There are many statements in Scripture that are difficult to work out what they mean and how they should be applied (an understatement!). Sometimes there are contradictions and they can cause great puzzlement or push us to dig a little deeper, and by deeper I think it is often into the dialogue of Scripture (as the important aspect is ‘how are you, Martin, going to live?’). Luke records two contradictory statements of Jesus:
John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you” (Luke 9:49,50).
and then,
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters (Luke 11:23).
Both statements are interestingly placed in the context of setting people free from (demonic) bondage and so perhaps we could widen the application to the work of liberation. (Liberation Theology essentially ties the experience of salvation into the extent that we are liberated and are involved in bringing liberation to others.) So let me widen the application into the challenging area of a ‘heaven-inspired-vision’ that takes responsibility to contribute to the transformation of our world. Surely after all that is the Gospel – the good news that Jesus is the ‘firstborn of (new-)creation / creation as it is meant to be’, with the whole creation itself groaning to enter its liberation.
I found the two statements very straightening when talking into two business situations recently. The core / the DNA is so important with issues of hierarchy and mammon being so important to eradicate at the core. ‘People, planet, profit’ might be a slick alliterated slogan but they hold something so central. If people find their true liberation (and not merely ‘souls saved’) there is hope for the planet. Romans 8 drawing on the story of the bondage in Egypt is very telling… Pharaoh and those who served him enslaved the Israelites, and now (in Rom. 8) humanity has enslaved the planet. True liberation alters the relationship to all around (Genesis 3 being a catalogue of alienationed relationships; Gen. 4-11 outlining the fruit of those alienations. Jesus chose 12 to be with him… Not chosen primarily to be taught but to catch something – he chose them to be with him – then to proclaim and be involved in the liberating work (Mk. 3:14,15). Jesus did not include all, neither did he include all who were mature, but (I guess) he chose those into whom he sensed could embrace his DNA… and of course in the midst of it all was one who would betray him, all for some money(!) and a vision of how to do things successfully.
They were with him… if the ‘wrong’ people were drawn with their own agenda (that does not mean their own gift, calling, vision as it is not about silent clones) there is a danger that the DNA will not be carried through.
Then there were those who were not with Jesus and that band and some of them were copying the methodology and activity of the Jesus and disciple group. Don’t stop them, Jesus said, don’t worry too much about their DNA… if they are pulling in the same direction they are not against us.
Same direction? The betterment of humanity? I think so. Same direction, maybe not exactly the same path. This is how I like to think ‘the two hands of God’ (Irenaeus, 2nd Century)… Inclusive of all, the Spirit is present everywhere, and the Son through whom redemption comes.
An inner core who had better be sorted out on the big things: religion, mammon and ego – or at least works that are clearly in process… and an inner core who knew how not to be in opposition to those who were not against them. My oft-harked about verse concerning the ‘Asiarchs’ seems to fit this pattern to.