<p>9:38<em> John said to him: Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in your name and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us</em>- Mark inserts at this point the question about a man casting out demons although 'not following us' (Mk. 9:38-42). The Lord rebukes them for this and goes on to warn them about not offending little ones. In Matthew, that warning follows straight on from the teaching about the need to receive little ones- as if refusing to receive them is what makes them stumble. The case raised by the disciples, as it were in protest at His teaching about receiving little ones, was presumably one of John's disciples. Although they had a different spiritual culture, history and even doctrinal understanding, the Lord had earlier likened both His and John's disciples to children in the marketplace working in parallel, presenting the same message in different ways. They were admittedly immature in some ways and in parts of their doctrinal understanding, but the Lord is teaching that this is what made John's disciples &quot;little ones&quot;, and they must still be accepted. The Lord warns twice in that section in Mk. 9:38-42: &quot;Forbid him not&quot;. This is the same as saying 'Receive him, do not forbid him from entering your circle'. It is the same word which the Lord will go on to use in Mt. 19:14 about not forbidding another group of &quot;little children&quot;. The Jewish world was to be condemned exactly because they hindered or forbad s.w. men to enter the Kingdom (Lk. 11:52- see on 18:7&nbsp;<em>Woe to the world</em>). Peter surely alludes to the Lord's teaching when reasoning: &quot;Who can forbid water&quot; that Gentiles be baptized (Acts 10:47). Refusing baptism to those not considered good, ready or mature enough is surely a way of forbidding and not receiving little ones.</p>