Mark 9:38-41

Avoiding Elitism – Openness to Goodness

The incident that followed gave Jesus further opportunity to consider life within the community of disciples. Jesus had earlier called and commissioned the twelve and had then sent them around the villages of Galilee to cast out devils. The particular trust placed in them had apparently been interpreted by some of them as marking them out as especially privileged. Mark had indicated, however, their total inability to cast out the devil oppressing the young epileptic boy, the devil that to Jesus’ mind symbolised the disciples’ lack of faith.

Mark 9:38-41 – Open to the Outsider

The comment of John indicated a need on his part to distinguish who belonged from who did not, who was “in” from who was “out”. It betrayed a need to be exclusive. In this John was quite out of touch with the mind of Jesus whose actions had consistently countered the marginalising and excluding attitudes of the social and religious culture.

Jesus had certainly called and focused on the formation of the privileged group of disciples. His purpose, however, in wanting them to be with him was not to set them apart or above others. He wanted to give them an enlightened insight into the mind of God so that they could speak of God to others from experience and conviction.

Jesus’ response would seem to have come from a lived experience of criticism, perhaps of ostracism or even persecution. In this, it may have suited the conscious experience of Mark’s own community more even than of Jesus himself. To interpret absence of opposition (not against) as an indication of support (for us) would seem to be warranted only where hostility was both general and obvious.

Jesus’ comment certainly did not reflect the current situation of himself and the disciples. Given the reaction of the power elites to Jesus himself, it would soon perhaps become their experience. More likely it reflected the severe antagonism facing Mark’s own community.

Next >> Mark 9:42-50