Mark 9:38-41

³⁸ “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

This seems to go back to the heart of what the disciples were having a pointless argument about. We saw someone... and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us. Remember, their argument a few verses prior to this was about who among them was the greatest (answer... none of them were... the whole point is to look to Jesus). What's ironic is you go back a bit further and the disciples themselves were unable to cast out an evil spirit, being told that it only happens because of prayer, which is the ultimate act of looking to who? Jesus. Period.

Right before this story, Jesus took a little one in His lap. The Bible doesn't just come out and say it, but you really get the impression that Jesus absolutely loved doing this, and you get the impression that He was really popular with them. If you're a toddler superstar, by the way, take it as a good indication that you're a lot like Jesus! The Kingdom... and all its power and riches... belongs to them!

So, then there's this man who is exercising the power of Jesus' Name to cast out demons. I read this story and am left with the impression that whoever this was, he was embracing the very simple-yet-powerful truth of Jesus at face value. He has power over the forces of evil! In His Name the disciples had cast out evil spirits in the past. Somehow, although we're not told a lot about this man, he embraced the power of that Name at face value and participated in Jesus' liberation of mankind from the powers of darkness. Without this kind of simple, child-like, face-value faith, the man couldn't have done this. And with such faith, powerful things can happen, and people become allies with God! "... whoever is not against us is for us."

I take a few takeaways from this.

1. It isn't about me, or us. If we just look at ourselves for making choices or exercising power, we'll fall flat on our faces (see: disciples trying to cast out the demon at the base of the mountain, Peter trying to figure out what to do when he saw the transfiguration, the disciples arguing about who was the greatest when a little child blew them away).
2. It is about Jesus. Listen to Him. Call upon Him in simple trust, realizing that I have absolutely no power over anything in life if it weren't for Him.
3. Do not oppose those who are partnering with Christ. They will speak and do things that couldn't be done if it weren't for Christ. Even if I don't like it or feel threatened by it, I have no business opposing people who are obediently following Christ. Hey, if it isn't of Christ, it's doom to fail anyway, so why should I concern myself over it? The point is to stop depending on my self to judge these things anyway.

Father, get my eyes of me, and train them to stay on you. I am nothing. You are everything. Please, Jesus, transform my attitude and my life. Holy Spirit, baptize me and enable me to focus on You alone and to build up those who focus on You alone. Fling laboring harvesters into Your harvest field... begin with me!