“Power in the Name of Jesus”

Scripture: Mark 9:38-50

For the past three weeks, we have been considering the power that comes to us in our discipleship to Christ. Faith, touch, the word – all are very great powers that we can use in our outreach to those who have yet to know the grace of Jesus Christ. And they aren’t even limited to our contact with those outside the Church – we are to use them within the Church, too – for encouragement, for healing, for correction, for growth.
But each of these powers are not just randomly bestowed on whoever thinks they want them. Each of them, as well as many other gifts, are given in and through the name of Jesus Christ - to all who will believe. As soon as we begin to think that these powers are ours, they will no longer be available to us. They are God’s, they are of God, they are from God, and are given to us through the Son of God. They are not ours! They are simply given for our use.

And these gifts are not exclusively the purview of some select few! These powers, as well as all spiritual power, including faith, come in the confidence and trust and commitment that we show toward Jesus. Not just by Methodists, not just by Protestants, not by any denominational distinction – but solely through faith. No one has the solitary inside track. And Jesus had to constantly remind his disciples of this truth.

Read Mark 9:38-41

For me, the surprising aspect of this passage is that it is John who seems to be at the lead of this complaint, and not Peter! John is always seen as the faithful, thoughtful, understanding disciple, while Peter was always the impetuous one, the “foot-in-mouth” one. But now it seems that John is just as guilty of “speaking before thinking” as any of the others! He sees these others as intruders in the faith at best, and possibly even as false prophets, but the truth is that they were casting out demons, and it was in the name of Jesus. And the Lord is just as forthright in his correction of John as he was of anyone else.
And what does Jesus tell his followers? In essence, that anyone who is proclaiming or serving or teaching or healing in my name and in my way IS one of us! Anyone who isn’t standing in opposition to my word is standing in support of it.

Today, there is a lot of denominational angst out there. We let the little things create tremendous division in the Church. What is the correct method and timing and understanding of baptism? Who can receive the sacrament of communion and who must be excluded? What is the right means of worship? What is the most appropriate way to pray? And the list goes on and on! It’s a wonder that the Church can survive at all! And yet, in the name and power of Jesus, it does.

And the Lord even tells his disciples that if someone reaches out to them because they are of Christ, that they, too, will be remembered! It is the moralistic attitudes that matter, and not the ritualistic. It is the truths that Christ taught that matter, and not the misinterpretations of humanity. The power that comes to the Church Universal is in the fact that only Jesus matters! ONLY JESUS MATTERS!

Read Mark 9:42-50

Now before everyone begins to consider drowning and amputation as a Christian solution, let’s think about what Jesus is really telling us!
First, we know that he is talking about our sin – the sin of causing another to deviate from faith, to doubt their faith, to drive one away from Christ. And this is what John and the others were doing to those who were ministering in the name of Jesus Christ! And the reference to “these little ones” is, for me, a warning to all who lead or preach or teach others. Remember James 3:1 from last week – “we who teach will be judged more strictly!”? That is why no one should ever assume responsibilities as bible study leaders, or Sunday School teachers, or committee members, or someone who proclaims the word, without first praying about it and seeking the Lord’s leading in our efforts.
Second, in the reference to the removal of our hands and feet and eyes, he wants us to know that if there is anything that we use routinely in our everyday life, and if that “thing” is leading us astray, then we need to reevaluate the way that we are using this “tool”. It certainly could be portions of our bodies, but it could also be our vehicles, or our homes, or our televisions, or our computers, or any other aspect of our life. If the use of any of these things are causing us to commit sin, and usually it is without even thinking about it, then we need to reconsider the ways and methods in which we are using them. If in our driving, we are routinely subject to anger and rage against others who are on the road, then letting someone else drive might be a good idea. If we tend to check out a few pornographic websites every day or so, then we might be better off shutting our computer down for a few days. If many of our favorite television programs seem to have a decidedly violent or sexual overtone, then disconnect the cable.

I don’t believe that Jesus would have us physically mutilate ourselves, but I do believe that he wants us to be vigilant for those areas of our life that do not reflect his nature, his teaching, or his grace filled ways. And in the power of his name, we can.

But without that power, we haven’t got a chance. Sin, and the source of sin, is all pervasive! It constantly tries to worm its way into our lives, it is persistent to a fault, its lies are designed to seem perfectly consistent with truth, and the ways of the Satan, the Accuser, are the ways that will always lead us away from Jesus Christ and the ways of heaven.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that Jesus’ ways are never the easiest to follow, nor are they always the easiest to understand. God has given us the power of his word and the power of faith in Christ. We have the written word to help us on our way, but Scripture isn’t easy to understand, either! We think that one passage, by itself, is all we need, but without the entire word, we will always fall short.
Power is in the entirety of Jesus, and not just in a word or two. Power comes in our complete surrender, in faith, to Jesus’ ways, and not just in one or two of his commandments. Power resides is our desire to live as Jesus lived, to touch as Jesus touched, to love as Jesus loved, and without a personal commitment to do that, Satan wins again.

These sayings of our Lord in Mark’s Gospel challenge us to examine the quality of our discipleship. Is following Christ at the core of our being? Is he far too important for our lives to let him slip out of our grasp? Is our faith a matter of convenience, a matter of tradition, a matter of minor importance? Or is it everything to us? It is said that “The proof of the pudding is in the tasting”, and it can also be said that the proof of discipleship is also in the tasting. For every time we come in contact with another person, every time we reach out in the name of Jesus, others are experiencing our faith, and they are tasting the grace of our Lord, and that, my friends, is what the power of Jesus is all about.

The last sentence of our text today reads “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” Think about salt for just a minute – it preserves, it brings out the flavor of our food, and in small quantities, is vital for our health and well being. And in the context of our lesson today, the reference to “salt” is the preservation and flavor, and vitality of our walk with Christ. And Power? The power that comes through faith in Jesus is the “salt” that brings us peace in our relationships with each other – a peace that extends far beyond the walls of our church, far beyond our community of faith, far beyond our own limited experience with Jesus.

For the past 3 weeks, we have considered the power of faith, the power in touch and healing, and the power that exists in both words of goodness and words of evil. And the power that comes in a relationship with Jesus cements it all together. John and his friends didn’t quite get this – they thought that the power existed only within their own perspective. But Jesus showed them that faith in him, surrender to him, trust in him, being born again in him, was where the power truly was.

And we need to remember that lesson, too. Let the power that is in the Name above all names be our hope. Let the power that enables each of us to share our faith with those who do not know Jesus be fulfilled. Let the power that works miracles through our touch on the lives of others be fulfilled. Let the power of the word of goodness bless and nourish and change us and others.

And may the salt of Jesus Christ bring all the power that you will ever need.