Living in the Spirit
September 24, 2015

Scripture Reading: Mark 9:38-50

John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. –Mark 9:38-4

I am sorry that the word “Fundamentalist” has been forever tied to a very specific group with very specific beliefs about Jesus and how his followers should be. Apparently there are also Fundamentalist Mormons and my guess is Fundamentalists in all the world religions fitting that description. Other words used to describe fundamental include basic, primary, formative, indispensable, irreducible.* Perhaps I simply see a shorter listing of beliefs as fundamental to being a follower of Jesus. For it seems to me we must rely on the basics that he gave us: Love God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves and share that love throughout the world. With those three tenets as our foundation, we are not talking about a closed system that keeps people out but a system opened to all kinds of possibilities that draws people in.

The encounter described in this scripture from Mark describes just such a possibility. A man is casting out demons in Jesus’ name and Jesus said let him continue. If he is doing a good thing in Jesus’ name, does it matter that he doesn’t have his name on our membership list? The problem arising when what one thinks is absolutely imperative, others believe it to be a sin. Perhaps my three tenets are the easy way out but I see nowhere in the scriptures that any of us have been assigned the job of judging others whereas it is very clear that we have been assigned the job of loving others. It was certainly Jesus’ way and he was assigned the job of judging.

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” — Mother Teresa

Prayer: O Love that will not let me go, enable me to be a source of your love for others. Amen.

*http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/fundamental

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.