"A Lesson in Tolerance"

9.30am Sunday 5 July 2009

Readings: Mark 9:38-41; Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22; Psalm 148:1-8 TNIV

The passage that we will look at this morning leading in to the time of prayer ministry is the one we read from Mark 9. It follows immediately after Jesus' teaching his disciples about true ambition which we looked at two weeks ago. On that occasion Jesus concluded his comments on greatness by saying, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."[1] Jesus' disciples had much to learn about being welcoming and tolerant, and Mark may well have put this next story where it is in his Gospel because it provides further teaching on this subject. Jesus' disciples were not very good at being hospitable. They were not very welcoming of the people who brought their children to Jesus in the passage from Mark we looked at last Sunday. Nor were they very welcoming to this person who was not part of their group and who was "driving out demons" as Jesus was doing. It is a reminder to us of the importance of being welcoming to strangers, and not just sticking with those that we know well. It can be very daunting for newcomers who come to this church and want to become part of the church if it is made difficult for them to be accepted into the established groups within the fellowship.

In this passage from Mark we see Jesus giving his disciples "A Lesson in Tolerance." As was the case in Mark 10, an action of the disciples provided an opportunity for Jesus to teach an important truth. Last week Jesus taught that people are not to be discouraged from bringing their children to Jesus for "the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."[2] And not only that, Jesus said these little children show us how to receive God's kingdom into our lives. It must be accepted with childlike trust, otherwise we "will never enter it."

Here in Mark 9 John speaks on behalf of the other disciples. Note his use of the word "we." He says, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."[3] Luke's account of this incident says that they "tried" to stop him, not indicating how successful they were. Obviously they had taken this person to task for having the presumption to do what he had probably seen Jesus doing, and maybe this person was doing it effectively, too. You can almost sense their expecting Jesus to commend them for their vigilance. They were indignant and offended at what this person was doing. You could almost hear them saying to one another, "How dare he do such things in our Master's name when he is not one of us." It does seem a little ironic that they try and stop someone from doing what they had been unable to do when asked to drive out the spirit from the boy while Jesus and the others were up the mountain.[4] They might have thought they had a monopoly on the deliverance ministry.

Note that they said "we saw someone driving out demons in your name..." The significance of the phrase "in your name" or "n my name" is seen from the fact that it occurs three times within these four verses. It deserves closer attention as it helps us to understanding an important aspect of prayer for healing. To do something in a person's name is to do it with their authority and approval. It used to be that when a policeman sought entry into a building he would knock on the door and say, "Open up in the name of the law." Different words are used today but they have exactly the same effect. When they use these words they are exercising the authority given them as officers of the Crown. It is not their own authority they are exercising, but what has been entrusted to them by authorities higher than themselves so that they can carry out their work. Similarly, to drive out demons in Jesus' name is to do it with the authority that Jesus gave his followers for this very purpose.

Care needs to be taken in how the name of Jesus is used. Over the years much has been done in the name of the Lord or in the name of Jesus that does not carry his authority. Seven times in Jeremiah we read about prophets deceiving God's people 'in his name.' "Then the Lord said to me, 'The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds... ...in my name they have uttered lieswhich I did not authorize. I know it and am a witness to it," declares the LORD."[5] For their abuse of the authority they claimed when they made their statements, these false prophets suffered the same fate as others who led God's people astray. They were delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and executed.

Another example is in Acts when the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, "went around driving out evil spirits" in the name of the Lord Jesus. "They would say, 'In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.'" Then it says, " [One day] the evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?'"[6] Then we are told, "...the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding." The reason why these seven sons got into trouble when trying to drive out demons was that although they used the name of Jesus, they did not believe in him. They were trying to do something that they did not have the authority to do. Jesus warns us to exercise discernment when people claim to do things in his name. He said, "Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' (that is, the Messiah) and will deceive many."[7] The true test of whether such people are genuine is their character. Do their lives add up? Is there are Christ-likeness in the way they live and speak. A tree is known by its fruit and we are right to be wary of those who say they are doing things in Jesus' name when their lives bear little or no resemblance to that of Christ.

On the positive side, trusting in Jesus and ministering in his authority is an essential part of the church's ministry. When Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go..."[8] he commissioned his church to minister in his name. Included in that is the ministry of healing, deliverance or exorcism. And the end of his Gospel Mark says, "These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons ... they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."[9] Note the word "believe." That is the key, and when we offer healing prayer this morning, what we do we do in his name and with the authority he has given us because we believe.

Returning to Mark 9, the disciples were intolerant of anyone else ministering in Jesus' name. Intolerance is also the background to this morning's reading from Esther. Haman, King Xerxes' right-hand man, could not stand the fact that Mordecai, a Jew, would not bow down to him and show deference to him because of his position as everyone else did whenever he passed by. He decided to get rid of him and, upon learning that Mordecai was a Jew, he determined to kill not only Mordecai, but also all Jews. He went to the king with the following proposal. "There is a certain people dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king's laws: it is not in the king's best interests to tolerate them."[10] He persuaded the king to issue a decree that ordered the execution of every Jew throughout King Xerxes' vast empire. Mordecai, Queen Esther's uncle and guardian, on hearing the decree, asks her to intercede with the king on behalf of her people. Esther knew the danger of seeking audience with the king without being asked for. However, after three days of prayer and fasting Esther appears at the entrance of the court. The king held out to her the gold sceptre in his hand, which indicated that she could enter. When asked what she wanted, Esther invited the king and Haman to a banquet. The king ordered Haman to attend, and after they had both eaten the king again asked Queen Esther what was it that she wanted. She invited the king and Haman to attend a second banquet the following day at which she would tell the king her request. Haman, delighted in having been asked to dine with the king and queen yet again, sets off home, but all his good feelings quickly disappeared when Mordecai again refuses to show deference to him. He said to his family and friends that he found no satisfaction in the power, position, possessions and honour that was his while Mordecai remained alive. His wife and friends encourage him to build a gallows and the following day, seek the king's permission to have Mordecai impaled on it.

However, that night the king could not sleep, and so he asked that the record of his reign be brought in and read to him. There he discovered that some time before Mordecai had uncovered an assassination plot against the king that had not received any recognition. A short time later Haman, oblivious of what the king had unearthed from his records, arrives to seek permission from the king to hang Mordecai. Before he can do so, the king asks Haman, "What is to be done for the man the king desires to honour?"[11] Thinking that it could be none other than he whom the king wanted to honour, he suggests that the man be dressed in the royal robe, set on one of the king's horses, and be led around the city by one of the king's most noble princes proclaiming, "This is what is done for the man the king delights to honour." You can imagine Haman's dismay and alarm when he learns that it is his enemy, Mordecai, who the king wants to honour, and that he as one of the kings most noble princes was to lead him around the city making the proclamation.

All this happened before we picked up the story that was read to us earlier. Later that day at the second banquet Esther puts on for the king and Haman, she pleads with the king to spare her life and the lives of her people and reveals that it is Haman who is plotting their destruction. Furious, the king orders Haman to be impaled on the gallows he had erected for Mordecai, and promotes Mordecai to the position Haman held in his kingdom. Vanity, pride and intolerance were Haman's downfall, and although we might be repelled by the revenge the Jews later inflicted on their enemies, it is a reminder to us of the importance of humility and of forbearing one another in love.

This is the lesson Jesus taught his disciples on this occasion when he said, "Do not stop him. 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."[12] Jesus is saying that when we see people ministering to others in a way that reveals his love and compassion, we must not be quick to condemn their actions just because they may not belong to a Christian group we recognise. What we need to acknowledge is the fruit of such ministry. Does its fruit have the stamp of God's character upon it, his goodness, his desire for people's wholeness. Does it cause people to glorify God? God is not limited as to who he can use to fulfil his purpose on earth. He even used a pagan king to bring about the return of his people from exile in Babylon. It is a word of warning to us not to be intolerant of those who show the love of Christ in how they help others, but with whom we may not necessarily agree on every point of doctrine.

The second thing Jesus says is that those who go about exercising the kind of ministry he did when he was on earth, are on his side. The words that are underlined in the verse are found only in Mark's Gospel, and point out that there is a consistency between action and belief. The task of bringing the message of God's love and grace to the world is huge, and God will enlist the services of all who are willing to be used as channels of his love. Take care in who you criticise, and ask yourself, "Does this person's actions bear the stamp of God's character upon them? Is God at work here? Is his love revealed here? Is his saving purpose for humankind being accomplished?" These questions can help us discern where God is at work, and provide opportunities to help and not hinder the time when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.[13]

Jesus concludes by saying, "Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly be rewarded."[14] Matthew version puts it like this, "...if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is known to be my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly be rewarded."[15] As we saw last week, statements that Jesus makes prefaced by the words "Truly I tell you..." are statements we can have complete confidence in. This is how it will be. God will reward every act of kindness done to his people no matter who it is who does it, or how insignificant the action is. There is a divine certainty about it.