The disciples may have had some understanding after their failure to cast out the demon that prayer is a matter of “not I but Christ,” that prayer implies that we deny ourselves and realize that we are nothing, that we can do nothing, and that we need to be replaced by Christ. In order to be replaced by Him, we need to pray that the Lord will come in and be everything to us. However, we cannot be trained to practice this only by one instance, for a particular case is limited in what it can accomplish. Therefore, in 9:33-37 we have another case—the teaching concerning humility—in which the same point is emphasized.
Mark 9:33 and 34 say, “And they came into Capernaum. And when He was in the house, He questioned them, What were you reasoning about on the road? And they were silent, for they had argued with one another on the road who was greater.” None of the disciples dared to say anything. But the Lord already knew that they had been disputing concerning who among them was greater. Then the Lord went on to teach concerning humility. “He called the twelve and said to them, If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all” (v. 35). Then He took a young child, set him in their midst, took him in His arms, and said to them, “Whoever receives one of such young children in My name, receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me, but Him who sent Me” (vv. 36-37). By taking the young child in His arms the Lord expressed His humanity in His tender love toward the little ones.
Do you realize what humility is? Like prayer, humility means that we are nothing. Humility means “no longer I, but Christ.”
Here the Lord is teaching the disciples the same lesson as in the case that involved the casting out of the dumb spirit. The disciples had seen the vision concerning Christ’s Person, His death to terminate them, and His resurrection to bring Him in as their replacement. But even though this vision had been revealed to them, they still needed to practice it. In the matter of casting out demons, they needed to practice the vision by praying. To pray is to testify that it is “no longer I, but Christ.” Regarding the matter of greatness, the disciples needed to practice the vision by learning humility. When they were debating concerning who was greater, they were neglecting the vision of Christ as their replacement and the vision of His death annulling them and His resurrection supplying them. Therefore, it was necessary for the Lord to train them to practice the vision concerning Himself as their replacement.
In 9:38 John, one of the sons of thunder, suddenly said to the Lord, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name who does not follow us, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.” This was John’s impetuous act as a son of thunder. This act was against the virtue of the Slave-Savior whom he accompanied. John’s attitude was like that of Joshua in Numbers 11:28.
It may have been John’s intention to change the subject. The debate about who was greater may have been instigated by the two sons of thunder, James and John. I believe that they played a leading role in this argument.
Instead of rebuking John, the Lord Jesus responded in a very wise manner. The remainder of the verses in this chapter (vv. 39-50) are devoted to the Lord’s response to what John said in verse 38.
In verse 39 the Lord Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for there is no one who shall do a work of power in My name and be able soon to speak evil of Me.” This is the Slave-Savior’s tolerance, in the practice of the gospel service, toward His believers who were different from those closer to Him. In this aspect the Apostle Paul’s attitude in Philippians 1:16-18 and that of Moses in Numbers 11:26-29 are like His, but not that of the impetuous John.
It is very meaningful that this section, from verse 38 through verse 50, continues the section of verses 33 through 37, where the Slave-Savior taught His disciples humility because they argued with one another concerning who was greater. In that argument the two sons of thunder, James and John, probably played the leading roles (see 10:35-45). It was the same John who would not tolerate a differing believer. This impetuous action was probably related to his ambition to be great. It may have been this ambition that caused his intolerance toward the different practice of other believers. This is a basic divisive factor among Christians. The Slave-Savior surely would not go along with John in this matter.