Mark 9:1 really belongs in the previous chapter with Jesus’ reference to His return in glory with the holy angels. He goes on here to state that some of those currently listening to Him would not taste death until they had seen the kingdom of God come with power.
Some understand this reference to seeing the kingdom of God come as referring to Jesus’ second coming. But that makes it challenging to see how any of His listeners could still be alive now. More likely, He is referring to Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. He could also be referring to the event that follows this proclamation: the Mount of Transfiguration.
The Mount of Transfiguration
As Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and His date with the cross, He took Peter, James, and John and went up onto a high mountain. While they were there, Jesus was transfigured before them, and His clothes became whiter than white. And, to top it off, Moses and Elijah joined Him for a conversation.
The disciples were understandably terrified, and Peter blurted out the first thing that came to mind. He wanted to set up three tents, one each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. On the surface, that seems strange. But these tents were likely meant to honor each of the three. If Israel had something like a Mount Rushmore, Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets, would have prominent places. What Peter was doing was putting Jesus on par with them, a high honor indeed.
Then God spoke. And He identified Jesus as His Son, a place that was much greater than the place Moses and Elijah occupied. They were great men who had faithfully served God. But they were just men. Jesus, on the other hand, was God’s Son. There was no comparison.
A Stubborn Demon
When Jesus came down off the mountain, He found a crowd around His disciples. Two things seem to be going on. Some scribes (experts in the law) are arguing with His disciples. And there was a man who had brought his son to them to have a demon cast out. Something they were unable to do.
These two things seem to be related. The scribes may have argued that the disciples’ inability to cast out demons proved they lacked authority. And maybe, by extension, that their rabbi, Jesus, also lacked that authority.
Jesus did cast out the demon, demonstrating His authority to do so. But it seems this was a particularly stubborn type of demon, one who would only come out by prayer. The specific type of demon is unclear. And it would seem we have no ability on our own to cast any demon out. So we should never attempt this without prayer and in the name of our Lord.
Who Is the Greatest?
As Jesus traveled with His disciples, He continued to teach them. In particular, He repeated His words to them concerning His coming death and resurrection. But they still did not get it. A general resurrection at the end of the age was a popular view among the Jews of that day, especially the Pharisees. But an individual resurrection before that was inconceivable to them.
At the same time that Jesus taught about His coming death, His disciples argued about which of them was the greatest. They were expecting Jesus to establish a physical kingdom. And, since they were His closest companions, they expected to have positions of prominence in His kingdom. So, which of them were best qualified to assume the most powerful and prestigious positions?
Jesus’ response to them was surely confusing and contrary to everything they knew. Greatness in the kingdom of God is based on service. The one who is the greatest is the one who serves the most. This is a lesson that we still struggle to incorporate. All too often, our ideas of greatness in the kingdom are based on human standards of greatness rather than service to others.
Not One of Us
John tried to turn this uncomfortable conversation around, pointing out how zealous they were for Him. Someone was casting out demons in Jesus’ name, but he was not one of them. So they tried to stop him. But Jesus chastised them for their attitude.
How like many of Jesus’ followers today. How often do we criticize those who follow Jesus but are in a different tradition?
Temptation to Sin
Mark 9 closes with Jesus warning against causing someone else to sin, or allowing things to remain in your own life that might lead you to sin. Causing others to sin is a serious matter. Jesus tells us that we would be better off to die than to be the cause of sin.
What about my own sin? Jesus is adamant that we should remove anything from our own lives that would lead us into sin. He uses the example of body parts. But this could just as likely be other people or activities.
Jesus refers here to being cast into hell. The word translated here (and throughout the gospels) as hell is Gehenna, a valley outside of Jerusalem. This was a place where child sacrifice had been practiced, and it had a bad reputation. Many today understand it as being a garbage dump during the time of Jesus, a place of impurity. A place where fires burned continuously, and the flies and maggots were in plentiful supply. Whatever was thrown into Gehenna was consumed by the fire and worms. This would have been a vivid picture in Jesus’ day of the fate awaiting those who practiced sin.
