Beyond Us (Mark 9:38-50)

I am a missionary working in Paraguay. When I left for a mission field 28 years ago, not many people knew Paraguay. The best information I could get about the country was that, in a book called <Chan-Sam Kim’s World Travel>, a few lines were introduced that ‘In Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, there are orange trees along the street, but no one goes to give them even if the oranges fall’. When I was leaving for Paraguay, a friend said goodbye to me, “Welcome to Uruguay.” Since the Uruguay Round was a social issue at the time, Uruguay knew it all. When I say, “Paraguay, not Uruguay!” When I asked him, he smirked and said: “Does that even matter which ‘guay’ you are going to? Anyway, have a good trip.” So my family went to Paraguay, which was considered by some to be 'Amuguay'. Paraguay is no longer ‘any guay’ to us. It is the place where I have lived almost half of my life, and it is a place where I enjoy the peace of the kingdom of God with them. Ciudad del Este, where we work, is a border city bordered by Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. The famous Iguazu Falls are nearby. This area is a place where various races, cultures and religions coexist, including Indigena.

During this time, we try to understand God's Word from a missionary perspective and share grace together. When missionaries come to their homeland, they do a 'mission report'. It is to share the experience of the mission field or the achievements of missionary work. The text of today's Gospel can be said to be the story of John's 'missionary report'. Because it is a story about meeting with a stranger. These strangers are “those who work in the name of Jesus” in verse 38, “anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name” in verse 41, and “these little ones who believe in me” in verse 42. They were not followers of Jesus. They do not belong to the discipleship community. It can also be a loose sympathizer. These are people who long for a new world, the kingdom of God, but have nothing to do. What are the disciples' views on them? What would Jesus say about this? What should we do, and what kind of decision do we need to make while living in the hope of the kingdom of God?

Someone driving out demons in your name (verse 38)

Today's text has to do with the exclusivity of the community that follows Jesus. 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.” (verse 38). Not because he was teaching false doctrines or living in sin, but simply because he had nothing to do with them. What are the criteria for the disciples to censor his ministry? It was whether the person was a “follower of us,” that is, a member of our community. It seems that the disciples viewed calling on Jesus “name” as their exclusive right. They thought they had the power to forbid because they thought they were commanders and rulers, not servants. This has been the old mindset of the ‘us’ central community who sees themselves as “chosen people, set apart”. They do not recognize the liberating actions of others “in the name of Jesus.”

Paraguay was not an area of interest for Protestant missions as it is a Catholic country classified as an area where the Gospel has already been preached. So far, the Korean church's awareness of missions in Latin America has not largely deviated from the traditional missions of evangelization and civilization, that is, “us-centered” mission. Therefore, there are those who try to find the legitimacy of mission in Latin America in evangelism according to the evangelical doctrine, planting a Protestant church, and criticizing the doctrine of the Catholic Church or liberation theology. In a way, Latin Americans were merely objects of the expansion of the Protestant church or church growth, working across the very remote 'border', where the flight time was over 28 hours by changing planes three times. It can be said that it was a mission to create “those who follow us.”

As a result of the mission to expand ‘us’, in Paraguay, 89% of Catholics and 7% of Protestants have become ‘Christians’. But their faith is isolated only in the church. In Paraguay, what happens when faith and life do not match is striking. In Latin America, religious piety in the sight of the suffering image of Christ on the cross is considered faith. The sympathy for compassion for Jesus' suffering is mistaken for faith. However, it seems that they are not interested in what Jesus has set an example and told you to do as well.

But even there, there are those who are doing “casting out demons” in the name of the Lord, that is, the movement of the kingdom of God. The mission of this kingdom of God requires carrying out specific tasks. Based on this belief and the situation of the mission field, we did missionary work in Paraguay. The theme of our missionary work is “Peace of Christ in Paraguay”. So we decided to name our church and school ‘LA PAZ’. ‘LA PAZ’ is Spanish for ‘peace’. As a mature faith, we are working to establish the peace of Christ not only in the church, but also in our concrete lives in general.

We do not believe that we are teaching missionary work just by the fact that missionaries have established, have regular worship services, and have time for Bible study. It does not count as achievements for graduates to enter prestigious schools and succeed. We believe that the fact that our La Paz school teaches and learns to live together by serving as a right member of the world as servants of the kingdom of God, as well as the disposition and attitude that achieves the peace of Christ in the world, is the fulfillment of the mission of education. All brothers and sisters in the La Paz community are working to build a violence-free family, protect the human rights of women and children and Indigena, work for a just community, and overcome disease and poverty in order to achieve 'the peace of the Lord' in Christ. The radical social movement or the passionate Pentecostal movement that can be seen in Latin America is to carry out the specific task of those who hope for the kingdom of God in various forms of faith.

Jesus replies: ““Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.” (39-40) Jesus acknowledges them even though they are not “followers of us” in the eyes of the disciples. They are called “our supporters.” Jesus calls his disciples from a more inclusive perspective. They preach and teach about the kingdom of God and preach the good news of salvation in a way different from John and the other disciples. In their way, they believe in the power of the name of Jesus, heal and change lives, and move toward the kingdom of God. We always think of Christians, strangers, on the other side of the boundary of 'we' as inferior. But Christ honored the gifts of those whom we considered unimportant. What matters to Jesus is not whether the person is a member of the community or not, but whether the community does what it is supposed to do. They were beyond the existing “us,” that is, the “community of followers of Jesus,” and they performed “miracles” outside that “community,” serving in the name of Jesus. We must recognize that there is variety in serving in the name of the Lord. Because no one is monopolistic in the work of the kingdom of God.

In the northern hemisphere, such as Korea, the sun rises in the east, turns south, and sets in the west. The shadow on the sundial bar also rotates to the right. That is why, when the clock was invented, the hand of the clock turned to the right like the shadow of a sundial. However, in the Southern Hemisphere, such as Paraguay, the sun rises in the east, turns north and sets in the west. In Paraguay, the sundial shadow rotates counterclockwise to the left. If a watch had been invented in the Southern Hemisphere like Paraguay, it would have been built with the hands rotating in the opposite direction. What is normal to me may not be normal to someone in another environment. If Christianity had begun in the Southern Hemisphere rather than in the Western Hemisphere, the Christian faith and mission might be different from what it is today. There would have been no need to debate the right or wrong of missionary work as a priority for evangelism and community service. Just as the direction of the sundial's shadow is different, we should encourage and acknowledge that faith and the actions of faith may differ depending on the environment, history, and culture of the mission field. Because Christians follow the light, not the shadow.

In verse 41, the Lord says, “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.” Who is “anyone who gives you a cup of water”? He is not a ‘follower of us’. They are different from us. He is beyond us. But Jesus identifies them with “those who belong to Christ.” We should always ask ourselves. “Who is Jesus to me?” But the more important missionary question is this. “Who am I to Jesus?” “Who are they to Jesus?”

These little ones—those who believe in me

Jesus continues to speak. “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.”(verse 42). points, and in other cases refers to those excluded from society. These ‘little ones’ are vulnerable and powerless for their own survival. There can always be oppressed and negated people in living and living communities. If they are just beginning to see the dynamism of the kingdom of God presented by Jesus, they are the “believers” here. To ‘sin’ is to deviate from the right path. To dishonor “these little ones who believe in me” is to err and lose faith in God.

These words may be a warning to the disciples about their religious privileges. Being close to Jesus gives you a sense of authority. It makes them feel that they are doing great things in Jesus name. They think they can do something. The problem is that such a sense of privilege can exclude the “little ones” and thus drive some of these little ones away from Jesus. Missionaries are no exception to this danger. Knowing this, we prayed and worked in Paraguay so that the ministry would not become a missionary family alone. The relationship between the helping missionaries and the local people being helped was avoided. We helped each other, learned from each other and ministered. The upper-class schools, the middle-class churches, and the marginalized Indhena tribes are social strata in Paraguay that cannot coexist. However, church members, school students, and parents gave up their sense of superiority and served and ministered to Indehena, who were marginalized through life shared in Christ as an organism.

Those who make “these little ones who believe in me” sin hear this. “it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.” (verse 42). Why is it so serious? Because Jesus identifies himself with the little one. Those who receive one of those little ones in the name of Jesus receive Jesus and God Himself. Then it is clear what awaits him who takes one of these little ones from Jesus.

“If they make you sin,” Jesus commands us to cut off his hands and feet and pluck out their eyes. Because “it is better to enter the kingdom of God with one foot (hand and eye) than to enter hell with two feet (hand and eye)” (verses 43, 45, 47). It is a command from the Lord that we must be fundamental and thorough in our choices. The hands and feet are “the realm of external action” and the realm of interaction with the environment. The eye is “the realm of emotional thinking” that includes will, intellect, judgment, and feeling. Therefore, this verse is not an invitation to self-harm. This is an invitation to the hard and constant determination to give up every action, will, and emotion that binds us to sin and that causes even one of these “little ones” to sin, or deviate from the right path. The human condition left without God is “hell,” where neither the maggots die nor the fire goes out. This disgusting place represents the plight of those who do not participate in the kingdom of God. That's not where we are. You must enter life. You must enter the kingdom of God. A decision is required for this.

Being a Christian doesn't just come from agreeing to and upholding traditional doctrines. It is not about being a member of any community. Christians are newly formed “beyond us” in time and space, concrete daily life, and encounters with others. This Christian identity is “in Christ.” It is in “the name of Jesus.” This is the ability to empathize with strangers face to face. It is the ability to live a life with those beyond ‘us’. This comes from a determination to participate with them in the events of the kingdom of God from here and now to ‘beyond’.

Like one branch

When entering the house of Capernaum, the conversation begins with a discussion among the disciples about ‘who is the greatest’ and ends with an invitation to reconcile with each other. “Have salt among you, and be at peace with one another” (verse 50). This is an invitation to follow Jesus' teachings and become men of peace.

The number representing Paraguay is 'two (2)'. Because it is a country where two different things coexist. There are two official languages: Spanish and Guarani. Based on the Paraguay River, it is divided into two regions with very different climates and soils, with grasslands and forests to the east and wasteland to the west. Independence Day is celebrated on the 14th and 15th of May. It suffered two devastating wars: the Chaco War and the Three Kingdoms War. It went through two dictatorships worse than Korea. The only flag in the world that uses completely different emblems on the front and back. It retains its modern city and the pristine appearance of Indigena. Paraguay is a country with a tradition of merging these two different things into one. It is not one that can be achieved only when one of the two disappears. Nor does it mean that both disappear and make one out of the other. Each of them maintains their own form, while integrating with each other to become one.

If the branches of a tree are different, but look the same, it is called 'as if it were one branch'. This word is 'machangaji(마찬가지)'. It has the meaning of 'same', but has the pretext of 'different from each other'. It means 'different but the same'. We see the justice of the Lord in different ways, and we see the love of Jesus in the same way. We participate in the love of the Lord, who is the truth just as we are. They too will share in the truth of the Lord just as they are. The kingdom of God is being established with them in “us” and “beyond us” in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the power of the gospel. Therefore, even now, mission is to be in solidarity with people who hope for and realize the kingdom of God. When we embrace each other in a society of discrimination and exclusion, hope for the kingdom of God, and participate together in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, God's love and peace will overflow in this world. Now is the time for our decision.

Let us pray in silence.