Mark 9:40 (WEB)

Passage

For whoever is not against us is on our side.

Nearby Context

Mark 9:38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.”

Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me.

Mark 9:40 For whoever is not against us is on our side.

Mark 9:41 For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.

Mark 9:42 Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his neck.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whoever", "against", and "side". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whoever" and "against", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "But Jesus said Don t forbid him..." into verse 41's "For whoever will give you a cup...", so "whoever" and "against" 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 "whoever" and "against" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.