Luke 9:49-50
John spoke up, “Master, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn’t of our group.”
Jesus said, “Don’t stop him. If he’s not an enemy, he’s an ally.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
What if you were sick or injured and a person rushed to your aide and said, “I am a doctor (or a nurse).” This person was of a different race or ethnicity – or you knew from local “talk” that he/she practiced an alternative lifestyle or was a member of a different political party than yours. What if you had heard that this person was an atheist or practiced some religion other than Christianity? Would you wave him/her away and say, “No thanks, I’ll wait for a Christian who is the same race as me, has a husband/wife and 2.5 kids, and belongs to my political affiliation”? I don’t think so!
It seems to me that Jesus’ point in these verses is that we need to stop making “enemies” of everyone. We need to stop judging others based on whatever criteria we establish – and leave such conclusions to God. We must stop being so fearful of differences.
Few among us would even consider turning our back on a child – regardless of his/her size, shape, skin color, or even if the kid was having a royal outburst or temper tantrum. And the truth is that we are ALL God’s creations…and potentially His “Kingdom Kids” forever. I challenge you to start looking at others and picturing them as small children. Remind yourself that these people were once loved, hugged and nurtured by someone.
Timothy asks me often, “Am I still your baby?” I assure him that no matter how large he grows, he will ALWAYS be my “baby”. The person you fear is also someone’s “baby”. The terrorist with a gun is someone’s baby…the gay/transgender person whose lifestyle choices you cannot understand is someone’s baby…the person who claims that God does not exist – or the person who prays to a statue – is someone’s baby. Drug addicts, prostitutes, alcoholics, child molesters, thieves, rapists, liars, cheaters, the poor and needy, the homeless, and the affluent snobs are all someone’s baby. Jesus died for every one of them, and each has as much right to receive His salvation as you and I do.
We have made enemies where we should have been seeking allies. And today is a good day to start doing more of the latter. Where will you begin?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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