He came to Capernaum, and in the
house he asked the disciples, “What were you talking about among yourselves on
the way?”
They were silent, because they
had argued about who was the greatest.
He sat down, called the twelve,
and said, “Whoever wants to be first, shall be last of all, and servant of
all.” He took a little child, and set the child in their midst. Taking the
child in his arms, he said, “Whoever receives one such little child in my
name, receives me, and whoever receives me, receives him who sent me.”
John said to him, “Teacher, we
saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out evil spirits in your name; and we
told him to stop, because he doesn’t follow us.”
Jesus said, “Don’t forbid
him, for there is no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able to quickly
speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is on our side. Those who
give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are my followers, will
in no way lose their reward.
If you cause one of these little
ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for you to have a
millstone hung around your neck, and be sunk in the depths of the sea.
“Woe to the world for the occasions
of stumbling! Occasions must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If
your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have both hands and
both feet but be cast into the eternal fire.
Reflection
When viewed from a kingdom
perspective, much in life looks different: humility is the key to greatness;
enemies are to be loved, not hated; sin is attractive, but destructive. Have
your values and attitudes been changed by what Jesus says about God’s kingdom?
Who or what has played the biggest role in shaping your values?
Prayer: Deliver me, Lord,
from living my life in accordance with the world’s dehumanizing values.
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