Mark 9:30-37

Of the Gospels, Mark casts the disciples in the poorest light. In this week's passage, for instance, they argue about who is the greatest. When Jesus asks them what they're talking about, "they kept quiet" (9:34). This silence allows Jesus to speak about what accounts for greatness, welcoming little children, and the inclusive character of the kin-dom. Jonathan and Seth discuss first-century views on children compared to today and how welcoming a child would have been radically countercultural in a world that necessitated productivity to ensure survival.