Following after Jesus #79

As we saw yesterday, after the glorious revelation on the Mount of Transfiguration, God made it very clear Who Jesus was - His Son, to be listened to above all others. When they came down from the mountain the disciples were shown very clearly their inability to do anything on their own, apart from Christ. The next discussion they have is this: Mark 9

 33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

They are back at their home, their headquarters for ministry; they are where they can be themselves, when Jesus asks this piercing question, of which He already knows they answer. They have been comparing themselves to one another.  You can almost hear the bickering: "Well, I got to go up on the mountain;" "Well, I healed 10 blind men." "Well, Jesus entrusted me with the money." Well, I preached to a thousand people." Jesus sat down - that's what Rabbis, did, and called them to gather around. It was almost like He was taking them back to square one: "Okay, guys; here is the most basic principle for following me: This child trusts Me to hold him. Right now, I would rather have him than you twelve grown men. Follow my example: see people not for what they can do for you, but for what God can do when they fully trust Him. See yourselves the same way. Stop comparing. Stop striving. Simply trust Him to change you and others."