Mark 9:30-50

Bringing the sermon home:

For the second time in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus foretells His impending death and resurrection, and, for the second time, the disciples do not understand Jesus’s plain words. The first time around, Jesus had to rebuke Peter for “not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (8:33). Similarly, this time around they quickly begin to argue with one another about which of them is the greatest, showing that their confusion is not merely a result of their faulty expectations about what the Messiah would accomplish, but rather a result of worldly desires. They were not yet wiling to suffer for the sake of Christ.

Verses 33 thru 37 address rivalry with those inside of the band of traveling disciples while verses 38 thru 41 address rivalry with those doing good in the name of Christ who were outside of their immediate group. A clear point of application is that there is no room for self-serving rivalry within a given church, nor between churches. We must strive together for Christ’s glory, not against one another for our own glory. What matters most is not the growth or even the continuation of any specific church, and certainly not the growth or continuation of any specific association of churches (i.e. “denomination”), but rather the growth and multiplication of Bible-believing, gospel-preaching churches in general, regardless of whatever associational banners they may or may not identify with. The only name that matters is the name of Jesus.

At the same time, throughout His Word, Jesus commands us not to tolerate those who teach a different gospel or who promote sinful lifestyles. We must strive together for the kingdom by striving together against sin.