XXVI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
We must recognise good wherever we find it and never feel threatened by those who do good, even if they do not belong to our religious group. God has his own ways and is not limited by the fences we build to protect us. We fear what is outside our fence because we cannot control it. That’s why Joshua (in the first reading) wanted to stop the two elders who had remained behind and were not in the group with Moses. Was it not a sign of disunity on their part? They did not show commitment and communion. Thus, they did not deserve to receive the Spirit. Moses saw it differently, realising that those two were a sign and promise of God’s Spirit coming over all members of the people of God.
In the gospel, John was jealous of the man who performed miracles in Jesus’ name, even though he did not belong to the group of disciples. How could an outsider be endowed with such a divine power? There is always the danger of dividing people into two groups: the insiders are good and holy, deserving to receive the fullness of the Spirit, while the outsiders are evil and sinners, being excluded from God’s care and love. Jesus did not allow such a way of thinking. We cannot exclude others since we are not the owners of God’s grace and don’t control it. And Jesus concluded by saying: “Anyone who is not against us is for us.” It is interesting to notice that the outsider who performed miracles did it in the name of Jesus. He is the Saviour and the only way to the Father. It is through him that we are set free. There are countless numbers of people who do not know Jesus well but are guided by his Spirit to work for the goodness of others. For them, we must rejoice and give thanks to God.
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