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.