Mark wrote how Jesus and His disciples, “came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and said unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them. Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives me: and whosoever shall receive me, receives not me, but him that sent me”, and in chapter nine and verse thirty-eight of his book, Mark shared how Jesus' disciple John said, “Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name … and we forbade him” where we read:
And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name,
and he follows not us: and we forbade him, because he follows not us.
The verse reads, “And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name, ...” Mark began with the words, “and John answered him” which means “and Jesus' disciples John whose name means Jehovah is a gracious giver responded and began to speak to Jesus”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming”, “Master” which means “teacher”, “we saw one casting out devils” or “Jesus' disciples observed, noticed and discerned a person throwing out and expelling evil spirits or the messengers and ministers of the devil” “in your name” which means “in Jesus' name which is used for everything which the name covers including everything the thoughts or feelings aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing and remembering”. Mark shared how Jesus' disciple John said He and other disciples observed someone “expelling” “evil spirits” using the “name” of Jesus.
The verse goes on to say, “and he follows not us: and we forbade him, because he follows not us.” Mark continued with the words, “and he follows not us” which means “and the person does not join with and accompany Jesus and His disciples”: “and we forbade him” or “and John and the other disciples hindered, denied and refused the person”, “because he follows not us” which means “since and on account that the person did not join with and accompany Jesus and His disciples”. Mark shared how John said he and the other disciples “forbade” this man who expelled the “demons” because the man was not a part of their “group”.
When we consider Mark's words in this verse, we see how John thought a person must be a part of Jesus and His disciples' group to “cast out demons”. His thinking was off base, and Jesus will correct him, but let it suffice to know that God desires everyone to be involved in His Kingdom of Righteousness. God sent His Son Jesus to “save” people from their “sins”, and when they yield their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they align with His Kingdom ideas and are able to join in with His work in the “spiritual” world.
Next time Mark shares how Jesus told John, “Forbid him not”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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