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Pentecost Season · Proper 21 · Year B

Mark 9:38-50

Whoever Is Not Against Us and Warnings on Sin

September 26, 2027

The Damned, Luca Signorelli
The Damned, Luca Signorelli, 1499–1502Chapel of San Brizio, Orvieto Cathedral
At Orvieto, and the most physically inventive hell in Italian painting: the demons are painted in greens and greys like bruised flesh, and each one is carrying somebody.If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off: the reading uses the most violent language in the gospels, and Signorelli matched it.Luca SignorelliAn Umbrian painter obsessed with the nude figure in violent motion, whose Orvieto frescoes Michelangelo studied closely.Chapel of San Brizio, Orvieto CathedralA chapel in the cathedral of Orvieto, frescoed by Fra Angelico and then, fifty years later, finished by Signorelli.Chapel of San Brizio, Orvieto Cathedral
Revised Common Lectionary
GospelMark 9:38-50Mk 9:38-50
EpistleJas. 5:13-20Jas 5:13-20
Old TestamentEsth. 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22Est 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22Alt. OTNum. 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29Nm 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29
PsalterPs. 124Ps 124Alt. PsalmPs. 19:7-14Ps 19:7-14

Overview & Insights

"Whoever is not against us is for us." (Mark 9:40)

Jesus tells the disciples not to stop an outsider casting out demons in his name, then warns with vivid images against causing little ones to stumble and against whatever leads oneself into sin, urging his followers to be at peace with one another.

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Commentary

Working Preacher: Commentary on Mark 9:38-50Working Preacher: Commentary on Mk 9:38-50 Working Preacher

Lutheran lectionary commentary on the outsider exorcist and the warnings against stumbling for Year B, Proper 21.

Enduring Word: Mark 9Enduring Word: Mk 9 Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse-by-verse evangelical notes on the whole chapter.

Precept Austin: Mark 9 CommentaryPrecept Austin: Mk 9 Commentary Precept Austin

Deep study page gathering many conservative commentators on Mark 9.

BibleHub: Commentaries on Mark 9:38BibleHub: Commentaries on Mk 9:38 BibleHub

Parallel classic commentaries keyed to the one casting out demons in Jesus' name.

Background & Word Study

BibleProject: Gospel of Mark OverviewBibleProject: Gospel of Mk Overview BibleProject

Animated overview of the message and structure of Mark's Gospel.

BibleHub: Mark 9 InterlinearBibleHub: Mk 9 Interlinear BibleHub

Greek-English interlinear for word-level study of Mark 9.

The Church Fathers

Catena: Mark 9Catena: Mk 9 Catena

Patristic comments gathered verse by verse on Mark 9.

Worship & Prayers

The Lectionary Page: Proper 21B The Lectionary Page

Anglican collect and full set of appointed readings for the day.

Podcast

Working Preacher: Sermon Brainwave Podcast Working Preacher

Weekly lectionary podcast where scholars discuss the appointed texts.

Art & Music

Vanderbilt: Revised Common Lectionary Art Index Vanderbilt

Lectionary art index for visual reflection on the day's readings.

Study Hub

The Text This Week: Proper 21B Textweek

Curated study, art, and preaching hub for Proper 21 in Year B.

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