Death and Resurrection Foretold

³⁰ They went on from there and began to go through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know it, ³¹ because He was teaching His disciples [and preparing them for the future]. He told them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed and handed over to men [who are His enemies], and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise [from the dead] three days later.” ³² But ^[a]they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him [what He meant].

³³ They arrived at Capernaum; and when He was in the ^[b]house, He asked them, “What were you discussing and arguing about on the road?”^{(A) 34} But they kept quiet, because on the road they had discussed and debated with one another which one [of them] was the greatest. ³⁵ Sitting down [to teach], He called the twelve [disciples] and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all [in importance] and a servant of all.” ³⁶ Taking a child, He set him before them; and taking him in His arms, He said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever receives and welcomes one child such as this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives not [only] Me, but Him who sent Me.”^(B)

Dire Warnings

³⁸ John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not accompanying us [as Your disciple].”^{(C) 39} But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. ⁴⁰ For he who is not against us is for us.^{(D) 41} For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he will not lose his reward.

⁴² “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe and trust in Me to stumble [that is, to sin or lose faith], it would be better for him if a heavy millstone [one requiring a donkey’s strength to turn it] were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.^{(E) 43} If your hand causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]! It is better for you to enter life crippled, than to have two hands and go into ^[c]hell, into the unquenchable fire, ^44 [d][where their worm does not die, and the fire is not put out.]^{(F) 45} If your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]! It would be better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell, ^46 [e][where their worm does not die, and the fire is not put out.]^{(G) 47} If your eye causes you to stumble and sin, throw it out [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]! It would be better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸ where their worm [that feeds on the dead] does not die, and the fire is not put out.^(H)

⁴⁹ “For everyone will be salted with fire. ⁵⁰ Salt is good and useful; but if salt has lost its saltiness (purpose), how will you make it salty? Have salt within yourselves continually, and be at peace with one another.”