Acquiring Greatness

Καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Καφαρναούμ. καὶ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ γενόμενος ἐπηρώτα αὐτούς: τί ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ διελογίζεσθε; οἱ δὲ ἐσιώπων: πρὸς ἀλλήλους γὰρ διελέχθησαν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ τίς μείζων. Kαὶ καθίσας ἐφώνησεν τοὺς δώδεκα, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς: εἴ τις θέλει πρῶτος εἶναι, ἔσται πάντων ἔσχατος καὶ πάντων διάκονος. Kαὶ λαβὼν παιδίον ἔστησεν αὐτὸ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐναγκαλισάμενος αὐτὸ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς: ὃς ἂν ἓν τῶν τοιούτων παιδίων δέξηται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται: καὶ ὃς ἂν ἐμὲ δέχηται, οὐκ ἐμὲ δέχεται ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με. Οἱ μαθητὰι ἔτι ἀνθρωπικώτερα φρονοῦτες, διεφιλονείκουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους περὶ τοῦ, ποῖος αὐτων μείζων ἐστὶ καὶ προτιμότερος παρὰ τῷ Χριστῷ. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος τὴν μὲν ἐπιθυμίαν τὴν τῆς προτιμήσεως οὐ κωλύει. Θέλει γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐπιθυμεῖν τοῦ ἡψηλοτέρου βαθμοῦ. Οὐ μέντοι ἁρπάζειν ἡμᾶς βούλεται τὰ πρωτεῖα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ταπεινώσεως μᾶλλον κατακτᾶσθαι τὸ ὑψηλόν. Παιδίον γὰρ ἔστησεν εἰς τὸ μέσον, καὶ κατ' ἐκεῖνο γενέσθαι καὶ ἡμᾶς βούλεται. Τὸ γὰρ παιδίον· οὔτε δόξης ἐφίεται, οὔτε φθονεῖ οὔτε μνησικακεῖ. Καὶ οὐ μόνον, φησὶν, ἐὰν αὐτοὶ τοιοῦτοι γενήσεσθε, μισθὸν λήψεσθε μέγαν, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἑτέρους τοιούτους τιμήσητε δι' ἐμὲ, βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν ἀντιλάβοιτε. Ἐμὲ γὰρ δέχεσθε· ἐμὲ δὲ δεχόμενοι, δέχεσθε τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με. Ὁρᾷς οὖν πόσα δύναται ἡ ταπείνωσις, καὶ τὸ ἄπλαστον τοῦ τρόπου καὶ ἄδολον. Τὸν Υἱον γὰρ καὶ τὸν Πατέρα ἐνοικίζει ἐν ἡμῖν. Πρόδηλον δὲ ὅτι καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Θεοφύλακτος Αχρίδος, Ἑρμηνεία Εἰς Τὸ Κατά Μάρκον Εὐαγγέλιον, Κεφ' Θ' Source: Migne PG 123.589c-d

They came to Capernaum, and when they were in the house, He asked them: What did you talk of in the way? They were silent, for in the way they had argued among themselves about who was the greatest. Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them: 'If any man wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.' And taking a child, He set him in the midst of them, and having embraced him, He said to them: 'Whoever shall receive one child like this in my name, he receives me. And whoever receives me, receives not me, but Him who sent me. 1 The disciples who were yet thinking in human terms, argued in the way about who was greater and more worthy to be with Christ. Now the Lord did not prohibit the desire for eminence, for He wishes us to aspire to come to a higher rank, but He does not want us to seize the first places as if they were plunder, but rather He wishes us to acquire the higher places by humility. For having placed the boy in the midst of them, He wishes us to become like him. For the boy does not desire glory, nor envies, not bears grudges. And not only, He says, if you become so will you receive a great reward, but if you honour these other ones because of me, you shall obtain the kingdom of heaven. For he who receives me, receives the one who sent me. See, then, how much humility can do, and simplicity and conduct which is without deceit. For it makes the Son and the Father dwell in us. 2 And most manifestly the Holy Spirit. Theophylact of Ochrid, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Mark, Chapter 9 1 Mk 9.31-36 2 Jn 14.23