must lose them (Mark 8:35). Those who belong to God’s kingdom must become like little children (9:37; 10:15). It is impossible for those who rely on their own resources to enter God’s kingdom (10:24, 25). Being “first,” Jesus told His disciples, consisted of serving others—being “last” in ordinary terms (9:35). In today’s passage, Jesus brings these ideas together for His disciples. He will tell them again what it means to be great in God’s kingdom. More particularly, He will tell them why in God’s