Wherever compassion rears its beautiful head.

Mark 9.38-50 is about Jesus' disciples telling others not to cast out demons in Jesus name; an attempt at a kind of exclusive exorcism franchise, a claim to ministry copyright. You only get the irony of Mark 9.38-50 if you remember what happened earlier in Chapter 9.

Here's the giveaway text at Mark 9.18 : " I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they
couldn’t."

Now failure, if taken rightly to heart, is an education in humility, progress towards a
more honest self understanding, an opportunity to grow. But not for the disciples in Mark’s Gospel. Having failed to
exorcise an evil spirit themselves, they then become the self-appointed
Regional Quality Assurance officers for Exorcisms. Not surprising, that desire
to regulate others, control the boundaries, 
– they’d just been having an argument about who is the greatest. Like one of those Blair Brown ambition-fests we used to be treated to, about who would be leader and who the followers.
Jesus had just given the kind of answer that only works in the politics of the Kingdom of God, "Whoever wants to be first, must be last of all and servant of all." And like the self-preoccupied movers
and shakers they believed themselves to be, they didn’t, as John Reid used to
say, ‘get it’.

So failed exorcists with a lust for leadership, presume to
disqualify others from their ministry in Jesus' name, and in doing so unwittingly disqualify
themselves. John Reid (remember him now?) would say, ‘Disciples not fit for
purpose’. In a world with more than its fair share of those powers that dehumanise, violate and contaminate human community, Jesus' words question the right of any of us to erect boundaries, theological or otherwise, around compassionate care for others. Maybe there's a conversion of heart needed so we can hear more clearly Jesus' reply, – generously inclusive, ministry affirming, and welcoming
compassion wherever it rears its beautiful head …”whoever is not against us is
for us.” These words represent Jesus' permission to celebrate compassion, to defend and support those who take on the powers and social forces that diminish human lives – wherever, whenever.

"Whoever is not against us is for us"  – That saying urges an ecumenicity of the heart, and it is only possible
when being first is an irrelevance, and being servant of all a priority. "Whoever is not against us is for us", gives not only the benefit of the doubt,
but the benefit of trust and fellowship. To live with such an attitude of openness to
goodness, to see each act of kindness as Christ-serving, to believe each costly
casting out of evil wherever it lurks collaborates with God’s Kingdom, to
recognise, acknowledge and celebrate compassion wherever it radiates into human
lives, is to take on the generous inclusiveness of Jesus who welcomes all the
help the world needs. In fact, service in Jesus' name, inevitably becomes service to Jesus, for inasmuch as you did it to the least of these my sisters and brothers……you did it for me.

The painting above is one of my favourite pieces of Scottish art. The angels are carrying St Bride to visit Christ at the Nativity, embody in their movement and demeanour, dependable compassion and faithful carrying, but also the power of God's goodness let loose in the world. It's included in this post – because I take any excuse to celebrate this beautiful modern Celtic masterpiece by John Duncan. You can see it at the National Gallery of Scotland. Over the years I've spent an hour or three gazing at it.