Events in Mark chapter 9 happened rather privately for Jesus and his 12 closest followers. Mark is rather episodic in nature, so for Jesus' followers who later told the story, the events probably were not as coordinated as they appear when Mark assembled the information later. A definite theme, however, does emerge from the events as Mark has written them.
The events started with a vision on a hilltop with Simon, James, and John. After the vision, they all heard the voice of God himself. That's astounding and inspiring - God's audible voice heard by everyone there at one time. That would have been special. What did the voice say?
Verse 7
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ
(This is the son I love. Listen to him.)
That set the stage for the rest of the events in the chapter. At the foot of the hill after walking away from where God affirmed his son, Jesus, Simon, James, and John walked up on a squabble. The other nine and some more followers of Jesus who had gathered with them were arguing with the scholars of the Talmud.
Mark doesn't comment on what the argument was about. But, the situation that sparked the argument was explained to Jesus. A boy's father had brought his son to be healed probably by Jesus. But in Jesus' absence, his followers had tried to get rid of the spirit that had plagued the boy. The nine followers left behind had tried to do what they had seen their teacher do, but unsuccessfully. Mark records Jesus' response to this whole situation.
Verse 19
ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος, ἕως πότε πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔσομαι; ἕως πότε ἀνέξομαι ὑμῶν; φέρετε αὐτὸν πρός με
(What an incredulous generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I endure you?)
Perhaps Jesus was nonplussed by the fact that an argument had ensued by scholars of the Law over the followers' inability to dismiss the spirit. Perhaps, Jesus was frustrated at how his followers were trying to throw out the spirit. Perhaps Jesus was agitated about someone asking his followers to get rid of a "mute" spirit when that was not the reason for the boy's inability to speak. Mark only records Jesus' response to the situation. But as disgusted as Jesus was, he still called the boy to him and ordered the spirit to leave and never return.
Simon, James, and John had just heard the voice of God themselves, and then, they saw a spirit leave a boy at the command of Jesus. What a powerful tandem of circumstances to impress on one's mind that Jesus was God's very own son.
Another event highlighted the prevailing attitude that Jesus might have been referring to when he said What an incredulous generation! Verses 33-37 record the short trip to Capernaum on which Jesus continued to instruct his Twelve. Jesus had had been explaining just before the trip that he would be killed and woken back to life, so they were discussing who would be the best one to lead after Jesus' departure. So he brought in a child and set him in the middle of them for his lesson to them. He hugged the child and spoke:
Verse 37
ὃς ἂν ἓν τῶν τοιούτων παιδίων δέξηται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται· καὶ ὃς ἂν ἐμὲ δέχηται, οὐκ ἐμὲ δέχεται ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με
(Anyone who waits on children like this in my name doesn't just wait on me but the one who sent me.)
Every parent would know exactly what Jesus said. You "wait on" children to nurture them, to protect them, to love them, to show them what is right, to teach them how to live life. And it is "waiting on them" in his name that gives the power to lead them in the ways of his father who sent him. What a powerful image - waiting on a child as Jesus, who was servant of all, would do in order to lead him into decent living. That is the model for waiting on someone in his name.
Verses 38-41 record even another event of an incredulous generation. The Twelve had come up on someone casting out powers that controlled people. John was the one to tell Jesus:
Verse 38
εἴδομέν τινα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ἐκβάλλοντα δαιμόνια καὶ ἐκωλύομεν αὐτόν, ὅτι οὐκ ἠκολούθει ἡμῖν
(We saw a man who wasn't following us casting out powers in your name. We opposed him since he didn't follow us.)
Verse 39
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· μὴ κωλύετε αὐτόν. οὐδεὶς γάρ ἐστιν ὃς ποιήσει δύναμιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου καὶ δυνήσεται ταχὺ κακολογῆσαί με
(Jesus said, "Don't oppose him. Nobody who can do something powerful in my name can turn around and speak badly of me.")
Jesus followed the statement with a statement of acceptance:
Ὃς γὰρ ἂν ποτίσῃ ὑμᾶς ποτήριον ὕδατος ἐν ὀνόματι ὅτι Χριστοῦ ἐστε, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ
(If someone were to give you a cup of water because you have the name of the Chosen One, I assure you he would not lose his reward.)
While Jesus was alive, spirits recognized him, his authority, and his power. God endorsed him personally. Vicariously, through Mark's writing here, Christians today, as did the Twelve at the time, also can be recognized as his followers if we lead others in his name. And followers today can bless others through acceptance of them because we have his name.
The tasty morsel in all of this is the acceptance of others who might not follow Jesus according to our own understanding of how to follow Jesus. The Twelve encountered this exact situation. They opposed him, but Jesus told them differently.
Verse 40
ὃς γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν καθ’ ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐστιν
(The person who is not against us is for us.)
I am certainly guilty of viewing others' beliefs as flawed in some way when I don't think my own belief is flawed. So, acceptance is hard for me to act on. But if God personally endorsed Jesus, a spirit who controlled someone else's life endorsed Jesus by obeying his command, and someone not in the Twelve's group of followers endorsed Jesus, my response should be easy. Don't oppose those who come in the name of Jesus.
If others who recognize his name and wait on us with water won't lose their reward, if waiting on children in his name to lead them to him will gain us a reward, then, why am I so haughty? Why so judgmental? I know - incredulous isn't it. I can hear Jesus saying that. I am working to replace that thought with the most important words in this chapter:
"This is the son I love. Listen to him." Period.
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