Contemplative Bible Reading

Mark 9:38 (New Living Translation)

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”

And so it began or so it continued. John, he is the culprit here but it could be me, divides people into them and us. John tells Jesus that they are doing wonderful things. But they are they and they are not us, so what are we to do?

John was a wonderful person; he was a dedicated follower of Jesus. He didn’t like them because them was not us.

In my relatively short life, I have met many wonderful dedicated followers of Jesus say the same words. I have said them as well. What is it about us that we divide dedicated, wonderful followers of Jesus into them and us?

God, please help me in my unbelief.