This is a fun passage. Jesus spends the travel time teaching his disciples about how he is going to be betrayed and murdered meanwhile the disciples spend their time bickering over who is more awesome.

If Jesus had an emoji it would be a forehead smack. They just don’t get it.

There is the slight possibility that our disciples have inappropriate coping skills like telling vulgar jokes at funerals but given our disciples extensive history of being more concerned about themselves than say… feeding people, that is probably not the case.

It’s no wonder Jesus grabs a child to use as an example. His disciples are acting like children. They don’t want to learn so instead they engage in self-destructive behaviors. I feel like Jesus is on a never-ending road trip with twelve petulant children. But, in the disciples defense, what Jesus is trying to teach the disciples is not an easy thing. He is trying to teach them to go against their instincts, go against their traditions, go against their human logic, and try to understand the unfathomable. God is walking on earth with them and you can love EVERYONE.

But that’s way too hard for children to comprehend. For every person we are told to love we want to stick a but into the sentence because loving is everyone is just too hard.

Jesus isn’t necessarily telling us this is okay, just that he understands. So, he tries to frame it in another way. “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who went me.”

Thanks for that clarification, Jesus. But we still want to rely on faith not requiring any action. Faith might not, but love does. Love is not just words. Love is action.

Gary Chapman wrote this fun book called the 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts published way back in 1990. He breaks down the way we show how we love someone into 5 different categories. These ways in which we express and receive love are not just for romantic couple but like God tells us, they are supposed to apply to ALL loving relationships. Which, if you recall is: love everybody. No buts, just love everybody in thought word and deed.

#1. Words of affirmation. Some people like to hear that they are loved. Repeatedly and nearly constantly. They need that verbal reminder or they forget. Do you say you love God? Do you pray?

#2. Quality Time. Great start cause here you are today! But what do you do with the rest of your week to show you love God? Do you specifically set aside time to study your Bible, gather with God’s people?

#3. Physical Touch. Do you physically touch one another? I’m not talking just hugging. But being physically present, sit with someone who just needs company not your words filling the air raising the temperature of the room.

#4. Acts of Service. What have you done for all those around you? Fed the poor, clothed the naked, held a door for a stranger,

#5. Receiving Gifts. Notice the language on this one. Receiving. It isn’t giving gifts, it’s receiving them. Some people really struggle with this one, they want to give but not receive which is then causing insult to the giver damaging their relationships.

Do you readily receive God’s gifts? Are you baptized? Do you show up for communion? Do you accept and live your life as if you are a forgiven person? Do you live as if you have been promised eternal life and they only way you can get it is if you live this life with faith and love.

Notice how only one of these is words. We say we are Christians. We say we love but do we? Everyone has their favorite love language but if that’s all we ever get, it’s not really love. Faith is the foundation of our well faith… but it isn’t the end. It’s the beginning.

While Gary’s book isn’t the be all end all of love, it is a decent summary of it. Love must flow bidirectionally and along multiple paths. An overused path gets congested.

Just like God’s love, the words aren’t always first. God was there in the beginning and will be there in the end. If all someone ever does is tell you they love you and then strike you across the face and demean you, that’s not love. God tells us how much he loves us over and over and over again but it doesn’t end there.

God gives us unlimited quality time. Do you have any idea how many hours God has listened to me pray? Walked with me? Every moment, every day, you need God, call for him, he’s there.

God holds us when we need it. Comforts us in times of sorrow, rejoices with us in times of celebration. Sends us angels in the form of humans, animals, clouds, birds, whatever we need to feel his presence if we believe.

Do I really need to talk about acts of service? What has God done for you lately? He gave you me! Yeh, I’m the gift that just keeps on giving. You’re welcome.

Which brings us to last but not least, receiving gifts. What gifts have you given to God lately? We give our tithes and offerings. These are the monetary portions of that which God provides to us that we give back. As much we may appreciate gift cards and cash, these are not the only gifts we give. Handing over an envelope of cash is not the same kind of loving gift as a hand-made card, a homemade meal, a good foot massage, or doing the laundry. Gifts to God, like gifts to our loved one’s, come in all different shapes and forms. What makes them gifts is that they come from the heart.

Jesus frequently compares the disciples to children because we act like children. We forget. We argue over stupid things trying to create an excuse why we shouldn’t or can’t love someone. We argue with each other over which one of us is more pious, more pure, who’s the greatest. And we forget that whoever wants to be first must be the servant of all. Love all. Because if we can’t grasp loving one another, we can’t grasp that Jesus died for ALL of us.

You, me, that weirdo sitting next to you. The one’s on the street corner. The one’s who are camping or vacationing instead of in church. We are to show love in every way to every person Jesus died for.

“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” It starts with welcoming God’s children before we can welcome Jesus.

Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Physical Touch, Acts of Service, and Receiving of Gifts. You can argue over which one is the greatest but you’ll have missed the point. They are all necessary because they are all present in how God loves us.

May, the Lord bless you and keep you;
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you
And be gracious to you;
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you
And give you peace

Prediction of the Passion: Mark 9:30-37