An Unhindered Kingdom
Luke 9: 46-56
A man who many in our world would call “great” is nearing the end of his life. His name is Nelson Mandela. Years ago, an uncle of mine was able to visit South Africa in the years after Mandela was freed from prison. My uncle said of that encounter, “It was one of the most powerful experiences of my life.” When I was still in grade school, Mandela was sent to prison. By the time he was freed, in 1990, I was almost 40 years old. Such a long, long time in a place that was barely 8 feet by seven feet. But perhaps the most difficult thing to imagine is the spirit of a person surviving such a place, and still being free. Unhindered by a need for revenge.
On many occasions, Jesus gave freedom to persons hindered by social class, poverty, or disease. In our Scripture for today, we even find Jesus allowing a person to cast out demons in his name who was not part of his group of disciples. Listen, with me, to our story today in Luke 9: 46-56.
Hindering is a significant motif in both the gospels, and the book of Acts. An influential commentary on Acts by Frank Stagg is titled, “The Book of Acts: The Early Struggle for an Unhindered Gospel.” The last word in the book of Acts is the word “unhindered,” and it refers to Paul’s proclaiming the kingdom of God “with boldness and without hindrance,” even while Paul was in prison.
The persons who tried to hinder the gospel in our story for today were none other than two of Jesus’ closest disciples: James and John. Jesus had just told his disciples a second time that he would be betrayed by human hands. Then an argument occurred among the disciples about who was the greatest. Jesus stopped that argument by bringing a child in their midst and saying “whoever welcomes this child in my name, welcomes me.”
The words, “in my name” then come up again. John complained to Jesus that he had seen someone casting out demons “in your name,” and they had hindered, or tried to stop, him. Why? Because this person did not follow with them. In other words, he was not in their group. He probably didn’t even have the same beliefs as the disciples did.
In defense of the disciples, they were probably very worried about not only their own future, but Jesus’ future. Things seemed to be spinning hopelessly out of control. Jesus was talking about being betrayed, a person on the street was using his name to perform miracles who didn’t even know him. Then, Jesus decided to pass through Samaria on fateful journey to Jerusalem. The Samaritans refused to receive him. When a family or town refused hospitality in the days of Jesus, it was a serious offense. Persons could die in the desert because hospitality was denied.
This is a very disturbing sequence of events for the disciples, and for Jesus. A sequence of events that begs the question, “Who is really doing the work of God’s kingdom and what does that work look like?
Even today, I find the words of Jesus to John, “Do not hinder him” referring to the man casting out demons a bit unsettling. Whatever happened to appropriate theology? How about training and theological education? All sorts of people in our world speak in the name of Jesus today, and sometimes I strongly disagree with them. What would Jesus say to such discomfort? He would probably want me to think about whether those persons were “for or against” his teachings. Even if I strongly disagreed with their philosophy or theology, Jesus would probably press me to look deeper and ask if their actions were helping the kingdom of God.
And what actions does Jesus endorse? Our next little sequence makes it abundantly clear that Jesus does not support violence. When the Samaritans refused hospitality to the disciples, James and John asked Jesus if they should command fire from heaven to consume the village.
It is easy to criticize the disciples for their rash and mean-spirited response, but it is helpful to remember that these two disciples had just seen Jesus standing on the mount of transfiguration with Moses and Elijah. They were suggesting an action Elijah actually had done. Elijah commanded fire from heaven as a demonstration that Israel’s God was the one true God. But Jesus rebuked them. I suspect his rebuke was a surprise. Wasn’t Jesus going to be like the great prophet Elijah?
He wasn’t. Jesus was full of surprises that day, and he still is. Most of us have tamed-down the Jesus of the gospels. We don’t let him surprise us very much. Today I ask you to consider being surprised, if for just one moment.
Be surprised that Jesus doesn’t subscribe to our policy of “greatness.” He doesn’t look at the size of a church, or the status of a leader, or the importance of a politician. Jesus looks at the little people: the poor, homeless, lonely, hurting little people and pronounces them great.
He doesn’t look at the theological degree, the absence or presence of appropriate doctrine, or the size of a denomination or tradition. He looks at the behavior of a person or a group. If that person or group is promoting the kingdom of God, he would say they can do it in his name. Even if they don’t want to use his name, he would probably consider them “secret supporters” or anonymous disciples of the kingdom.
He doesn’t look at military might, or the size of the magazine of a gun, or the number of drones and bombs. He will resist our every effort to call fire down from heaven when we are shunned or even attacked. He refuses to endorse violence, whether it occurs in the privacy of a family home or in a battlefield. Jesus doesn’t see retribution or revenge of any kind as being a part of his kingdom. When we act in these ways, especially when we do it in his name, we are not supporting his kingdom. We are hindering it.
These three examples alone paint a picture of Jesus’ kingdom that leaves out a great deal of what many of us consider “important.” Having the right set of beliefs. Having a hefty arsenal of defense weapons “just in case.” Having power or prestige, honor or wealth. How much of our time is spent advancing these goals? Every moment we spend shoring up our own “greatness,” seeking revenge, supporting violence, or judging the religion of others…is a moment wasted. A moment lost forever that could have been spent supporting the kingdom Jesus proclaimed and died for.
Even if we have been imprisoned by these attitudes or behaviors for years, there is still hope. Mandela walked out of prison after 25 years and used the years he had left to change the world.
Whatever prisons that may seem to hinder us, Jesus calls us out into the world to share the gospel and build his kingdom. In his name.