27-Aug-2024 – Who gets the glory tells us whether we are for God or not?
And John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us – Luke 9:49”
From this verse, we can understand that there was a person who was not part of the disciples of Jesus Christ, yet he was casting out demons in the name of Jesus. This is an often overlooked portion of scripture. If we consider the disciples, they were called, trained, ordained, and sent out. It followed an orderly process, setting a standard for discipleship in most assemblies. But this person, we don’t know when he heard about Jesus, was still able to cast out demons in His name.
Based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, we know that without faith, we cannot exercise even ordained authority. This is why the disciples couldn’t calm the raging sea, couldn’t get ready to feed the multitude when Jesus asked, and couldn’t cast out the dumb spirit when Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration. But this person, who did not regularly follow Jesus, determined in his heart—just like the woman with the issue of blood—and by faith, was able to cast out demons and deliver people.
From a different perspective, the disciples represent systematic and established procedures, often considered the standard operating procedure. This approach is good because it adheres to the core principles of faith. However, there is a downside: the possibility of discarding genuine manifestations of faith by citing that they do not align with the principles they believe in, or that they come from a different group.
But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us – Luke 9:50”
Jesus clearly taught the disciples an important principle in such cases: to consider whether the other person is a believer and born again. A believer who is born again will never act against another fellow believer. Moreover, without faith, one cannot experience the power and authority in the name of Jesus Christ.
Although these verses speak directly about not hindering the work of the Lord, even when there is no similarity or familiarity—unless it contradicts the core message of the Gospel—we can also apply this to our daily lives, even when not related to ministry.
The disciples represent streamlined processes, such as step-by-step, time-tested practices. For example, to get a job, you typically need academic qualifications, experience, and subject matter expertise. This is an established and agreed-upon fact. But what if someone with poor academic performance becomes interested in data science, studies it online, practices on their available system, and creates a remarkable data analysis use case? They can still get a good job, regardless of their qualifications or experience. Here, the focus is on the subject matter.
In the same way, anything we do in life should meet one primary requirement: it must glorify the Lord. If our actions glorify the name of our Lord, even if the approach is unconventional, it will bring glory to Him. However, if our intention is to gain personal recognition or fame, it will not succeed and will backfire.
So, in line with this month’s theme of prayer, our prayer should be that we do not overlook unconventional ways of operation and manifestation in and around our lives, so that we do not unknowingly hinder the work of God.
Prayer
Dear loving Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and grace. Thank You for teaching us the importance of understanding the intention behind our actions, rather than just following procedures or standards. As long as we prioritize the glory of God, our steps will be directed according to Your will. Help us to understand this truth and apply it in our lives properly. I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen!
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