32. The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant, and they were afraid to ask.
33. Jesus and his disciples went to his home in Capernaum. After they were inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you arguing about along the way?”
34. They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest, and so they did not answer.
35. After Jesus sat down and told the twelve disciples to gather around him, he said, “If you want the place of honour, you must become a slave and serve others!”
36. Then Jesus made a child stand near him. He put his arm around the child and said,
37. “When you welcome even a child because of me, you welcome me. And when you welcome me, you welcome the one who sent me.”
38. John said, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to force demons out of people. But he wasn't one of us, and we told him to stop.”
39. Jesus said to his disciples:Don't stop him! No one who performs miracles in my name is going to say something bad about me the next minute.
40. Anyone who isn't against us is for us.
41. And anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name, just because you belong to me, will surely be rewarded.
42. It will be terrible for people who cause even one of my little followers to sin. Those people would be better off thrown into the sea with a heavy stone tied around their necks.
43-44. So if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! You would be better off to go into life crippled than to have two hands and be thrown into the fires of hell that never go out.
45-46. If your foot causes you to sin, chop it off. You would be better off to go into life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.