When I have read the latter half of Mark 9 in the past, my mind always went to how hard it was for the disciples to hear what Jesus had to say to them; plucking out eyes, cutting off hands and feet. But I’ve always overlooked how hard it must have been for Jesus to hear what the disciples were saying. If you can imagine going through the last couple years of your life, knowing that you are going to die, going to be betrayed, going to go through incredible suffering. The idea of a dying and suffering Messiah had already caused many to turn against Him, even Peter at one point. So Jesus confides in His closest friends, telling them plainly what was awaiting them at the end of this journey. But they didn’t want to talk about His dying. While Jesus was talking about how to give His own life to save all of them, they were arguing about which one of them was the greatest. Join us this morning as we learn what is means to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
