Mark 9:38-41
John said, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to force demons out of people. But he wasn’t one of us, and we told him to stop.”
Jesus said to his disciples: Don’t stop him! No one who works miracles in my name will soon turn and say something bad about me. Anyone who isn’t against us is for us. And anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name, just because you belong to me, will surely be rewarded.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“You’re either with us or against us!” I bet you’ve heard this adage more than once. Many politicians have used this phrase – or some form of it – to illustrate that we cannot accept support from our enemies and continue to declare that they are our adversaries. In the words of former President George W. Bush as he addressed Congress in 2001, “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed similar sentiments that same year…”Every nation has to either be with us, or against us. Those who harbor terrorists, or who finance them, are going to pay a price.” Few would find it difficult to argue with these statements.
But Christians seem to take this concept to a whole other level at times. Many tend to believe that those who support another political party…accept people who practice alternative lifestyles…and those who embrace people of all races, creeds, and colors are at the very least “less Christian” than they are. How do we miss the mark so badly? How do we figure that feeding starving, disease-ridden children in a foreign nation – or in our own backyard – somehow endorses and encourages bad politics? How can we justify belittling those whose skin is not the same color as ours? How in the world can we look Jesus in the eye and say we serve Him while we shun and humiliate anyone we consider to be different from us in any way? How can we claim to follow Jesus’ commands to love one another… then behave in such an unloving manner?
Jesus is telling us in this passage that true Christian discipleship has no room for “us” versus “them.” This is not a social “club” where some are in and some are out. Just because another believer’s politics, lifestyle, skin color - or even their broad view of scripture and discipleship - is different from yours doesn’t emphatically mean they are less a Christian than you!
Each Sunday morning as our pastor offers corporate prayer during worship, he asks God to bless and care for our President, his cabinet, and all world leaders. This is scriptural… we are to respect and obey our leaders (Romans 13:1). Still, I am certain there are more than a few who dislike this prayer… those who would declare our pastor “not one of us” and would like for him to stop. Some have probably even ceased to attend worship because of this. Our pastor’s obedience to scripture may be unpopular with some, but it does not negate his Christian witness.
By the same token, I have read posts on Facebook from “friends” who claim to be Christian disciples… yet they take advantage of this public forum to spew political venom… to call names… to share jokes and cartoons about those whose opinions and lifestyles differ from theirs… to ridicule and berate other races, and more. They may very well have moments when they truly serve Jesus well and lead others to Him… but in this case, they negate it all with these ungodly actions.
Do you see where I’m headed? We are passing judgment at every turn… and it’s not ours to pass. We are so hung up on our own agendas… on people conforming to our own ways of thinking… that we have totally taken the focus off of Jesus. Many of us are so busy pushing our opinions, principles and politics on others that we don’t even see Jesus any more. Quite frankly, this thing of “us versus them” is really more of “us” instead of Jesus! We’ve totally taken Him out of the equation. Oh, we claim we haven’t, but this is exactly what we have done! If you read the next few verses of Mark 9, Jesus is very clear about what will happen if we do anything to steer another in the wrong direction… if we cause them to sin in any way. By “drawing lines in the sand” in our daily living – and making these lines abundantly clear to others – we could very well be paving the way for others to sin.
So where do you need to take a long hard look at your life? Where have you “drawn lines in the sand” and created a “club” where a chosen few are allowed to participate? Where have you chosen to alienate those who would dare to behave differently – or worse yet… to disagree with you?! How have your actions set the stage for others to sin? How are you actively representing the name of Jesus Christ and bringing others into a relationship with Him?
It’s all about choices. Jesus’ own words say “anyone who isn’t against us is for us.” Where do you stand? How have you chosen, if even inadvertently? Is it time for you to re-tool your Christian discipleship? Is it time for you to change your mind? Isn’t this the perfect day to get started?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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