Matthew 17
Mark 9
Luke 9:28-62
Devotion by JJ Fletcher (Minnesota)
Several sections in part of our text today (Mk 9:33-50) stand out to me as timely. The wisdom of Jesus is always timely, but these jumped off the page (screen, really). Contending with our brothers and sisters (think humility), contending with those that are not in our tribe (think bridge building), and our example to those who come up behind us in the faith (think training and discipleship).
Jesus, likely already knowing the answer to his question, asks his disciples what they were discussing on the road to their next stop. The subtext indicates that they were embarrassed, for they were arguing about who was greatest, or who would have the highest standing in the hierarchy under Jesus. Jesus’ teachings place a lot of value on humility and submission to God. When looking at the Pharisees, we see that they valued their status and relied on that status to give them advantages in their lives. Jesus says in verse 35 that “if anyone would be first, they must be last and a servant of all”. This reminds me a little bit of John F. Kennedy’s line, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. Being a good citizen means that you are not just looking out for your own needs but looking out for the welfare of those around you. How can you help build others up, and how can you protect and advocate for others? Those are questions a good citizen might ask. One might also ask how they can hold themselves accountable as they try to make a difference.
The disciples clearly cared about what Jesus was doing and teaching, but they seemed to have too much focus on what the benefit of their relationship to Jesus might mean for them and their status. Living as a follower of Jesus has some similarities to living as a citizen in our own contexts, but it has a greater scope and reach. As future citizens of the Kingdom of God, we need to be looking at how to build up other Kingdom citizens. This means that we shouldn’t be squabbling or striving to have the most prominence, status, or influence. We should be striving to do good. In doing good, we may perhaps become influential and be respected, but that should not be our primary goal. We need to work to please God, not to please or appease men. We should not be working to satisfy the needs of our ego, but rather let ourselves decrease, so that Jesus might increase.
We next jump to the disciples telling Jesus that someone who was not in their group was casting out demons in Jesus’ name. This bothered them because they somehow thought it was improper for someone to be doing good works, but not be officially affiliated with Jesus. Good is good, whatever the motivation might be. Unbelievers can do good things. Does that mean we should stop them? There is an opportunity to form coalitions with people that we might not otherwise align with, and in doing so, we might create more opportunities to speak into their lives and influence their thinking. Now, sometimes someone might represent something that we can’t in good conscience join with, but that is not what appears to be happening here. Perhaps the disciples see this as Jesus not getting credit, but that would be a weird take since they were calling out the name of Jesus. Perhaps it ties into their ego thing a little bit; if those who are not with Jesus can do this, it diminishes what we are doing with Jesus. Jesus makes this point that we should take to heart: “the one who is not against us is for us”. We can stand alongside, or leave alone, those who are doing good things that go along with the works that we should be doing, even if they have a different motivation for doing them. We can work with other Christian groups to serve, even if we don’t agree on everything doctrinally. You can take the stand of not sharing in communion over certain differences while still trying to meet the needs of others.
Finally, we get this idea from Jesus: If you become a stumbling block for others, specifically, it seems young believers, it’s a travesty. Essentially, we get the idea that you’d be better off dead than to cause someone to sin. It’s a good reminder that eyes are always watching you. When you serve in public and when you live in your private life…your church is watching. Your kids are watching. Your friends are watching. What are you communicating with your actions? Are you living on the up and up? Are you abusive in some way that might drive someone away from the gospel? Your example or your direct action toward an individual or group can have a lot of influence on how someone grows and lives. You can be salt and flavor the world for the kingdom, or you can be like expired milk and be good for nothing.
We always need to be mindful of our ego, our behavior, and our influence. We should be examining these things in light of the gospel and the life and teaching of Jesus, and see how we’re doing and where we might need help. We should always aim to learn from mistakes, whether they are our own or made by another.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you ever find yourself in the same kind of spot as the disciples, concerned with your status in the church or in another group? What drives that, and how can you combat that trait?
2. Do you sometimes get the urge to dismiss a person or group that is doing something good simply because they don’t share your motives or affiliations? What is the danger here, and what cautions might one need to take when trying to make inroads with groups that might not share motivations, but do share similar convictions and goals?
3. What do you think of Jesus’ saying that it would be better to have a millstone tied around your neck and be cast into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to sin? What kind of perspective should that give us when evaluating our conduct and behavior?
Seek Grow Love 