Mark 9:28-47

²⁸When Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn't we drive it out?”

²⁹“A spirit of this kind,” he said, “can be driven out only by prayer.”

³⁰Leaving that place, Jesus and his disciples went on their way through Galilee; but he did not wish anyone to know it,

³¹for he was instructing his disciples, and telling them — “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of his fellow men, and they will put him to death, but, when he has been put to death, he will rise again after three days.”

³²But the disciples did not understand his meaning and were afraid to question him.

³³They came to Capernaum. When Jesus had gone into the house, he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”

³⁴But they were silent; for on the way they had been arguing with one another which was the greatest.

³⁵Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wishes to be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all.”

³⁶Then Jesus took a little child, and placed it in the middle of them. Taking it in his arms, he said to them,

³⁷“Anyone who, for the sake of my name, welcomes even a little child like this is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming not me, but him who sent me as his messenger.”

³⁸“Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons by using your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he did not follow us.”

³⁹“None of you must prevent the man,” answered Jesus, “for no one will use my name in working a miracle, and yet find it easy to speak evil of me.

⁴⁰He who is not against us is for us.

⁴¹If anyone gives you a cup of water because you belong to Christ, I tell you, he will assuredly not lose his reward.

⁴²“And, if anyone puts temptation in the way of one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be far better for him if he had been thrown into the sea with a great millstone around his neck.

⁴³If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter the life maimed, than to have both your hands and go into Gehenna, into the fire that cannot be put out.

⁴⁵ If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter the life lame, than to have both your feet and be thrown into Gehenna.

⁴⁷ If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It would be better for you to enter the kingdom of God with only one eye, than to have both eyes and be thrown into Gehenna,