to our group.” Jesus answered, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in my
name can soon after speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. If anyone
gives you a drink of water because you belong to Christ and bear his name, truly, I say to
you, he will not go without reward. If anyone should cause one of these little ones who
believe in me to stumble and sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with
a great millstone around his neck. If your hand makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is
better for you to enter life without a hand than with two hands to go to hell, to the fire that
never goes out. And if your foot makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is better for you to
enter life without a foot than with both feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye makes
you fall into sin, tear it out! It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye
than, keeping both eyes, to be thrown into hell where the worms that eat them never die,
and the fire never goes out.
READ: John told Jesus that they saw someone driving out demons in Jesus’ name.
The disciples tried to forbid the man because he did not belong to their group. Jesus told
them that whoever was not against them was for them. Jesus also told them that anyone
who would give his disciples a drink of water because they belonged to Christ would surely
rewarded. Jesus also taught them about the fate of the one who would cause the little ones
believing in him to stumble and sin – that such individual be thrown into the sea. Jesus also
said that if the hand of the disciple would cause him to sin, it would be better to cut it off in
order to enter into life than with two hands to go to hell.
REFLECT: Even the disciples of Jesus at that time were tempted to see their ministry in a
very narrow and myopic manner. In today’s Gospel, John reported to Jesus that they tried
to stop someone who was driving out demons in Jesus’ name. They tried to prevent this
person because he did not belong to their group. John even seemed to take pride in what
they did. Jesus corrected their myopic way of understanding their ministry. Anybody who
is not against Jesus is for Jesus even if they seem to be outsiders. Any help and support
even from the outsiders must be received. Myopic ministry can be a stumbling block to
God’s ever inclusive salvific plan.
PRAY: Let us pray that we may be more inclusive.
ACT: Let us reach out to a person we know belonging to another Christian denomination.
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