A group of kids walk briskly down the hall of a high school. They speak low to one another; smiling, snickering and then there it is: A member of the group throws a quick glance of the side-eye to a passer by. It’s the telling glance to signal to the rest of the group the object of their conversation, clearly indicating who’s not in on the joke.
Most of us have outgrown this particular behavior because it is mean and immature. We wouldn’t dream of doing this on the streets of our cities, in the hallways of our workplaces or houses of worship, right?
Interestingly enough, this same “us” and “them” mentality pervades, only in different ways. We’ve refined how we keep people out of community.
In Mark 9:38-41 we find a similar story and I find it very interesting to ponder on Jesus’ response.
In vs 38 John speaks up and tells Jesus they saw a man casting out demons in Jesus name. He points it out by saying “we stopped him because he wasn’t in our group”.
Jesus’ recorded response is direct: “Don’t stop him. No one can use my name to do something good and powerful, and in the next breath cut me down.”
Ouch.
I feel like this was Jesus’ version of ‘who do you think you are?’ and I love it because this immediate response is a quick lesson to John. Jesus doesn’t join in with John, jumping on the ‘us’ and ‘them’ bandwagon; instead he immediately turns the conversation back to a broader view of the world and arguably, a broader view of who is allowed to do something good and powerful in Jesus’ name.
First, John is clearly trying to preserve something he believes is sacred: the casting out of demons in Jesus name. When something is sacred, it is set aside for a specific use. I believe John innocently applies this worldview to this situation. This good and powerful work of casting out demons to him was something set aside for a very specific use. However, John’s thinking also applied to people. Only certain people are allowed to do the sacred thing.
Clearly, Jesus does not agree.
Jesus evidently sees the world through a different lens than John and uses the opportunity to try to teach John to see the world a little more inversely too.
No one can use my name to do something good and powerful, and in the next breath cut me down.
Second, I feel like this is Jesus’ way of saying ‘hey, it’s all good’. Whoever this man was casting out demons in Jesus name, was doing a good thing and according to this passage, it is not possible to genuinely do this AND be cutting Jesus down at the same time. In other words, John needs to leave this guy be and mind his own business because this demon-casting-out-stranger is doing Jesus’ work too. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He still needs John to see this OTHER person as part of a much bigger tribe, not fitting into John’s myopic view of the world.
Jesus calls this man an ally.
AN ALLY.
I’m amazed at who Jesus includes in community. He seems to at times, vehemently protect the outsider and reject popular thinking. Another way to look at this interesting behavior is to examine when and why Jesus seems to remove himself from community and/or reject those in the community. Here are two examples:
1. Jesus removes himself from community to pray.
Luke 5:15-16 “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” This was after a short passage explaining that news about him was spreading and people were coming from all over to hear and be healed by Jesus. I get the feeling notoriety was not his cup of tea and yet it comes with the territory when people are hearing what he had to say and seeing the miraculous works of his hands. His solution? Solitude.
2. Jesus rejects those in community when they take advantage of others.
John 2:13-16 – Jesus is frustrated with what others have done with the temple courts. he drives them out and says in v 16, “To those who sold doves, he said, Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”
In all the times I’ve read this passage, I’ve never noticed the specificity of who Jesus was talking to. I always assumed he was upset in general, at the marketplace-vibe in the temple. But as I reflected further on something I heard in church this past weekend, I noticed it for the first time, so I dug a little deeper.
In 3 of the four gospels, Jesus focuses his frustration on those selling doves. WHY?
During Biblical times, sacrificing lambs was customary but many could not afford this type of sacrifice. In Leviticus 5:7 there is a historic remedy and it says this: “Anyone who cannot afford a lamb is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the Lord as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.”
This was supposed to be a way for the poor to participate in a custom and Jesus knew these merchants were taking advantage of the poor by selling the doves right there in the temple courts.
Jesus did not seem keen on living in community with those who exploit the weak.
But he made a stance, he didn’t sit back passively and make people wonder what he was really thinking. This wasn’t a flaccid communication method where he just APPEARED frustrated and withdrew himself. He placed a very specific demand on those around him in order to protect the poor. Was he refusing true community with these folks? Yes and no.
Some might argue that as a part of true community, Jesus was being extremely up front about his feelings on the matter. This too is a part of community, while at the same time, he placed boundaries to protect those most vulnerable in the community. There is a cost to protect the weak.
Now, my whole point here is not to teach a trite lesson on including others and being nice. While I am a proponent of this behavior in general, this is about so much more. And in typical fashion this has lead me to ask several questions of myself to evaluate my own heart and mind on the matter; I encourage you to do the same.
First, I think I pick some pretty banal things to keep folks out of community. Jesus didn’t seem to exclude those who were different from his core group. He regularly hung out with different cultures and backgrounds, oftentimes including people to whom the Jews were known enemies. How can I reflect Jesus’ attitude of including those who would otherwise not be accepted in my circles? Who in my world seems to believe the opposite as I do and how can I bring them closer? How can I not tolerate them but really include and love them?
Second, knowing this type of loving takes a lot of work and effort, how can I better know when it is time to steal away and spend time alone in solitude, meditation and prayer? Oftentimes when I am overwhelmed I tend to lash out or engage in other activities that never really recharge me. To truly renew myself enough to be able to love others like this, prayer and meditation are needed.
And finally, how can I better build the right kind of boundaries? Not the boundaries that keep people out because I don’t like them or they don’t believe like I do. But the boundaries that tell the world, ‘Hey, this person…this weaker person? Don’t touch them.’ How can I protect the most vulnerable from exploitation?
I think if we drew our boundary lines there first, the rest of us inside that line would find a lot more in common.
Jesus didn’t seem to draw boundary lines based on how something affected him; rather, on if someone else was being violated.
A prayer for us all: God, help us to see where we mistakenly draw boundaries in our lives, focusing on our own comfort rather than on the safety and well-being of others. Help us to know, to really know when we are being selfish in this area. Expand our view of the world; help us see you in every other person and treat them accordingly knowing the love you have for them is boundless and unimaginable…just like it is for us. Finally, show us those people and situations we’ve kept at arm’s length when we should be pulling close and embracing so that your love may flow through us unfettered. Amen.
