Untitled Sermon (8)

Maybe this discussion was prompted by the fact that Jesus only took Peter, James, and John up on the mountain of Transfiguration.

Verse 32 - They were afraid to ask Him probably because they remembered how Jesus rebuked Peter.

Maybe they were afraid to ask because the more you know the more it hurts. What Jesus is predicting is so different from what they wanted the Messiah to be.

In that culture matters of rank were very important.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 9:35

Jesus did not condemn the desire to improve one’s position in life but He did teach that greatness in His kingdom was not determined by status but by service

Matthew and Mark Commentary

The juxtaposition of Jesus announcing his approaching suffering and the disciples debating who was the greatest is ironic, for it shows how little they understood God’s way. The sense of embarrassment suggested in the text underscores their sense that something was wrong with their debate.

Pythagoras, “A man is never as big as when he is on his knees to help a child.”

Not only are we to let children come to Jesus but we are also to not hinder them from coming.

Jesus was angry about this. verse 14 says he was indignant. Only Marks gospel give us this vivid description of Jesus’ emotion.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 10:15

God’s kingdom is not gained by human achievement or merit; it must be received as God’s gift through simple trust by those who acknowledge their inability to gain it any other way

The word for blessed here is only used this 1 time here in the whole Greek New Testament. It is an intensive compound verb which is used to emphasize Jesus warmhearted fevor with which He blessed the children.

Matthew and Mark Commentary

That the disciples desired to prevent Jesus from taking time with children reflected a cultural view of children as unimportant. Lane (1974:361) cites a papyrus in which a husband writes to tell his wife that if an expectant child is a boy she should let it live, but if it is a girl, she should cast it out (Oxyrhynchus Papyri 4.744, lines 9–10). In a culture in which children were devalued, they could be callously exposed to death.

Relate to today.

We need to be careful that we do not accuse those with Child-like faith of immaturity.

I hope when you get big you can figure out how to be little.