John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”
“Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us. If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.
Only A Mouse Hole?
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. So he, himself, insisted. The gate to eternity is as small as one person. But his followers have always tended to take a human sized doorway and turn it into a mouse hole.
Accept our understanding of the Bible or be damned. Join our group or burn in hell. Dress like us, talk like us, pray like us, live our rules or suffer banishment into the hinterlands of condemnation. I grew up in churches not too unlike this. Many of the people with whom I now worship cannot imagine authentic Christianity any other way; just like Peter, James, John and their little group.
Jesus didn’t reject those who held this egocentric definition of religion, any more than he would allow these same people to reject the “others.” After all, each of us has evil lurking within that needs exposure, forgiveness, and cleansing! That’s the response Jesus offers. Rather than rejecting those who reject, he exposes their error.
The secret to a spirituality that brings life is a life centered in Jesus. We may not belong to the group that has the most complete understanding of Jesus. (The disciples had the advantage of traveling with Jesus for three years. They had a better understanding, but still they frustrated Jesus by their dull minds!) Our understanding may be off base and inaccurate, like it was for many of the early Christians.
The early Christians struggled to get a clear understanding of Jesus, especially his relationship to God. As important as this is, Jesus seems more concerned about whether or not we make him the central authority in our lives. Does he define the nature of our spiritual lives (casting out demons) and our physical lives (cup of cold water)?
Lord Jesus, all through your time on earth you demonstrated your authority over everything, including the grave. I want to accurately understand you, but even more, I submit to your authority in every area of my life today. - Mike Leamon
Get off th
e wagon!No one likes bandwagon jumpers like the people who suddenly are Giants’ fans, since they won the Super Bowl, but previously thought they had no chance at all. Either you liked the Giants and were a real fan before they played the Packers or you were not. I am not a Giants fan. I like the Bills.
True fans support their team in the good years and the bad years. It doesn’t matter what the press, other people at work, or the common guy on the street thinks of their team, they support them. Understandably, true fans get irritated with people who brag about a team they never supported until the team started winning. A true fan knows these people will only be around as long as the party is going on. As soon as the team hits a slump or misses the playoffs they will be gone to the next best thing in town.
Jesus knew this about the people John complains about. But Jesus does not get upset. On the contrary, Jesus is excited people are spreading the word. Perhaps through the process of spreading the word, they will come to personally know the Word. Jesus also knows that soon enough these people will be hurling insults at him instead of hailing him as the Messiah. He knows people are fickle.
Most of the time it is jealousy or pride that drives disciples to complain about other people doing what only disciples had done up to that point. Suddenly, other people; people who have not put in the hard time, are reaping the rewards of praise by ministering in Jesus’ name. Instead of stopping them, Jesus redirects the disciples to reality. It is not about them, it is about Jesus. Being the Messiah means suffering and death. True disciples will stay with Jesus when it hurts, everyone else will turn against him.
Jesus, forgive me for complaining about others who minister in ways I think I should be ministering in. Help me to keep my eyes on you and to stand with you through good times and bad. Help me to remember each day, ministry is not about me looking good, it is about you being glorified. - Dan Jones
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