Demon Casters
It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us." But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you." - Luke 9:49-50
In today's Gospel reading, Luke paints an interesting picture of the disciples.
First we see them complaining to Jesus that they have not been able to cast out demons. Then after he rebukes them, John explains, perhaps, why they were troubled.
Someone else, who is not a follower, was able to do what they could not do, to cast out demons in Jesus' name, so they tried to stop him.
What a surprise this must have been to them. They must have assumed they were better than those who were not part of the inner circle.
It can be frustrating when we believe we have a special gift and we discover we aren't as special as we thought.
When Jesus tells John that there may be others who are able to do his work, it sends a message that we are not important. It is what we do that matters, and who does it is inconsequential.
Ego blow!
The least will be the greatest.
We hear that and accept it, but do we really believe it? Who doesn't want to be considered great? Who would walk away from accolades and rewards for what they do?
Jesus was a teacher and as a teacher he sought to raise up those he taught, to give them every chance to shine on their own, without his help. And when they failed, he tried to show them what they lacked. Faith.
If we let our egos get in the way of our work, we fail to perform at peak. When that happens, we start to doubt ourselves, and that leads to true failure. We become seekers of fame and respect rather than doers of God's work.
But we may be missing the point in all this.
Here is the lesson Luke gives us. John's complaint is a sign.
If John didn't complain, we would never know that all of us have the gift of healing Jesus shared with his disciples. Others, who are not against them, are with them, and we are those others.
We can help each other make it through the day, and that may be enough to cast out demons of fear, depression, anxiety, frustration, self-pity, and disgust.
We, too can be demon casters, because we have faith and we believe in the power of the Spirit that dwells within us.
So, we should go out, leaving our egos at home, and bring light to the world.
Why not?
More to come...