Luke 9:49-56 Grace outside our own little circle - discerning spirits

Luke 9:49-56 The disciples need to learn the true nature of God - His desire to save and to offer grace to those who reject Him. Two incidents occur that Jesus uses to show the disciples aspects of His kingdom. In Luke 9:49-50 (paralleled in Mark 9:38-40) the disciples' response to someone who is outside the twelve but is nonetheless casting out demons in Jesus' name is to try to hinder him. Jesus' response is recorded by Luke as 'Don't hinder him because whoever is not against you is for you.' Mark records this plus and additional comment that no one who performs a miracle in His name is able afterwards to speak evil of Him.

         Speculation about who this person was or how he was able to exercise authority in Jesus' name is pointless because we have no other information. But for us the question is how we react to the actions of others who are not in our crowd but are doing things in Jesus' name. We might call them cults or perhaps say their ministry is unhealthy because that person is focusing too much attention on himself, or perhaps he is working outside of the church altogether and operating as a lone wolf ... there are many different things we might disapprove of in others' ministries. But Jesus response seems to be if that person is not against you, and is ministering in His name, then do not hinder him. We may not be privy to everything that God is doing through all sorts of different people.

         The second incident occurs when Jesus tries to go through Samaria on His way to Jerusalem. En route, he sends messengers ahead to a village, but they would not receive Him because He had set His face towards Jerusalem. The disciples wanted to call fire down from heaven as Elijah had done (2 Kings 1:10-12), but Jesus rebuked His disciples because the Son of Man (Him) did not come to destroy but to save. He also warned them that they did not know what spirit they were speaking from. The heart of God was what the disciples were missing. Even though Jesus had displayed to them what His heart looked like in action, they were not yet getting it. They had not yet learned to discern spiritual sources, although their reaction may have been purely from the flesh, but Jesus didn't think so. When we encounter opposition, our reaction needs to follow Jesus' advice in Luke 6:27 & 35.