Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
“For whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:40)
The grace and workings of God are not limited to what we can perceive. One of the biggest challenges as a follower of Christ is coming to understand and grapple with this truth. This is not a reason to fear or lose hope, for we see in this weekend’s Gospel that we are in good company with this challenge. St. John, the Beloved Disciple, is the one who tells Jesus they tried to prevent someone from casting out demons in Jesus’ name because he “does not follow us.”
Jesus responds to this approach with a command to allow these works to happen. He asserts that those who do mighty works in his name cannot speak ill of Him. This is a mystery to the Apostles who had been given authority to do these works. The confusion is not only understandable, but in some ways expected. He brings clarity to the seriousness of these works with how He follows this up. These works can be done by those who love the Lord and have faith, but they are also accompanied by a life of holiness. Jesus connects doing great works in his name directly with living a life that avoids sin. This is not to say perfection is required to live in Christ, rather that fruits follow faith and action.
We see in this Gospel the radical generosity of God coupled with the duty of man to live in a manner worthy of what he is called to, as St. Paul states in his letter to the Ephesians. This is a great reminder that living a life of faith not only allows us to do amazing things with Christ, but that it also means living a life of holiness, leading others, and believing the Lord will work. May God grant us the grace to live for Him and Him alone!
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