"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 mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.'" Mark 9:38-41
Am I doing enough to be ecumenical?
Does my faith lie first in Jesus or denomination?
How can I cheer other churches on more?
As I reflected on this passage these were the questions I asked myself. Some times, or sadly many times, we are like John in this passage. We proudly tell Jesus how we stopped others who proclaim Him and do good works in His name.
I imagine that John expected an attaboy and not a lecture after his statement. I suspect John really was concerned about the messengers having the right and best education before they went about the work of the Kingdom. I honestly don't think John's motives were even mostly un-pure.
Aren't we often like John? Don't we come to Jesus looking for approval after we spoke against the local charismatic or the TV preacher with different eschatology than our surely correct church has? Don't we fight in the weeds when the world is white for the harvest?
Don't hear me wrong; good theology is important. The seemingly little thing that divides our understanding really can be huge. Yet, as my pastor once said: "God is often more okay with a needle of truth in a haystack of bad theology than we are."
Who is an unsaved person you've prayed earnestly for? Think of them now whether they be a son, a sister, a cousin, a college roommate, a husband, a co-worker. Think of that individual and remember your fervent prayers for them.
Now imagine that person was reached for Jesus by someone that attends one of the denominations within orthodoxy yet a denomination that you could never, ever see yourself attending. How do you feel about that? Are your feelings more joyful or more concerned? I'm willing to guess that if your feelings are more concerned for that person than joyful that you are in need of a lecture like John got from Jesus.
The field is ripe for the harvest, pray for laborers of many Jesus-loving denominations to work it (John 4:35-36).
"And He sat down and called the twelve. And He said to them, 'If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." Mark 9:35
Do I lower myself to serve the Church universal? Do I humble myself to pray for a church that I wouldn't attend? Do I have joy for those being saved for Jesus in all churches?
Pray that you might be more ecumenical today.
