It’s Not About Style!

Unauthorized Exorcism!!!

“Hey, you can’t do that! We’re the ones who cast out demons. You’re not one of us, so we forbid you from doing this in the name of Jesus.”

That was what the disciples said to some poor guy just trying to follow Jesus. You can read about it in Mark 9:38-50. John speaks for the group, reporting that they had rebuked this faithful disciple who wasn’t part of their 12-man-insider-group of approved exorcists.

They had a point. Jesus had commissioned them, not him, to do this work (Mark 6:7, 12-13).

They were probably a little testy when they met this man. Nine of them had just failed to cast out a stubborn demon, and now he’s doing what they couldn’t do, even though Jesus had told them to do it.

If you’re expecting the Lord to say, “Good work, John. That’s what I like. You keep those unauthorized workers from doing things in my name,” brace yourself.

Who Made You the Authorizer?

Actually, instead of accolades, Jesus told them how wrong they were to discourage any disciple from following Him, even if they don’t follow in the same way they did. He warns them against dividing His people between “us” and “them” with one of the severest admonitions to Christians in the gospels: Never discourage any Christian from doing works in my name, or I’m going to discipline you with “operation millstone”!

I think the millstone speaks of severe discipline of a believer now and extreme loss of reward in the future kingdom. You may disagree with me on the particulars, but you’d have do admit that whatever it means, you don’t want it!

This may be the most ignored truth of church history. The faith others and we exhibit in following Him is more important than the style of following. Tolerance of differences among faithful followers strengthens their impact on this world and increases their eternal reward. Intolerance of differences among faithful followers dissipates their impact and decreases their eternal reward.

So, the next time you start dividing the Christian community into “camps” or start thinking in terms of “us and them,” think about that millstone…and remember, it’s not about style, it’s about faith!

“For he who is not against us is on our side” (Mark 9:40).