Let’s be real. The disciples were jealous. Really jealous.
They saw a man driving out demons in the name of Jesus. And they are just recovering from the humiliation of not being able to drive out a demon in a boy and causing a scene. Furthermore they had just fought over who was the greatest and Jesus had to sit them down and teach them, again, that the greatest was the one who served the most. Not who was the most famous, the wealthiest, had the most power, etc…
Then Jesus says some things that have me asking, “What does he mean?”
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward (Mark 9:38-41).
I get the part where he tells his disciples to not stop the man. Deliverance and service was not their claim to fame. This was a role and responsibility to be shared by all. It was about helping someone in need and glorify God who did it. Not glorifying themselves.
The rebuke was rightly served.
But what about the other parts.
“No one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterword to speak evil of me.”
Every faith proclaims miracles. But we do see here that there is an emphasis of “in my name.”
Someone who does deliverance and miracles in the name of Jesus is doing so because they are walking with Jesus and in his power. There was a time when someone was doing deliverance not in the name of Jesus and the demons attacked and brutalized them (Acts 19).
The main point was for the disciples to humble themselves. They weren’t the only ones on the planet doing the work of God.
But Jesus had an encouragement to them as well.
41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
He wants to encourage them that they aren’t just a nameless group of people. They are special to him. It’s just that they need a whole lot more humility and understanding that following Jesus wasn’t about position or titles, it was about service.
But they also were special. Anyone who blessed them and gave them a drink of water because they belonged to Christ would also be blessed. They were still his chosen disciples.
But chosen wasn’t about position and honor. It was about humility and service.
Even to the point of laying one’s life down in self-sacrifice for others.
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THIS IS A TEST