One of Us.

Luke 9:49-50

"'Master,' said John, 'we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him because he was not one of us.'

'Do not stop him,' Jesus said, 'for whoever is not against you is for you.'"

Whoa. Wait a sec. What happened there? John, and evidently the other disciples as well, seem to have got a little mixed up over the mission. Didn't Jesus send them out to heal the sick and cast demons out of the populace? Suddenly, someone else shows up who has come alongside them to do the same, in the same manner, and the focus of the mission shifts away from delivering people from their afflictions. Suddenly it is more important to be "one of us" than it is to do what Jesus said to go do.

Now, certainly I can understand a little bit of what the disciples may have been concerned about. I mean, after all, what do we really know about this character? We don't know him, remember? How do we know he isn't some kind of horrible person? The town drunk, or the jerk next door that yells at his kids and kicks the cat? Is that really the person we want to be broadcasting the name of Jesus all over the known world?

This I think is something that is important to note. John and the disciples are not upset with this man for trying to cast out demons in Jesus' name. They are upset because he is doing it. Because this man is commanding demons to leave in the name of Jesus, and the demons are fleeing. This tells me two things that the disciples probably ought have paid a little attention to: a) Just a guess, but I'm sort of thinking that it was Jesus and the power of his name that was casting out the demons, and this stranger was merely the tool that was employed to bring freedom to afflicted souls. b) That it probably doesn't matter what sort of fellow this man was. He was using the name of Jesus, knowing it had power, and the Lord honored that.

After all, if Jesus only used perfect vessels, where would any of us be besides tossed in the trash? Tax-collectors, prostitutes, the unwashed and unclean all carried out his purposes, and did he not love them dearly? He even embraced into the fold a man who was a notorious murderer of his beloved children! How likely is it that some stranger on the street could compare with any of those?

Taken with a grain of salt, I would imagine that what the disciples missed here was that the important thing is not who is wielding the name, but what he is doing with it, and this mission is something that Jesus clearly approved. He who is not against you is for you. "Guys, quit nitpicking and leave the dude alone! He's doing the same thing I told you to do! Be happy he's helping me, would you?"

Anyway. Food for thought.

Much love,

Anna Grace