophet Micah, “and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic. 6:8). In Luke 14:11, Jesus warned, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” The apostle Paul implored believers, “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love” (Eph. 4:1–2), and further urged them, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). In Colossians 3:12 he wrote, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Both James (4:6) and Peter (1 Peter 5:5) note that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble,” and James added the exhortation, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (4:10).
Like everyone else, the disciples needed to learn humility because they also battled pride, which was exacerbated by their exalted position as the Messiah’s closest followers. The supremely prideful Jewish religious leaders were notoriously poor examples for the people of Israel to follow. The cultural and religious milieu in which they lived made the disciples’ struggle with pride all the more difficult.
The Lord’s lesson to the disciples on humility was given by both precept and example. He not only modeled humility but also gave the disciples instruction regarding it.
AN EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY
From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it. For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.” But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. (9:30–32)
The Lord Jesus Christ described Himself as “gentle and humble in heart” (Matt. 11:29), and demonstrated that humility throughout His life, most notably by washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:3–15). Summing up the humility Jesus displayed in His incarnation, Paul wrote,
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:5–8)
Christ’s “death on a cross” is the ultimate expression of His humility and is the theme of verses 30–32. The setting for the Lord’s teaching regarding His death was the journey from the region of Caesarea Philippi, where He was transfigured (probably on Mt. Hermon; see the discussion of 9:2 in chapter 1 of this volume) to Capernaum, the headquarters of His Galilean ministry.
As they traveled through Galilee, Jesus did not want anyone to know about it. His public ministry in that region was over (see the discussion of 9:25 in the previous chapter of this volume), and His focus was on the private instruction of His disciples. Later, there would be some brief public ministry in Judea and Perea (Luke 9:51–19:27; John 7–11) and even a couple of brief return visits to Galilee (e.g., Luke 17:11–37). But Galilee would no longer be His base of operations.
As was frequently the case, the Lord was teaching His disciples that “the Son of Man (a messianic title taken from Dan. 7:13) is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later” (cf. 8:31; 9:12; 10:33–34). That was the primary truth that they needed to understand—and that they were unable to comprehend or accept. As it was for their fellow Jews (1 Cor. 1:23), a crucified Messiah was a stumbling block for the disciples; a dying Messiah was utterly incomprehensible and unacceptable to them. For that reason Jesus exhorted them, “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men” (Luke 9:44). They needed to listen carefully and understand what He was saying to them about His death.
Delivered translates a form of the Greek verb paradidōmi, which literally means “to hand over.” It was used repeatedly in a legal sense to describe Jesus’ being handed over for judgment and punishment (10:33; 15:1, 10, 15; Matt. 17:22; 20:18–19; 26:2; 27:2, 18, 26; Luke 9:44; 18:32; 20:20; 23:25; 24:7, 20; John 18:30, 35, 36; 19:16; Acts 3:13). In human terms, the elders, chief priests, scribes, and people (cf. 8:31; Matt. 27:1–2; Acts 3:13), Judas (Matt. 26:24), and Pilate (Matt. 27:26) all were guilty of delivering Jesus to judgment and death. But ultimately, Jesus “was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23).
Not only did the disciples struggle with the reality that the Jews and Romans would kill Him but also that when He had been killed, He would rise three days later. They understood Jesus’ power over death, having seen Him raise dead people. But the question that must have troubled them was that if He died, who would raise Him? Thus, they did not understand this statement.
The uncertainty in their minds about Christ’s death and resurrection, coupled with their grief (cf. Matt. 17:23), also caused the disciples to be afraid to ask Him for more information. Jesus compassionately chose not to reveal information to them that He knew would devastate their faith; instead, He “concealed [it] from them so that they would not perceive it” (Luke 9:45).
INSTRUCTION ON HUMILITY
They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.” John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.” (9:33–41)
Capernaum, located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, was Jesus’ adopted hometown (Matt. 4:13). Several of the apostles also were associated with Capernaum, including Peter and Andrew (Mark 1:21, 29), who moved there from Bethsaida (John 1:44), James and John (Mark 1:19–21), and Matthew, whose tax collector’s booth was in or near the city (Matt. 9:1, 9).
When He was in the house (possibly Peter’s; see the discussion of Peter’s house in Mark 1–8, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 2015], chap. 5), He began to question the disciples, asking them, “What were you discussing on the way?” Jesus’ instruction to the disciples highlighted four negative effects of pride, and concluded by noting one positive effect of humility.
PRIDE DESTROYS UNITY
But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. (9:34)
During the long walk from Caesarea Philippi to Capernaum, the disciples had been having a prolonged and heated discussion. Not wanting to admit what they had been talking about, they kept silent in embarrassment. The discussion had been another episode in their long-running debate over which of them was the greatest (cf. 10:35–45), which, incredibly, was still going on at the Last Supper on the night before the Lord’s death (Luke 22:24). The Lord had just spoken to them about His humiliation (vv. 30–32), but all they could think about was their exaltation.
There can be no real unity among proud people, because only humble people love. The disciples’ constant focus on their own personal glory had far-reaching consequences, as I wrote in a previous volume in this series:
This was a disturbing and potentially disastrous development. These men were the first generation of gospel preachers, and would be the leaders of the soon to be founded church. With so much riding on them and so much opposition from the hostile world, they needed to be unified and supportive of each other. The danger revealed here is that pride ruins unity by destroying relationships. Relationships are based on loving sacrifice and service; on selfless deferring to and giving to others. Pride, being self-focused, is indifferent to others. Beyond that, it is ultimately judgmental and critical, and therefore divisive. Because of that pride is the most common destroyer both of relationships and churches. It plagued the Corinthian church, causing Paul to ask, “For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” (1 Cor. 3:3; cf. 2 Cor. 12:20). Knowing that pride is the wedge Satan uses to split churches and splinter relationships, the Lord stressed to the disciples the crucial necessity of humility. (Luke 6–10, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 2011], 301)
As Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, believers are to be constantly “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27).
PRIDE FORFEITS HONOR
Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” (9:35)
Ironically, pride keeps people from obtaining the very honor that they seek. Proud people—even those in ministry—battle for position and seek to promote themselves, but end up forfeiting true honor and often end in humiliation. Honor is reserved for the humble. Like many in our day, the disciples viewed spiritual pride as normal, desirable, and legitimate. After all, pride characterized the most revered men in Israel, the religious leaders, who “[did] all their deeds to be noticed by men.… they broaden[ed] their phylacteries and lengthen[ed] the tassels of their garments. They love[d] the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men” (Matt. 23:5–7; cf. 6:1–5).
Jesus knew what the disciples were thinking (Luke 9:47), even if they refused to express it. Sitting down, as rabbis commonly did when they taught, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Pursuing accolades, affirmation, and exaltation from men forfeits the true reward (Matt. 6:1–5) that comes to those who are willing to be last, not to those who have to be first.
PRIDE REJECTS DEITY
Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.” (9:36–37)
The child (perhaps, as some have suggested, one of Peter’s children) served as an object lesson for Christ’s instruction. Jesus used young children several times as illustrations of humility. They have not yet accomplished or achieved anything; they have no power or honor but are weak, dependent, and ignored (rabbis considered it a waste of time to teach the Torah to a child under the age of twelve).
Little children are analogous to believers; therefore Jesus said, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.” The profound reality is that how Christians treat fellow believers is how they treat Christ. Conversely, those who reject other believers reject Him.
Matthew’s account of this incident in chapter 18 elaborates on that theme. No doubt hoping Jesus would settle once and for all their dispute over which of them was the greatest, the disciples asked Him, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (v. 1). The Lord’s reply was startling: “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 3). Nothing could have been further removed from their cultural and religious perspective. The proud religious overachievers, who expected to receive the highest places of honor in the kingdom, will not even enter it. On the other hand, those with humble, childlike faith will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (v. 4).
But what Jesus said next was even more sobering and shocking: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (v. 6). It would be better to suffer a horrible death than offend a believer; one in whom Christ lives (Gal. 2:20) and who is spiritually joined to Him (1 Cor. 6:17). Reinforcing God’s care for His children, the Lord warned His hearers, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (v. 10). All heaven is watching how God’s children are treated.
PRIDE CREATES EXCLUSIVITY
John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us. (9:38–40)
His conscience troubled by the Lord’s rebuke of their pride, John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” The incident he referred to is not recorded in Scripture, but the exorcist was actually casting out demons, in contrast to the sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13–16; cf. Matt. 7:21–23). Although this man was a true follower of Christ, John and the others tried to prevent him because he was not following them; in other words, he was not one of their group. “Do not hinder him,” Jesus admonished him, “for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.” Since he was a legitimate follower of Jesus, this man would proclaim the truth about Him.
The principle is clear: he who is not against Christ and His followers is for them. Paul’s response concerning those who sought to build a reputation for themselves by denigrating the apostle and his ministry illustrates that truth:
Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. (Phil. 1:15–18)
HUMILITY GAINS REWARD
For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.” (9:41)
In contrast to the devastating negative consequences of pride, the Lord’s concluding point stresses the positive aspect of humility. It is such humility, expressed even in a small act of kindness, such as giving a cup of water to drink to those who are followers of Christ, that results in true and eternal reward.
The words of Solomon in Proverbs 22:4 provide a fitting summary of our Lord’s teaching in this passage: “The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life.”