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•30他们离开那地方，经过加利利。耶稣不愿意人知道。31于是教训门徒，说：“人子将要被交在人手里，他们要杀害他，被杀以后，过三天他要复活。”32门徒却不明白这话，又不敢问他。
•33他们来到迦百农。耶稣在屋里问门徒说：“你们在路上议论的是什么？”34门徒不作声，因为他们在路上彼此争论谁为大。35耶稣坐下，叫十二个门徒来，说：“若有人愿意作首先的，他必作众人末后的，作众人的用人。”36于是领过一个小孩子来，叫他站在门徒中间，又抱起他来，对他们说：37“凡为我名接待一个像这小孩子的，就是接待我；凡接待我的，不是接待我，乃是接待那差我来的。”
当彼得回忆这些故事，并且让马可写下来时，他一定很尴尬，因为耶稣说了两次他的死和复活，他们只是不明白，而且也没有问。更令人尴尬的是接下来发生的事情。他们在路上争论他们几个谁是最大的。而耶稣刚才正谈论他要受难，以这种方式作他们的仆人来服事。
我们也应该感到尴尬，甚至羞愧。我们对自己评价很高，觉得自己“伟大”，但我们不应该这样。我们以自己获得的成就感到骄傲，而不是从服事中寻找喜乐。我们凌驾于他人之上，而不是把自己放在别人之下，满足他们的需求。保罗在罗马书12章3节说:“不要把自己看得太高，要看得合乎中道”，对自己有一个清醒的判断，意味着你不再自以为是，自以为公义圣洁，自以为比别人更大。很多时候，我们确实如此。
你看到耶稣怎样温柔地纠正他的门徒了吗?他抱着一个小孩子说，“凡为我名接待一个像这小孩子的，就是接待我”。马丁路德曾说，一个母亲给孩子换尿布，比所有修女在修道院唱歌，对神国的贡献还要大。定义我们的不是我们所做的事，不是我们所取得的成就，也不是我们的地位和职分，定义我们的唯独是恩典。神的恩典使我们被基督充满，使我们能放下虚荣、骄傲和野心，去服事他人。
祷告:主耶稣，你的恩典使我成为神的孩子，成为你国度里的君王和祭司。这是我唯一可以夸口的。求你清空我心中虚荣、骄傲，好让我看到服事他人的荣耀。祷告奉你的名。阿们。
Mark 9:30-37: They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. 33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” 36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” (NIV)
As Peter recalled these stories for Mark to write down, he must have been embarrassed that Jesus spoke twice about his death and resurrection, and they just didn’t get it, and didn’t ask. Even more embarrassing is what followed. They had been arguing along the road about which one of them was the greatest, while Jesus had just talked about his becoming a servant for them.
We should be embarrassed, too, and even more, ashamed. We think highly of ourselves, and we shouldn’t. We take pride in our accomplishments instead of finding joy in service. We lord it over others rather than putting ourselves under them and meeting their needs. Paul said in Romans 12:3: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment.” Sober judgment means that you are not full of yourselves. And too often, we are.
Do you see how Jesus gently corrected his disciples? He took a child in his arms and said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little ones in my name welcomes me.” Luther once quipped that a mother changing her child’s diapers did more for the kingdom than all the nuns singing in the monastery. We are not defined by what we do or by what we have accomplished or by our position and office, but by grace alone. Grace leaves us filled with Christ so that we can empty ourselves of our vain ambitions and serve others.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, your grace has made me a child of God and a king and priest in your kingdom. Let this be my only boast. Empty my heart of vain ambitions so that I may see the glory in serving others. I ask this in your name. Amen.