Reflections for Proper 21 – Sunday, September 29, 2024
Brothers & Sisters,
BE AT PEACE (MARK 9:38-51) – REFLECTION by: Jean-Paul Agidi (minister of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana)
“Be at peace” is the theme for our reflection. To be at peace means to be in state of harmony with others or to avoid engaging in conflict with other people. Jesus admonished His disciples to be at peace with others and support others to focus on His mission in the world.
We must be at peace with others who may not share the same Christian fellowship with us but also believe and fellowship with Christ. This is the essence of ecumenism. Ecumenism means although we may have diverse churches and expression of Christianity, we are united through our faith and salvation in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is for this reason, when John said to Jesus, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” (Mark 9:38), Jesus replied, “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:39-40). In other words, Jesus’ ministry did not only involve the twelve disciples. Other people through Jesus’ teaching and personal encounter came to believe in Him, and therefore, were able to drive out demons or healed through the flawless name of Jesus.
We are greatly encouraged to live at peace with anyone who calls on the name of Jesus although the person may not be a member of our church. In addition, Jesus’ plan is that those who believe in Him and live at peace with one another must support each other in sustaining and promoting His universal mission of spreading the Gospel to save the dying and the perishing. It is for this purpose, that Jesus assured His disciples and anyone called to be involved in His mission, “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. (Mark 9:41). In other words, anyone who contributes to the furtherance of the Messiah’s mission by supporting the Church shall be rewarded. We can only live at peace with one another, work together and support Jesus mission in the world through the spirit of ecumenism or unity in diversity. Jesus has saved and called us from different nations, ethnic group, race and class to become one big fellowship or Church so that we can work together to win the world over for Christ through ecumenism, mission and evangelism.