34
They were silent. On the road they had argued about who was the greatest.
35
He sat down and called the twelve apostles. He told them, "Whoever wants to be the most important person must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else."
36
Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He put his arms around the child and said to them,
37
"Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."
38
John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us."
39
Jesus said, "Don't stop him! No one who works a miracle in my name can turn around and speak evil of me.
40
Whoever isn't against us is for us.
41
I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward."
42
"These little ones believe in me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck.
43
"So if your hand causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life disabled than to have two hands and go to hell, to the fire that cannot be put out.