First of all, we have a new pastor! It's so amazing to see the profit that comes from just trusting in the Lord for your every need. But, that's not what I wanted to talk about this week...
"Teacher," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."
"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward." - Mark 9:38-41
Isn't it interesting how the disciples are trying to become an exclusive club, while Jesus has spent His entire ministry trying to be inclusive? Now, this is certainly not saying that anyone is free to do whatever they want and claim that they are doing it in the name of Jesus. However, it is saying a lot about the way that we treat other people.
Consider, for instance, the person that walks through our church doors that is not dressed properly. Well, they must not be "one of us," because if they were, they would've known to dress up when they came to church. I hope you catch my sarcasm here...
Consider the person that truly desires to follow Christ, but we have told to "clean up their act" beforehand. Wow, if only perfect people could walk through the doors of the church (or even receive help from Christians), then where did we receive our "License of Perfection?"
I wonder about the things that we do unconsciously. It started out as a good idea, because it could help people, but has turned into a strict "spiritual code." We don't realize the amount of things that we do that really push other people away from the Gospel message about Christ.
The Jews had a cleansing ceremony that they would perform prior to eating a meal. You're probably thinking that it's similar to the way I have my little brothers or sister wash up before dinner. "Make sure you use soap when you wash your hands," someone will usually exclaim! But no, that's not how this cleansing ceremony would happen. Dirty, greasy hands were preparing to transport food from the table to the mouth, so you would expect them to be washed thoroughly. Nope.
They would put a couple of drops of water in the palm of their hand and then rub their other fist against it in a ceremonial fashion. THAT was the cleansing ceremony.
But, what about bacteria?! What about the dirt and grime? What about hygiene? Oh, that's right, it was just something they did to appear to be clean.
When you consider the team that you ultimately play for, consider being more than just a "fan" of Jesus. Do something in His name that actually makes an impact in the lives of others. It will change the way that you think about Jesus' ministry.
God's blessings on your life this week,
Bryan
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