Mark 9:33-37 Arguing
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: March 1, 2018, Mark 9:33-37
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
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.
(Understanding the Text) I always think of the disciples and Jesus all traveling in one big clump, but the reality is that thirteen men need space as they are walking somewhere, so it was probably quite usual for them to walk strung out with lots of space in between them, maybe in groups of 1, 2, or 3 since anymore in a group becomes unwieldy. That would mean that there were 5-7 little groups of men walking together all strung out on the path. Thus, some of the groups may have been talkative while others were quiet. In this context, an argument came up among them. Maybe several of the groups joined in the argument. I personally doubt that Peter was in on the argument for two reasons. First, he and the other disciples already assumed that he was Jesus’ right hand man. They were arguing over the empty positions below him. Second, they were headed toward Peter’s home of Capernaum. He was probably focused on reaching his wife and child/ren and the comfort of his home. He was probably leading the way at the forefront of the line. He probably set a fast pace as they neared the city. However, I could be wrong in my logic.
Jesus knew as they walked what was going on, but He waited until an appropriate time to discuss their wrongheadedness with them. Once they were in Peter’s home and they had relaxed, Jesus confronted them with a question. At first some of them may have searched their minds trying to remember what they had talked about. Others may have still been seething about the argument. Not all of them may have been present for the question.
Jesus had to confront the issue because it was splitting apart his disciples. He needed them to be a team united in love. He also needed to set them straight about the kind of kingdom they would be leading. This was not a temporal worldly kingdom based on power. It was an eternal spiritual kingdom based on service. The disciples were still judging by what they “knew” rather than by what Jesus had told them.
Jesus sat down somewhere. Maybe on a bench outside so that they could all fit or maybe on a chair in the parlor so they would have privacy. He told all the twelve to come listen. Maybe they were strung out in various places. I know that when we all gathered at my family’s old home, we would gather in different rooms and outside in groups of three or four rather than all crowd into one room, so maybe that is what the disciples had done, but now Jesus called them all to come in for a meeting.
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.”
(Revelation of God) He told them the principle of the kingdom of heaven. The greatest serves and puts everyone before himself. They were in Capernaum so the child that Jesus picked up was probably Peter’s son. Then, He gave them the priority of heaven–to accept and cherish the weak, the helpless, the incompetent, the children. The Father is the ultimate recipient of that acceptance and love. In accepting these people, we serve them because they cannot serve themselves. Then, we are showing the kind of leadership found in the kingdom of God.
Jesus equated receiving Himself with receiving the Father. I’m sure there is a lesson there, but I’m not sure what it is right now.
(Application and Prayer) I don’t really like leadership positions because I am always worried that I am doing it wrong, so I’m not sure if I would have participated in an argument about who would be greatest. On the other hand, I don’t think I would be counted among the greatest heaven-style because I also do not serve all well. I am too selfish for that. Help me to love others so that I put them first.