Who is part of your group and who is not? Humans are forever creating in-groups and out-groups. We find connection and security in the groups we associate with. Groups can help us define and live out our identity, growing more fully into who we are. Groups can also give us opportunities to distance ourselves from others by judging or rejecting so-called “outsiders.”
There are countless things humans can use to divide ourselves: Sports loyalties, political perspectives, racial identity, clothing choices, pizza preferences, areas of the country, majors, and certainly religious beliefs. In this week’s gospel, Jesus calls his followers to expand their boundaries. When they tell Jesus they tried to stop someone who was not in their group from casting out demons in Jesus’ name, Jesus tells them no. “Whoever is not against us is for us.” The man was bringing healing in Jesus’ name – exactly what Jesus has come to do. There is no reason to stop him, even if he is not part of their little band.
Jesus’ response to the “outsider” casting out demons reminds us that as we follow Jesus, we are called to bring hope, wholeness, and love to the world, no matter what group we are in. Jesus has a wide embrace, including all sorts of followers, no matter what we or the 12 disciples think about that. The point is not whether someone is with the right group – the point is that we are called to bring the love of Jesus to the world. As we decide who we will include and what groups we will turn to for companions and our identity, we can best evaluate those groups based on how they empower us to interact with others, the things they teach us to bring to the world. How are they empowering us to live out the love of God that we see in Jesus?
Peace,
weekly prayer | Jesus expands boundaries (and talks about other things) in Mark 9