Introduction
We are right on the heels of Jesus’ teaching from last week and in fact, this is a continuation of that conversation. The child that Jesus put in the middle of the disciples, is still in the middle of the disciples. But also recall that Jesus has just told the twelve that in order to be first, they must be last of all and servant of all.
So, how do the disciples respond? 38John said to [Jesus,] “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”
First, has this ever happened to you? You make a bold, beautiful, impassioned speech about something theologically or culturally important. Something about caring and loving others that if everyone lived that way could change the world. Silence hangs in the air for a moment and you truly feel like you’ve said something profound that will sway the opinions of others. I’m especially thinking about teachers in school or a coach on sports team who is teaching life lessons. And then someone (a student) blurts out, “Jimmy cut in line and won’t give me my spot back.” This is that moment.
Mark is illustrating that the disciples just aren’t getting it. And further, John’s words suggest it fully. In short, “We tried to stop him…because he’s not following US.”
This Week – Church Bouncers
Debie Thomas, in her commentary from 2021, noticed that in both our Numbers reading and our Gospel reading, we sort of have theological bouncers.[1] Those who are gatekeeping the community of faith that they are in.
In our Numbers text this week, God commissions 70 elders to help Moses. 68 of the elders gather at the tent with Moses for instruction but 2 of them, Eldad and Medad stay at the camp and skip instruction.
Thomas writes: “Still, when God sends his spirit to rest upon the elders, causing them to prophesy, Eldad and Medad prophesy, too [even though they missed the instruction]. When Joshua, Moses’s young assistant, hears this unexpected news, he kicks into bouncer mode immediately: “My lord Moses, stop them!” But Moses replies with a wonderful combination of incredulity, wistfulness, and amusement: “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all of the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!” Likewise, in our Gospel reading, the disciples notice “someone” casting demons out in Jesus’s name, and just like their spiritual ancestor, Joshua, they respond by donning their bouncer armbands and barring the doors: “Teacher, we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”
But just like Moses, Jesus does not seem concerned: “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us.” Theological bouncers guarding against those who are not “following us,” (to use the language of the disciples).
Why did the disciples say this?
The disciples are in the age-old trap, thinking that they must be the only ones who know how to do it the right way. Even though this person is casting out demons in others, bringing healing and restoration to them, the disciples tried to stop him, because this person was not following “us”.
Preaching Possibilities
Ownership or Partnership
There was a model of church once upon a time that we needed to have ownership of every ministry that took place.
And the rationale was for the same reason as the disciples in this story. We must be the only ones who know how to do it the right way and so we have to have ownership of the ministry. Even though we may already be stretched too thin. Even though we may not have any experts who actually know how to run the ministry well. The important thing is that it’s our ministry and we have ownership of it. Just think about all of the silos that were brought about: Youth Ministry, Women of the ELCA (WELCA), Food Pantries, Senior Ministries, Young Adult Groups, Outreach Ministries.
The idea was that we have to have our own because if we share or participate in someone else’s then visitors/newcomers won’t join our church but will instead join the other church. Or worse, our members will leave and join the other church. So, we have to do everything in house so that all people will come along with us (follow us).
39But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40Whoever is not against us is for us.
Ministry in this world is becoming more and more needed. The amount of people (of all generations, not just young) that are struggling to figure out who they are and whether or not they are welcome or loved, is growing and growing. The amount of people that are struggling with substance use disorder and addiction is growing rapidly with the ongoing opioid crisis and with increased access to alcohol. Income disparities are making it so that more and more people are deciding whether or not to pay a health care bill or to put food on the table for their families. Drastic changes in our environment and the climate are leading to raging storms that cause damage and flooding to homes and businesses.
Can our individual congregation take on all of these things on our own? No, of course not. And yet, we seem to be content to try so that people won’t join somewhere else.
But even from the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was pointing the disciples to an element of cooperation. ‘You’re not going to be able to do this on your own. If someone is not against us, they are for us.’
The question we ask ourselves is not going to be whether or not we do ministry. The question is who are we going to partner with in order to do the most good for this world? How are we going to welcome in other organizations, other groups, who may have differing theologies or may be completely secular, who may have different perspectives, but ultimately would be working with us to achieve the greatest good? Organizations who with a little additional help will have the resources and the expertise to implement the greatest good for those they are serving.
I believe in our gospel text Jesus is helping us to see that ministry is not a competition. It is not about who is doing the most ministry. It is not about who’s doing the best ministry. It’s about ensuring that individuals of this world know that they are loved by God, extended grace, and that they receive the resources that they need in order to live abundantly.
It does not matter that that ministry might be carried out by an organization other than our own. What matters is that someone is hearing the loving word of God and receiving the care that they need.
[1] https://journeywithjesus.net/essays/3158-hosts-not-bouncers
Micah Krey 
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