Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

September 30, 2018 

Readings:

First Reading: Numbers 11: 25-29

Psalm: 19

Second Reading: James 5: 1-6

Gospel reading according to Mark 9: 38-43, 45, 47-48

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Homily:

One of the apostles, John, while moving around the countryside on one occasion, maybe they were sent by Jesus two by two to preach the good news, saw and heard a man, not belonging in their group, used the name of Jesus in expelling demons.  “At that time, John said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us’.” (Mk. 9: 38).  Maybe this man saw and witnessed how Jesus expelled demons out from the body of a man in the synagogue or in the street healing the possessed man, or in any other occasion when Jesus was curing a possessed man.  John stopped the man in healing the possessed man using the name of Jesus, because he was not a follower of Jesus and did not belong to their group.  This also happened in the time of Moses, when God took some of the spirit that He was given to Moses and imparted to the seventy chosen men (and maybe to some women) to become leaders of different tribes of Israel and they prophesied, and it so happened that other two men included in the list of leaders, Eldad and Medad, were left behind in their tents, yet they also received the spirit of the Lord and prophesied. When Joshua, who from his youth had been Moses’ aide, learned this he reported it to Moses (see first reading, Numbers 11: 25-29).  It is difficult to drive away demons or even Satan.  It needs courage, strength, power and confidence to self and to the one invoking or using the name to deliver demons and Satan out of the body being possess by the evil spirit.  The one who is trying to remove the evil spirit to the one possess using the name of Jesus, I think, has faith, belief and confidence in Jesus even though he does not belong to the followers of Jesus. 

Using the name of Jesus for the good of others is as if sharing in the spirit of Jesus. Jesus is not a kind of leader who does not want to share his spirit, but rather he is a good teacher and leader who shares his knowledge to the future leaders.  He trains others to become good leaders.   “Jesus replied, ‘Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me.  For whoever is not against us is for us’.” (Mk. 9: 39-40). The man although does not follow Jesus, but the fact that he is invoking the name of Jesus in driving out demons means he believes in the power of Jesus and he is not an enemy of Jesus.  He does not speak ill against Jesus, therefor he is for Jesus.

Then, Jesus gave some examples on how to become truly followers and disciples of him, who also received the spirit of service, understanding, of acceptance and of love, etc. even though they do not belong to the group of Jesus. On the one hand, if “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward” (Mk. 9: 41).  Despite he or she does not follow Jesus but still helps and supports his followers, in our first example, ie., giving water to drink to his disciples because they are disciples of Jesus, he/she also receives a reward.  

On the other hand, if the disciples as well as we, who believe in Jesus, bring anyone who does not follow Jesus, to sin, because he or she is not a disciple of him yet have a chance to believe in him also, we receive a heavy punishment. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and were thrown into the sea” (Mk. 9: 42). Even more so to those who believe we bring to sin. And again, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off   It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire” (Mk. 9: 43).  If we use our hands to sin, like stealing, hurting others with our fists, abusing our hands in many dirty works, we have to cut our hands, meaning we have to stop whatever bad things our hands are doing which are against the design of God – which is to lend our helping hands to others in need. And again, “And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna” (Mk. 9: 45). If our feet cause us to sin, cut them off or rather avoid going into those places that bring us to sin.  “And if your eye causes you to sin, plunk it out.  Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than with two to be thrown into Gehenna, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mk. 9: 47-48).  Even our eyes, if we look with bad intentions, malice, wickedness that make our eyes fall into sin, again, avoid and (“ibaling sa iba ang tingin”) and do not look those things that make our eyes dirty and sinful.  Do not use our hands, feet, eyes, our parts of the body to commit sin and leading other members of our body into sin.  In other words, let us not bring the members of the Church, as body of Christ, into sin, but rather bring them to fulfilling the plan of God for all of us, to bring love and holiness of each member of the Body of Christ.

As followers of Jesus, and as members of the Body of Christ, we must be patient to the non-followers or non-believers of him as well as to his believers.  We too have responsibilities to lead them to good, morally upward activities, guiding them to the true commandments of Jesus especially the commandment of love, rather than bringing them to commit sin, bring them in misery, put them in misfortune and even death.  We, the hands, feet, eyes and other members of the Body of Jesus Christ, have to introduce also who Jesus is to those who do not know him, and to let them understand his religion. Let us allow them to experience the love of Jesus and let them do the same to others as parts and members of the Body of Jesus Christ, the Church.