#DailyDevotion One Of The Most Misused Passages Of Scripture
Mark 9:38–50 38“Teacher,” John said to Jesus, “we saw a man drive out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he hasn’t been with us.” 39“Don’t try to stop him,” Jesus said. “Anyone who does a miracle in My name cannot turn around and speak evil of Me. 40 Anyone who isn’t against us is for us. 41I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”
So this lesson goes very well with the lesson from Numbers 11 where Eldad and Medad didn’t show up at the tent of meeting but the LORD put his Holy Spirit on them anyway. Joshua wanted Moses to stop them but Moses instead wished all of God’s people would do the same. Here the apostles stop a man who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name.
Now Jesus responds similarly with, “Don’t try to stop him. Anyone who does a miracle in My name cannot turn around and speak evil of Me.” I find this interesting. Normally we would teach no one should publicly preach or teach in the Church without being called by rite. Yet, we still hold that God may call someone immediately without the mediation of the Church, “if”, and that’s a big if they can do miracles to back up their immediate call from God. This chap that was casting out demons in Jesus’ name apparently had such a calling. Jesus affirms this with the second phrase, “if they do miracles in my name cannot turn around and speak evil of me.” If someone for Jesus and his church they aren’t against Jesus and his church.
But I want you to note one really, big, humongous thing here, he wasn’t teaching falsely or errors in Jesus’ name. Why do I bring this up? Because I often hear this incident when correcting false teaching, false or erring teachers and erring church bodies and someone will say, “don’t stop them?” This account simply doesn’t apply to them. This man is not teaching errors or false teachings. Jesus did not uphold the false teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The apostles corrected and condemned false teachers and their teaching. The Church continues to do so.
Those who try to use this example of Jesus are indeed misusing Jesus’ name and are breaking the second commandment with those are teaching the error. What is the second commandment? You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God. What does this mean? We should fear and love God that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks. Teaching falsely or errors in the name of Jesus is deceiving in his name. Lies and errors in the name of Jesus is speaking evil of Jesus. Heresy in Jesus’ name is working against Jesus. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. All lies and errors about God and what he wants are from the devil. This passage cannot be used to support people or churches that teach errors, lies, heresy and falsehoods.
If we are to uphold Jesus’ name and be for him, we must teach and preach what Jesus taught and preached. We are not to go to the left or the right of it. We are not to add or subtract from it. In that way we may received the commendation of our LORD Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, grant that all we say and do, we do in the name of your son Jesus Christ, to his honor and glory. When we fail have mercy on us and forgive us for his name’s sake. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.