In Mark 9:38-42 we find Jesus in a conversation with His disciples, an exchange in which His disciples were offended by “someone who was driving out demons” in Jesus’ name.
According to the disciples’ own admission “we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” (v. 38)
In this episode the disciples revealed their narrow-minded exclusivism and insularity — a position Jesus immediately addressed. Note four facts in the disciples’ account: the man operated in the name of Jesus, he was driving out demons, he was not of us, we stopped him.
Jesus’ corrective teaching in this episode is radical. The disciples stopped the man was because “he was not of us.” Jesus did not exclude the man from doing the work of God because he was different. This false notion was condemned, and the Lord gave them new insight: “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (v. 40)
It did not matter that he was not of us, what mattered more was that the man was a co-worker with them. He was not working against them but with them. Jesus paid attention to the work the man was doing — the same work He and His disciples were doing.
Remember Jesus had appointed the twelve to preach and cast out demons (Mark 3:14-15). Clearly the only point of contention for the disciples was that they did not know the man.
How many times have we stopped the work of God because a co-worker “was not of us?” Maybe the man looked differently or had an accent, or perhaps was of a different nationality.
Jesus calmed their fears and reduced their anxieties about the differences by redirecting their attention to the common mission.
Let us avoid this thinking. Remember what is important — it is always about the mission, never about the man.
What do you think?
Junior Spooner is the pastor of Kinnaird Church of God.
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