Who’s In?

Who’s in? Who’s out? That’s always the struggle. What are the rules that define who is part of a group and who isn’t? Some groups limit themselves by their purpose. Such as homeowner associations. Professional organizations and so on. Some groups have controlled access, fraternities and sororities for example. Or a state controlling who can drive a car. Some groups are organized by interest. Birdwatching groups or book groups. In other groups the boundaries are less clearly defined.

But what about religion? Who belongs? Who decides who belongs? Historically, churches have had a variety of responses, some more strict than others. In ways that are official and unofficial we can intentionally and unintentionally limit who belongs. Because we recognize our human desire for power and control, we need to regularly ask ourselves, who we are admitting and who we might be prohibiting from joining.

Similarly, we may try to regulate who is a “real” Christian. “You can’t be a Christian and…” We try to police worship. Traditional hymns versus praise and worship music. We try to control how women dress. Is what she is wearing too short, too tight? Is it modest and decent? We claim particular translations of the Bible are the only ones to read. We worry about the content of books and media. We worry about having friends who aren’t Christian or who aren’t sufficiently Christian.

For some of us the criteria that determines who is in and who is out is long. It is exhaustive and exhausting.

This week’s lectionary has two stories about people who engage with God outside the expected groups.

In Numbers chapter 11,¹ Moses and the people who will be Israel have left slavery in Egypt and are wondering in the desert. It’s not been easy. The people regret leaving Egypt and Moses is overwhelmed by the responsibility for them and their needs. God tells Moses to gather 70 elders at the tent of meeting. When they were gathered God came and put the spirit on the 70 and they prophesied. However two men, Eldad and Medad, didn’t go to the tent of the meeting. They stayed in the camp. But the Spirit found them anyway and they prophesied in the camp not in the tent. Someone ran and told Moses about this. Joshua said to Moses, “My Lord Moses, stop them!”

But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29 NRSV)

This text is sometimes read at Pentecost along with the story in Acts 2 when the Spirit comes to the disciples. They speak in a variety of foreign languages and people from many nations- “outsiders”- come to the Christian faith. This week this text from Numbers is paired with a passage in Mark.

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you,whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

For everyone will be salted with fire, Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:38-50 NRSV)

In Mark, someone is out of the apostle’s knowledge and control. Those poor guys. Remember the disciples just had an argument about who is the greatest among them². Now they are worried about how someone who they don’t know and who they don’t have control over. “…we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” That is such an interesting statement. They say “not following us” rather than “Not following you.” Why are they concerned about this other person who is not part of the known followers? Certainly Jesus doesn’t expect everyone to physically join him and the apostles as they travel.

They also say “we tried to stop him” which sounds like they were not successful. Which is maybe why they told Jesus about it, expecting him to act. I suspect the apostles are still wrestling with worries about status and control and authority.

Jesus responds with what is in English a somewhat awkward statement. “Do not stop him, for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us.” It sounds as if Jesus is not requiring perfection as much as faithfulness. Sincerely acting in imperfect faith, nevertheless changes us. The disciples’ task is not to police the actions of others. It sounds like the Spirit will take care of that.

“…whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by not means lose the reward.” Whoever. Whoever recognizes your faith, your work. Whoever. Then Jesus warns against creating “stumbling blocks” for others and advised the disciples that they need to be concerned about their own actions. ” If your hand causes you to stumble….”, “If your foot causes you to stumble…”, “If your eye causes you to stumble…”. Your, your, your. Not if their hand, if their foot, if their eye. The disciples task, as ours, is to watch out for our own sins. We are in charge of what we do, not necessarily what others do.

This section ends with Jesus saying, “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Salt preserves, so pay attention to your faith, your saltiness. Be at peace with one another.

The text from Numbers and from Mark are cautionary tales against our gatekeeping. Eldad and Medad aren’t where they are supposed to be. They don’t go to the meeting. We are not told why they don’t go. Evidently that’s not important. What is important is that the Spirit finds them – where they are, in spite of their non compliance. In Mark, someone the apostles don’t know is acting in Jesus’ name. We don’t know who this person was or how they heard about Jesus. But Jesus is fine with them.

What these texts in Numbers and Mark tell us is to relax. To loosen our need to control and gate keep. We are not in control of how others encounter the Spirit. We’re not in control of how they live out that encounter.

Am I saying absolutely everything is fine? Anything goes? No, not really. But we need to be aware of how easy it is for us to judge. How easy it is for us to try to control the actions and beliefs of others. We need to remember God’s love for us, all of us, is wide and deep. Nothing separates us from the love of God.³ And we need each other. Even if some of us forget to show up at the tent of meeting. Even if some of us follow Jesus in a different way.

In his book The Holy Longing⁴ Ronald Rolheiser writes, “My task is not to walk to God as an individual but to be within a community that is worshiping God. …in this life, whenever I meet the presence of God within community I will not meet it in its pure form. All communities of faith mediate the grace of God in a very mixed way. Sin, pettiness, and betrayal are always found alongside grace, sanctity, and fidelity.”

“The task …is to stand toe to toe, shoulder to shoulder, and heart to heart with people absolutely different from ourselves– but who, with us, share one faith, one Lord, one baptism, and one God who is Father and Mother of all.”

This is tremendously difficult. I think this difficult task is one of the church’s most important tasks–showing the world how to love each other even when we are not very loveable. Which is showing the world (and ourselves) how God loves.

1. This is the lectionary passage https://bible.oremus.org/?ql=594113245 ↩︎
2. Mark 9:33-37 ↩︎
3. Romans 8:31-39, ↩︎
4. The Holy Longing, The Search for a Christian Spirituality, Ronald Rolheiser (Image: New York) 2019 pages 127,131 ↩︎