Mark 9:38

"“Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.”"

Key Reflection

In Mark 9:38, Jesus highlights the importance of welcoming and caring for those who are vulnerable, using a child as an example. This teaching would have resonated deeply within first-century Jewish culture, where children were often marginalized and lowly regarded. By emphasizing that receiving such a child is equivalent to receiving Christ himself, Jesus underscores his mission to bring salvation to all, including the socially insignificant. The original audience would have understood this as a profound challenge to their social norms and a call to embrace humility and compassion.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 38. We saw one, etc. There is no improbability in supposing that this might have been one of the disciples of John, or one of the seventy whom Jesus had sent out, and who, though he did not personally attend on Jesus, yet had the power of working miracles. There is no evidence that he was merely an exorcist, or that he used the name of Jesus merely as a pretence. {r} "we saw one" Nu 11:26-28 __________________________________________________________________

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