Leviticus 16-18, Psalm 36, Mark 9
"38 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.’39But 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.40Whoever is not against us is for us. 41For 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."
We hear a lot of people accusing Jesus and his followers of breaking Holy Law and breaking Caesar's law, but I think this is one of the only times where Jesus' own disciples falsely accuse someone of blasphemy. This unknown Christian acts apart from the physical presence of Jesus, yet his miracles are just as powerful, and Jesus condones his behavior. Even though the incarnate Christ can be revealed to us spiritually through Holy Communion, through prayer, through singing, and through a thousand other ways, we don't experience the presence of Christ in the same way the disciples do. I am reminded of the prayer from the BCP:
Be present, be present, O Jesus, our great High Priest, as youwere present with your disciples, and be know to us in thebreaking of bread; who live and reign with the Father andthe Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
Even though the prayer asks Jesus to be with us as he was "present with [his] disciples", it's a very different reality we have. I think that's why Jesus has such harsh words for Doubting Thomas. In this passage from Mark we are reminded that all of us have the power and blessing, and I would say commandment, to love one another in Jesus' name.
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