The Disciples' Wrong Ideas

Mark 9:30-32

Jesus had to explain this often to his disciples. But still, they could not understand. They did not want these things to happen to Jesus. So they did not believe that these things would happen.

But they should have learned the things that Jesus was teaching them. Then, when these events happened, they would not be so afraid. They would know that God wanted these things to happen. And they would know that God would make Jesus alive again in the end.

Verses 33-37

The 12 disciples were not important men. But they still wanted other people to say that they were important. And each disciple thought that he was more important than the other disciples.

Jesus taught that those ideas were wrong. One Christian should not try to be more important than another Christian. Instead, each Christian should try to help other people.

A Christian should be like a servant. He should even be like a servant of a little child. When the Christian helps a little child, he is doing Jesus‘ work. And it was God who sent Jesus to do that work.

That does not mean that Christians must obey everyone. They must always obey God. And because they obey God, they should help other people.

Verses 38-41

This man saw the things that Jesus was doing. And he decided to do the same things himself. He was not against Jesus. He believed Jesus. And he used Jesus‘ authority to tell bad spirits that they must leave people.

John tried to stop the man. John wanted the man to become a disciple of Jesus. But Jesus told John that the man was doing God‘s work. So the man was helping Jesus and the disciples. God knew about the things that the man was doing. And God knew about the things that the disciples were doing, too. He would be kind to everyone who does his work.