Mark #30 - "He Was Not One Of Us"

Mark 9:38-50 (NIV)

In the last episode we engaged with the invitation from Jesus to become like a dependent child when we are compelled to strive for honor, position and power. In today’s passage, Mark illustrated where the minds of the disciples go as soon as they hear a word like this, and if we’re honest we can often make the same turn.

Today we’ll hear the disciples begin to digest all that becoming a servant and a child will mean for them as followers of Jesus. And they realize that they have been drawing lines around who is in and who is not based on their former flawed categories. They bring up to Jesus an example of telling someone to stop casting out demons in his name because they weren’t one of us…

How many times in your circle has it been said, “they are not one of us.” Maybe it hasn’t been said exactly like that but something like, do they really get it… are they close enough to Jesus… yeah they get that right but they don’t believe x,y,z… are they with us? Jesus corrects their thinking immediately and with intensity, telling them that that kind of thinking will be cut off, and when you see it it should be cut out, and if you don’t you will lose your potency.

Where yesterday’s passage challenged our notions of rank and status as individuals... today’s passage turns around and challenges our corporate notions of rank and faithfulness to Jesus, if we’ll let it.

----------REFLECT----------

1. Which moment in this passage grabbed your attention?

2. Have you ever found yourself being skeptical of someone who was “not one of us” questioning their faithfulness to Jesus?

3. We’ve all probably been on either side of this kind of thing. At different moments we can act out of skepticism as we herd together and write people off, or we are the ones who don’t quite fit and are ourselves written off. What needs to change in you in order for you and your community to live into the upside down radically inclusive nature of the Kingdom?

----------GO DEEPER----------

Bible Project: Mark Overview >>

Bible Project: The Gospel >>

Bible Project: Gospel of the Kingdom >>

----------CONNECT----------

Find an InterVarsity Chapter >>
Start an InterVarsity Chapter >>
Learn More >>