Mark 9:35 (DRB)

Passage

And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them. Whom when he had embraced, he saith to them:

Nearby Context

Mark 9:33 But they held their peace, for in the way they had disputed among themselves, which of them should be the greatest.

Mark 9:34 And sitting down, he called the twelve and saith to them: If any man desire to be first, he shall be the last of all and be minister of all.

Mark 9:35 And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them. Whom when he had embraced, he saith to them:

Mark 9:36 Whosoever shall receive one such child as this in my name receiveth me. And whosoever shall receive me receiveth not me but him that sent me.

Mark 9:37 John answered him, saying: Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, who followeth not us: and we forbade him.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 34's "And sitting down he called the twelve..." into verse 36's "Whosoever shall receive one such child as...", so "taking" and "child" 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 "taking" and "child" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.