Misunderstanding II

Misunderstanding II

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.”” - Mark 9:38
Now what’s wrong with this picture? I mean, I don’t have a lot of experience on casting out demons (don’t want it either), but I’m guessing that casting them out would be a good thing, don’t you? Yet those who knew Jesus best wanted to stop it from happening because the people weren’t following them. I believe there is more to this passage than us just seeing how self absorbed the disciples were with the thought of being leaders. I believe it is to warn us of the very same thing, especially those with a leadership role. I wanted to make the point in my last blog how we can move from a position of authority based on tradition that can blind us from what is being said. It seems that some people are so zealous about what they stand for (like the disciples and who should cast out demons), that they are blind to what actually matters most. Mercy and not sacrifice or religious ritual (Matt. 9:16, Hosea 6:6).
Jesus continues in this account and says “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. “For he who is not against us is for us. Mark 9:39 - 40
Why are we so quick to take sides against those who don’t see eye to eye with us? Paul didn’t care why Jesus was being preached or even if their motives were to harm him, only that Jesus was being preached (Phil 1:18) We should of course rightly divide and explain the word of truth, but we need to be careful that we do not focus so much on how things are done that we lose sight on what is being done, like casting out a demon! (Which is much worse than the flu by the way).
In my last blog I asked, what does the phrase mean in scripture “the word of God” or to “preach the word?” Well a friend commented back with what I thought was a great answer. “The good news that the LORD God would send His Servant to bear our sins, and that this good news was for all people, and that He would die, be raised and return to establish His Kingdom on this earth is all in Isaiah. These were the Scriptures Paul used to reason with the Jews in the synagogues as he traveled and spread that good news. And Jesus is the Word made flesh, so preaching the Word is preaching Jesus.” - Amen
"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise," (Eph 1:13).
The word, is the gospel message.

If you answered along those lines give yourself an “A”