Fr. Manuel João, comboni missionary
Sunday Reflection
from the womb of my whale, ALS
Our cross is the pulpit of the Word
XXVI Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Mark 9:38-48: “Whoever is not against us is for us”
IN HIS NAME
Today’s gospel passage is a continuation of last Sunday’s. We are still “at home” (Mark 9:33), in the house of Peter and Jesus. The fact that this takes place at home holds symbolic value. It means that Jesus is particularly addressing the Christian community, giving life guidelines to his followers.
After the question of who was the greatest and Jesus’ teaching on humility, another issue arises, brought up by the apostle St. John: “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not one of us.” Exorcists often invoked the names of angels and figures believed to have healing powers to strengthen their exorcisms. The Twelve were jealous (like Joshua in the first reading) that others outside the group were using their Master’s name. Jesus’ response is clear: “Do not stop him, for no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me. Whoever is not against us is for us.”
What follows are three sayings of Jesus, seemingly unrelated, yet connected through a word or theme. Three themes emerge from the overall gospel text: the name of Jesus, humility, and scandal (both towards the little ones and towards ourselves).
Points for Reflection:
1. “In your name.” From what St. John says, it seems the Twelve wanted to “claim” the name of Jesus. Only they could cast out demons in his name. They felt they had exclusive rights. The other person was acting without permission because he wasn’t “one of them.” The temptation to monopolize the name of Christ, to encapsulate it within our church, our group, association, or movement, is always present. We have divided the world into two: those of us who are “inside” and others who are “outside.” But who is truly “inside,” and who is “outside”?
The Spirit is free and cannot be confined. The Kingdom of God knows no boundaries of thought, belief, or religion. He is present and active everywhere, both in the heart of the believer as well as in the agnostic or atheist. Only God is truly “catholic,” that is, universal, God and Father of all! Sadly, we sometimes behave like St. John and Joshua, wanting to claim the Spirit and suffering from jealousy when we see that many are more kind, generous, and compassionate than us, without referencing the name of Christ. One day, they will hear with surprise Jesus’ words: “You did it for me” and “You did it because of me!” It is possible to act in the name of Christ without even knowing it. A “catholic” Christian is one who can recognize God’s presence wherever good is done, marveling and praising the Lord, thereby sanctifying His Name.
The expression “in my name” (from the mouth of Jesus) or “in your name” (from the apostles) or in the name of Jesus/Christ/Lord appears frequently in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospels (almost forty times) and in the Acts of the Apostles (around thirty times). A Christian is one who acts in the name of Jesus: born, lives, loves, works, prays, announces, does good, fights evil, suffers, is persecuted, dies… always for His Name’s sake. His Name progressively becomes our identity, our name, to the point that we can say like Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
However, we can ask ourselves whether this is the name that governs our lives. Because it may happen that other names (those of numerous idols) rule our lives, forgetting that “there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
2. Small gestures done in His Name. “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose their reward.” This saying of Jesus, on the value of small gestures, is linked to the previous one by the reference to Jesus’ name. Doing things in the name of Christ brings an abundance of grace, even if it’s just small gestures, because “it is the smallest gestures that reveal the profound truth of a person” (S. Fausti).
3. Attention to the little ones. “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.” Being cast into the sea was considered the worst death because only a buried body would rise again. Jesus refers here to those weak in faith, but what he says applies to all kinds of “little ones”: the marginalized, the poor, the suffering, the needy…
4. Constant pruning. “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off… If your foot…, cut it off… If your eye…, pluck it out!” Jesus uses harsh expressions to emphasize determination in fighting anything that causes us to stumble and fall in life. Perhaps we have hands, feet, and eyes that need cutting or plucking. Often, we are like certain figures from Greek mythology, with a hundred hands grasping everything, a hundred feet leading us astray, a hundred eyes preventing us from focusing our gaze on Christ. A Christian’s life requires continuous pruning. Perhaps today this message invites us to examine our conscience to discern what we should cut off to avoid risking losing our lives.
Fr. Manuel João Pereira Correia, mccj
