Mark 9:38 (LSB)

Passage

John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder him because he was not following us.”

Nearby Context

Mark 9:36 And taking a child, He set him before them. And taking him in His arms, He said to them,

Mark 9:37 “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”

Mark 9:38 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder him because he was not following us.”

Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.

Mark 9:40 For he who is not against us is for us.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "john", "said", "teacher", "someone", "casting", "demons", "name", and "tried". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "john" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "Whoever receives one child like this in..." into verse 39's "But Jesus said Do not hinder him...", so "john" and "said" 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 "john" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.