Mark 9:36 (ASV)

Passage

And he took a little child, and set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them,

Nearby Context

Mark 9:34 But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another on the way, who [was] the greatest.

Mark 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve; and he saith unto them, If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Mark 9:36 And he took a little child, and set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them,

Mark 9:37 Whosoever shall receive one of such little children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

Mark 9:38 John said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "took", "little", "child", "midst", "taking", "arms", and "said". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "took" and "little", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 35's "And he sat down and called the..." into verse 37's "Whosoever shall receive one of such little...", so "took" and "little" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "took" and "little" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.