“Addressing a Non-Teammate” (Luke 9:49-50)

     We can tell the tree by its fruit. The good fruit that an amateur produces is already a proof that God sanctions His work and is with him despite his unofficial status. Someone who is guided by the Spirit of God cannot desecrate the things of God.

     John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he doesn’t follow with us.” Jesus said to him, “Don’t forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us.” (Luke 9:49-50)

An Amateur on the Loose

     John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name” (49a).

     Like the disciples, we also get surprised and become jealous whenever we see others excelling at the talents we thought were exclusively ours. We feel threatened when we see that they’re able to think the way we do, appreciate the things that we appreciate, and see things as keenly as we can. We may be uniquely and undeniably good, but there may also be other people out there who are exactly like us.

     Though we’re different, there’s a certain point wherein our minds would meet, wherein we would be inclined to think in the same particular direction or fashion. Something that is universally good will be unanimously seen by all of us as good despite our differences in culture, upbringing, perspective, temperament, and frame of mind. That makes the thing in question legit.

     Thus, we can tell whether someone does a legitimate work of God no matter how unpopular he is. We can smell whether he is for real by just using our common sense, that often overlooked and underused reliable gauge in judging situations and characters. It is only our bias, preconceived notions, and ill feelings that will dismiss him as otherwise.

Critical Reception: Negative

     “And we forbade him because he doesn’t follow with us” (49b).

     Some of us who have become so used and comfortable in our own little world where we are acclaimed by everyone think that everything in it is the ultimate reality and that no one can already equal or surpass us. We’ve become so used to the admiration, adulation, and respect that it always comes as a surprise to us when someone as good or better comes our way. And when this happens, our world seems to fall apart because we’re not ready.

     Compliments are nice. Being, from time to time, recognized, appreciated, affirmed of our worth, and confirmed of our strengths can be a good respite from our struggles and the tediousness of our tasks. We can draw inspiration from genuine positive feedback to our good work so that we can carry on with it no matter how hard.

     But we shouldn’t allow compliments to go into our heads. They can have devastating effects if we’re not good at handling them. We shouldn’t absorb compliments like a sponge and make them our food, so much so that we become reliant on them. If we don’t watch it, we may find ourselves living in an alternate universe, in a world of make-believe. It’s definitely not good for our brain.

     John and his fellow disciples proved to be poor handlers of compliments. They have become intoxicated with the little power and influence that they have acquired as close associates of Jesus that they’ve already set themselves as punishers of those who would dare make unauthorized use of His name.

     John betrayed his emotions when he told Jesus that they’ve just stopped some joker who imitates their feats using His name. He was being spontaneous; out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth spoke.

     ‘Twas pride, prejudice, and jealousy which was the source of his and his fellow disciples’ energy to castigate the newcomer for simply imitating them. For all they know, the latter might have looked up to them and was just seeking validation, approval, and perhaps a chance to be part of their team. If the disciples had an ounce of decency, they would have been calm, just chuckled at the absurdity that the guy is, and let the whole thing slide. They wouldn’t have made a big deal about it.

     But they did. Their series of actions proved their sinful attitude: They looked down on the fledgling worker and did what they can to rid themselves of this looming threat to their relevance and——to someone like Judas Iscariot——livelihood. At the same time, they stooped down to his level to actually engage him instead of just ignoring him. They labeled him as nothing even though, to them, he is something. If not, they wouldn’t have done what they did. Ironic.

     The disciples looked upon the man with suspicion although there is absolutely nothing to suspect him of. They started to hallucinate and see things that are not actually present. They immediately already saw him as an enemy instead of someone who might simply need their help and guidance. They may have just invented the thing they’re accusing him of.

     They started to see nothing in this newcomer but all ugly and derogatory. His weaknesses and flaws that could have been overlooked, these they magnified. Any positive traits he may have didn’t interest them. What they cared about is his every single incriminating thought, word, and deed. These they consolidated to paint a picture of him as something that needs to be crushed like an insect.

     To ensure themselves of victory, the disciples didn’t keep their bias to themselves. They set loose the monster they have created and presented it in plain sight of the whole town. With this, they set out to poison the minds of the people around this person who can’t think for themselves to turn them against him and make them see him as a fraud.

     What started out as simple jealousy turned into intense hatred. They have ceased to see this newcomer as a human being created in God’s image but a human animal or an animal per se. Examples of animals are dog, cat, fish, frog, pig, horse, donkey, and dinosaur.

     It’s just sad that some people would have the turn of mind to liken their fellow human beings who happen to be less smart, less privileged, and less fortunate than they are to animals and treat them as such, to not respect their dignity and their very lives, and to toy with their lives out of whim, jealousy, and hatred.

     Responsible, law-abiding citizens in a decent society deserve their God-given and inalienable rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. No twisted-minded and warped-brained bigot or ruffian can take these from them. The disciples certainly acted as bigots and ruffians in this instance.

A False Pretext

     Jesus said to him, “Don’t forbid him” (50a).

     The disciples chose the negative way of addressing a non-teammate. They justified their hostility toward the newcomer by using the lame excuse of having to stifle the further ravages of the untrained nincompoop in order to maintain doctrinal purity and order in religion.

     What they fail to see, though, is that their way of thinking is already a big blight to the pure doctrine of the Bible. The Bible teaches freedom in Jesus to do good works and not be a slave of sin. These disciples are clearly slaves of their prejudices.

     Though still hundreds of years into the future, the disciples are already showing signs of Medieval thinking. This is exactly the kind of mentality that gave birth to the inquisitions, persecutions, burning at the stake, crusades, and other forms of killings in the name of religion.

     Paul in his epistles warned the 1st-century believers of possible incompetent handling of Scripture, false teachings, bad theology, and unbiblical practices——what we would call heresy——that might creep into their assemblies; and he gave them some safeguards. But he never taught them to sacrificially kill the heretic for the sake of doctrinal purity.

     The “church” is supposed to function as an organism, not an institution. Nobody’s perfect, and someone might indeed say something wrong; but others who know better can just correct him gently straightaway instead of declaring him to be a heretic and having him killed to preserve doctrinal purity. Who invented that term “heretic” anyway? The New Testament gives only a teeny-tiny mention of something that even resembles that concept.

     But really, doctrinal purity is only John and his fellow disciples’ lame excuse. The issue here is their pride, prejudice, and jealousy turned into intense hatred.

     The thing that the amateur does is Jesus’ thing, not John’s and of his fellow disciples; so they should just leave it to Him. Jesus wants them to just focus on Him and on how they can still grow spiritually and not waste their time sticking their nose into other people’s business especially if the Lord Jesus Himself doesn’t see any problem in it.

A Plain and Simple Reason

     “For he who is not against us is for us” (50b).

     We can tell the tree by its fruit. The good fruit that an amateur produces is already a proof that God sanctions His work and is with him despite his unofficial status. Someone who is guided by the Spirit of God cannot desecrate the things of God.

     God is not a respecter of persons. If a person has it in his heart to teach, cast out demons, or do other good works in the name of Jesus and he is sincere and his works are genuine, then there’s no issue. The issue is our hostile reaction which has no other source but pride, prejudice, and jealousy turned into intense hatred.

     We can’t take the amateur’s inexperience against him because, unlike secular work, serving God is not a matter of educational attainment for the simple reason that the Lord Jesus Himself was a penniless itinerant preacher who didn’t go through formal schooling. Although formal education helps a lot and is sometimes important especially if the person handling the Word needs to be seen as an expert by a secular audience.

     It’s a question of fruit. If the amateur is bearing good fruits and we’re not, then it is us who have problem. If we’re bearing good fruits and he’s not, then it is he who has problem. It’s as simple as that.

     We don’t take a single action against an amateur, big or small, as long as he’s not doing anything wrong. We give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves himself not worthy of it. If he’s not working against God, then he’s for God. The Lord Jesus puts it plainly and simply.

Passage by Passage: Luke 9 series, episode 4

by: Marven T. Baldo