Those disciples again

One thing I really will have to think through is the sheer hammering the disciples get in Mark 8:27-10:52. Three incidents particularly stand out:

1. 8:27-9:1 As already blogged, Peter gets a hammering for not accepting Jesus' conception of His ministry and trying to correct Him. Jesus is going to offer Himself as the ransom as no man can give anything in exchange for his life (37), even if he had the whole world (36), so Peter's shame at His words is deadly (38), because although some may not taste death before the Kingdom comes (9:1), Jesus will.
2. 9:33-50 The disciples argue about who's greatest and Jesus gives them a simple illustration of greatness - a child, welcoming children, and accepting the ministry of children. John responds to this illustration, perhaps because he feels guilty, or perhaps because he foolishly thinks he can prove he does the right thing, by talking about having stopped some man who was "not following us". Even the "us" gives him away. Then Jesus says, "wrong call - those not against us are for us". Then in vv41-42 He gives two "whoever" teachings. The first is aimed at the surface level mistake John made, although it cuts deeper by teaching the priority of Christ's own Name over "us". But v42 hits deeper, putting the giver of water and the man driving out demons into the category of little ones illustrated by the child of v36: cause one of these to fall away and you're better off dead. But John just did.
3. 10:35-45 Here we go again - but dinner's ready. All I'll say is this: isn't v39 gracious on Jesus' part? Though the brothers arrogance and spiritual blindness is stunning, though they haven't got the servant nature of the kingdom (none of the 12 have, v41), Jesus speaks of their future discipleship - which is, like His Messiahship, death. But they will be - they, like us, can be saved.