In The Name Of!

Mark 9: 38 – 41
In The Name Of!

38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our side. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.
Now before we go over these verses we need to take a look at what both Matthew and Luke wrote on the same teaching of our Lord.
Matthew 10:40-42, “40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
Luke 9:49-50, “49 Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.”
Well, what do you think? Are they different? Yes they are, yet you can see the underlining truth where all three are in balance. In this next subsection our Lord Jesus reveals the things that are pleasing and displeasing to God. Seeking greatness displeases Him, while seeking to do things for The Son Of God, our Lord Jesus’ sake pleases Him. Causing those who believe in Him to sin displeases Him, while being a true representative of His, pleases Him.
38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
Turn on your televisions and you might hear the son of some famous preacher imitate others who were before them. They use the same techniques and statements, like they are somehow magical. They talk in a funny language, like somehow the have to speak slowly and emphasize each word such as ‘in the Name of’. These four little words take about two minutes to be spoken while allowing those deaf or in their graves to somehow hear. These guys may be sincere, but they bother me, sorry.
We are reminded here that the disciples did not just stay at all times with The Lord Jesus. They were given errands to fulfill and they at times went out preaching. Perhaps it was on one such mission that they met the man described here. And on that occasion John and at least one other (‘we’) were bothered at the fact that this man dared to exercise the prerogative which they saw as given to the Apostles. Indeed they had forbidden him. Who was he that he should do so? What right had he to so exalt himself? But The Master, our Lord Jesus will now tell them that they should have realized that the success of the man’s attempts revealed that he was a genuine believer whom God was blessing.
John’s attitude revealed his limited viewpoint. Instead of seeing that the man’s