Mark 9:38-41 - A Lesson in Humility - Part 2

To provide context, this morning, Jesus has just shared His second prophecy of His death and resurrection as the disciples were traveling back to the region of Galilee. On their way to Capernaum, the disciples began to argue over who was the greatest in the Kingdom, clearly failing to understand what kind of King Jesus is and what type of Kingdom He came to establish.Upon arriving in Capernaum, Jesus addressed their conversation, recognizing an opportunity to teach rather than rebuke them. As we learned last week, the pride in their hearts was evident, preventing them from fully perceiving Jesus as the true Messiah. He came to conquer sin, not the Romans. He came to claim an eternal Kingdom, not an earthly one. He came to die sacrificially, not to overthrow someone on a throne.The pride that was rooted in the disciples' hearts was manifested in two key ways last week, prompting Jesus to teach them about humility. His teaching revealed the paradox of His Kingdom, where the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Humility is the direct response to pride because it shifts our focus away from ourselves. Numerous scriptures call us to humble ourselves before the Lord, and in doing so, He shapes and exalts us. Matthew 23:12 states, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” To humble oneself is an active process; it’s not about passively waiting to be humbled but about intentionally pursuing humility and eliminating pride from our lives. When we are out of focus, God becomes the center, allowing His refining work in us to begin. Our hearts become more open to receiving what He is trying to teach us.This morning’s text continues the conversation Jesus was having with the disciples that we studied last week. Pride reveals itself in many forms, and this transition from blindness to sight takes various shapes for the disciples—and for us—to understand how deeply we need to be humbled.Often, we associate pride solely with arrogance or a boastful attitude, leading us to think, “I’m not arrogant or boastful, so I don’t struggle with pride.” However, what Jesus has been striving to make the disciples understand through these teaching moments is that the symptoms of pride are all related to a common root issue.It’s clear that pride manifests differently in everyone. One can exhibit passive pride, while another might express it through anger. Some may argue, reflecting their pride, whereas others may elevate their understanding of truth above that of others. Additionally, as we will uncover today, creating distinctions or exclusivity within the true body of Christ among believers can also stem from pride.