Luke 9:46-50
Summary for Luke 9:46-50: 9:46-50 a The disciples’ failure to apprehend Jesus’ impending death was now illustrated by their pride and selfishness. 9:46 b Jesus had just predicted his own suffering and death, so the disciples’ arguing about which of them was the greatest showed astonishing pride and insensitivity.9:47 c Jesus knew their thoughts: See 5:22 d; 7:39-40 e.
9:48 f Anyone who welcomes a little child: To welcome means to bestow honor and to treat as a social equal. The statement is shocking, since children in Jesus’ day had no social status in the community and were viewed as their parents’ property. Jesus took the lowest and most vulnerable members of society and announced that welcoming them was equivalent to welcoming him.
• on my behalf (literally in my name): This means “as my representative.”
• Whoever is the least among you is the greatest: True leadership in Jesus’ Kingdom is achieved through sacrificial service, not the exercise of power (see also Mark 10:42-45 g).
9:50 h Anyone who is not against you is for you: Though not one of the Twelve, the man who was casting out demons was not to be discouraged since he, too, was proclaiming the message of the Kingdom. The statement was proverbial, however, and not an absolute truth, as Jesus made the inverse statement in 11:23 i. Wisdom is needed to apply a proverb properly in a given situation.
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