John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” 39 Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
The disciples were upset because someone that was not in Jesus’ inner circle was casting out devils in the name of Jesus and they tried to stop him from doing so. Jesus told them that no one who performed exorcisms in his name could at the same time speak ill of him so they should not try to stop him because his power came from God through Christ so the disciples and the man are working toward the same goal of growing the Kingdom. It is through the Holy Spirit that such deeds are performed. The smallest service rendered to disciples of Christ out of love for Christ will be rewarded. Jesus was teaching the disciples about the way the Kingdom will spread. The disciples need to be open-minded and expect the Church to grow beyond the current small group of followers of Jesus.
Almighty God, help us to accept your works at the hands of others through the Holy Spirit and to understand that your judgment of someone’s heart is different from ours. Grant us the grace to believe deeply in your Son's teaching and to trust that your plan of salvation will work for all who believe in him and confess his name. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Comments