Mark, Day Fifteen

Mark 9:30-50

• The disciples "discuss" (v. 33, NASB) who of them is the greatest, but at least they have the sense not to tell Jesus that's what they've been discussing.  Maybe they're learning something.  Jesus, though, knows, and tells them the first shall be last, last shall be first.  So stop being such ego-heads.  Why, then, does the church attract egomaniacs?  I'm sure you've seen them. 
• Jesus also says, "Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me" (v. 37).  And as a mom, this warms my heart toward Jesus, because that's one of my greatest desires - that people receive my children openly, kindly, lovingly.  And when they don't, it breaks my heart.  But when they do receive my children in that beautiful way, they are also receiving me.  So I get Jesus here.  We should be receiving all people (who are all God's children) the way we want our children to be received.
• Then the disciples complain about someone casting out demons in Jesus' name.  Which seems ridiculous.  But points to our tendency to exclude those who don't have it right by our standards.  But Jesus says, "he who is not against us is for us."  Again, opening his arms rather than closing them. 
• But then there's a lot of hell talk, and that just perplexes me.  At this point, I don't subscribe to the eternal conscious torment view of hell, but I don't have a strong theology of hell (or against hell) either, so I'm never sure how to address people who do, other than to say, "well, I don't believe that."  Not that I expect my belief to be necessarily right.  But I cannot reconcile a loving God with an eternal torturer.  This is one area where I should probably read more widely and intentionally so I have a better answer for this.  Maybe Razing Hell by Sharon Baker.  I bet I can't get that from the library, though.