GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 9:33
Resolution Strategy
Alice and I have three sons: Erick, Paul, and David. Most of the houses we lived in with our growing family had three bedrooms, so two of the boys had to share a room, which usually worked out well. “Usually” is the operative word. As they grew, they eventually outgrew their father. This arrangement meant that any serious disagreement between them—which was rare—had to be settled in the backyard, where scuffed grass could be easily repaired rather than broken walls or damaged doors. (Am I getting this right, guys?) It was often difficult for us as their parents to determine what had caused the scuffed turf.
Mark described Jesus and his disciples’ trip through Galilee to Capernaum, a journey of roughly 30 to 40 miles that probably took one or two days. Along the road, the disciples—maybe to pass the time—engaged in a discussion. “And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house, he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’” (Mark 9:33) There are two closely related words frequently used by the New Testament writers, which translators usually render as “discuss.” Mark used one of these words in this sentence, and he used the other word in the following sentence. The exploratory discussion as they walked along, but rat word Mark used here suggests that Jesus perceived the disciples were not engaging in an her in a disagreement—a debate, an argument understood negatively.
It is not unusual for disagreements to arise even in the closest families, groups, or organizations. The important thing, however, is how they resolve the issue. It becomes clear later what the disciples were arguing about, but one crucial point is that they didn’t rupture the tight-knit group over the topic. In fact, they eventually resolved this topic in an exemplary fashion—they talk it through, an important lesson.
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