Mark 9:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them,

NIV: He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them,

NASB: And He took a child and placed him among them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them,

CSB: He took a child, had him stand among them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them,

NLT: Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them,

KJV: And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

NKJV: Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them,

Jesus and the disciples are in a house in Capernaum trying to avoid the crowds (Mark 9:30). Since it is probably Peter and Andrew's house, the child may be a son or nephew. Later, when Jesus is traveling and teaching in Judea and Perea, He will correct the disciples when they try to manage the crowd by keeping children away (Mark 10:13–16). In their attempt to control Jesus' "brand," they risk causing children to stumble by keeping them from Jesus. In Capernaum, Jesus has no problem allowing the child to hear His teaching and in Judea He again welcomes them. There may be times when a Bible lesson is inappropriate for small ears, but those times should be very rare.

Jesus is not saying the disciples should accept the child because he is innocent or blessed with secret wisdom but because he is of the lowest social status and completely without power. At that time, even servants had authority over children. In the church, we are used to devoting a great deal of our time and resources to the education of children through Sunday School, mid-week programs, or vacation Bible school. Modern American Christian families take the training of their children seriously, often choosing to protect them from unbiblical beliefs through homeschooling. This devotion more reflects the concern of the father of the possessed boy (Mark 9:17) than the prickly disciples.

The disciples may have thought that because the boy was from the house, Jesus' teaching refers only to children they know, but Jesus will teach against such parochialism (Mark 9:38–41; 10:13–16). It's one thing to welcome our own children or a child that attends our church. It's another to welcome and protect a child who truly can do nothing for us. That may mean sponsoring a child through a ministry like Compassion International or supporting vulnerable local children including children in poverty, foster care, or immigrant families.

Mark 9:33–37 relates an argument about who is the most significant of Jesus' followers. This opens the door for a discussion on who His followers will be and what will be expected of them. While the disciples value position, Jesus values the lowly, the trusting (Mark 9:39–40), the protective (Mark 9:42), the disciplined (Mark 9:43–47), and those who are refined, consistent, and able to work together without arguing who is greatest (Mark 9:49–50). This section is also recorded in Matthew 18:1–6 and Luke 9:46–48.

Mark 9 continues Jesus' efforts to teach the disciples who He is, what He has come to do, and what their role is in His mission. The chapter begins with the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John catch a glimpse of Jesus' glory, and ends back in Capernaum. Jesus spends most of that time teaching. Although the disciples do quarrel with the scribes, the misconceptions and errors Jesus addresses come from the disciples, themselves, not outsiders. In the next chapter, He will leave Galilee and travel toward Jerusalem and the cross.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.