He That Is Not Against Us Is For Us
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Text: Luke 9:49-50
"And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him,
because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us."
This passage is apparently one of the ‘go-to’ verses used by the religious world to try to prove that Jesus taught that we should all “just get along”. These folks would have us to believe that doctrinal differences mean nothing and that all that really matters is that we love Jesus. It is my contention that, although we live in a dispensation of grace and enjoy the freedoms of such, we still have teachings that we are to live by. True Christianity is not a free-for-all where everyone gets to approach God in any manner they desire. Jesus said in John 15:14 “ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you”. Yes, in the context of the verse, Jesus is referring to loving one another as he loves us. However, remember also that Jesus said in John 14:15 “if ye love me, keep my commandments”. World religious organizations would have us to believe that love alone is all we need in order to please God. If this is true then we might as will throw out the rest of the New Testament, ignoring the writings of Paul, Peter, James, etc. The contention that in Luke 9, Jesus is telling us that we are to bury our doctrinal differences is erroneous and here is why:
1. There was no such thing as protestants or Catholics at the time this took place.
So, who was this man in verse 49?
2. All ‘Christians’ would have been baptized either by John the Baptist of by the disciples of Jesus.
Therefore, the man referred to in verse 49 would have been a part of Christ church.
Jesus and His church alone worked miracles.
3. The context is about greatness and the desire of the disciples to elevate themselves one above the other.
“We have left all” Matthew 19:27
4. “Why could we not cast him out?” Mark 9:28
5. They are against us. They attack the truth (religions of today). Therefore, they are NOT our friends,
nor are they ‘with us’. John 15:14
In examining this passage, we also have to keep in mind the time frame reference of when Jesus is speaking. At this particular time, there were no such things as protestants, nor were the Catholics yet on the scene. The apostacy from the truth that became the Roman Catholic church had not started at this time. It would be another 300 years or so before this heresy was firmly rooted. It was also some 1500 years before the start of the “reformation”. So the man that is referred to as “one casting out devils” could not have been protestant or Catholic. Therefore, using the verse to say that we should get along with these two groups doesn’t fit, especially since it is my belief that the man referred to in verse 49 is ‘one of us’.
So, how do I come to that conclusion? What makes me believe that the man in verse 49 was a follower of Christ? First off, Jesus specifically called the 12 disciples who were also called apostles. However, these 12 are not the only converts in the world at that time. John the Baptist baptized many people. We do not know a specific number, but we are told that they were multitude. However, not every believer at that time lived with Jesus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most of them no doubt went about their work, they went about their lives making a living, just as they had done before their conversion. Yes there was a core group that followed Jesus and were taught by him for 3 ½ years, more than just the twelve. We know the names of at least two of these men, Joseph called Barsabas and Matthias (Acts 1:21-23). The verses in Acts seem to imply that there were others also whose names are lost to us. But the vast majority of people who had come to Christ did not follow him on a daily basis. I Corinthians 15 tells us that there were at least 500 people who were witnesses of Jesus after his resurrection. Surely these were not all men who traveled with Jesus day in and day out. I believe that it is absurd to think that just because certain men were not a part of Jesus’ entourage, he had no more disciples in the world at that time. Their status certainly did not make them any less faithful to the Lord than those who followed closely. Think of John the Baptist. He didn’t follow Jesus either. And yet Jesus himself said of John that “among those born of women, there has not one arisen greater than John the Baptist” John 11:11. So why would we not think that there were others of Jesus’ disciples, many that probably didn’t even know each other?
Second, verse 49 indicates that this man was casting out devils (demons). He was doing so in the name of Jesus. The verse does NOT say that he was ATTEMPTING to cast out demons. He was obviously successful in doing so. Think for a minute about what casting out demons is all about. Is this not a miracle? If you read the verses previous to our subject in Luke 9, you’ll find that the casting out of a demon was quite an amazing thing in the eyes of those that witnessed Jesus do so (verse 43). What was the purpose of miracles? Why did Jesus perform these mighty works? The bible is clear on this subject. Jesus did miracles to establish the fact that he was of God in the eyes of those who witnessed his works. In John 3:2, Nicodemus declares “we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him”. The same is true of Christ’s church – miracles were given to establish their witness in the eyes of those who observed them. As a side note: miracles are no longer needed for this purpose. Why? Well first off, the church has been well established as being from God. Second, we have the fullness of the truth in the written Word. The marks of a New Testament church are found in her adherence to the truth of God’s word. Not just part of it – ALL OF IT! Back to the main subject – miracles, including that being wrought by the man in Luke 9:49 were given to those that belonged to Christ, not anyone else. A good example of this is found in Acts 19. The entire chapter is appropriate here, but examine specifically verses 14-17.
Acts 19:13-17 "Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified."
These sons of Sceva and others, took it upon themselves to try to accomplish something that they were not authorized to do. The verses above declare the results of their insolence. Wouldn’t it be reasonable to believe that the same sort of fate would have befallen the man in Luke 9:49 if he was not working in the authority of Jesus? I believe so. Plus, Jesus would never have endorsed this man’s work if it were being done on his own, separate and apart from the authority of Jesus. I might also mention here that, although the Holy Spirit was not given in the fullness spoken of in John 14 and fulfilled in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit indwelled Christ’s church, the disciples of Jesus worked within the bounds of His limited commission. An example of this is found in Luke 10. After sending out the seventy they return, saying in verse 17:
“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name”.
Demons are subject to NOBODY other than God Himself. Period. So in order to cast out demons, it must be of God. Jesus was accused of casting out devils by Beelzebub.
Mark 3:22 “And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub,
and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.”
But in the next verse, Jesus declares this to be impossible.
Mark 3:23 “And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?”
Conclusion? The man in Luke 9:49 had to have been casting out demons by the power of God, the authority of Jesus Christ. He was a disciple of Christ and an obvious man of faith.
Next point – why does John point out this man? I believe the context of the chapter gives us a firm answer to this question. Let’s back up to Luke 9:37 and read from there:
37 "And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him."
38 "And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child."
39 "And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him."
40 "And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not."
In the above passage, Jesus accomplishes something that his disciples could not do. Which disciples is this passage referring to? More than likely, those that followed him for 3 ½ years. In Mark 9:28, they were in a house together with Jesus when they asked Him why they were unable to cast out this particular demon. Jesus’ answer to them was that “this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” Obviously, those in the confines of a 1st century house would not have been a vast multitude but rather the ‘core group’ consisting of the Apostles and probably a few others. I believe that this group would have included John. This becomes important a little later on, because it is John that makes the statement in the 49th verse.
In verses 41 and 42, Jesus casts out the demon:
41 "And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither."
42 "And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father."
In verse 43, the people are amazed by this great miracle: “and they were all amazed by the mighty power of God…”
Jesus takes this opportunity to strengthen His disciples for the coming ordeal. In verse 43 and 44, Jesus wants the disciples to remember His power, how amazed they were at the power of God. When the difficult time of the crucifixion comes, remember this great power that you saw. Although, according to verse 45, they didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, it is still a great reminder to them as well as us to never forget that God is in control, that His purpose will always prevail. Even in the dark days of the crucifixion, God was in control by His glorious power! This should make us feel pretty puny in comparison. As strong and mighty as we may feel we are sometimes, that is nothing but an illusion. The disciples found out in the previous verses that they were powerless but that Jesus’ power was amazing! (verse 43).
It’s at this point that there arises a controversy among Jesus’ disciples. Certainly the Apostles were involved in this but others may have been also. In verse 46, these men are arguing over who would be the greatest. We realize that when we begin to presume greatness we tread on dangerous ground. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” I Corinthians 10:12, as well as other verses that teach the same principle. The fact that they were unable to cast out the demon in the previous verses had to have still been on their minds. It is a part of our sin nature, that when we are shown up, we puff out our chests and try to elevate ourselves. This principle of the sin nature is evident on every freeway in southern California. It’s where road rage comes from. Humility is a very difficult thing for us to learn. The disciples were not immune to their sin nature. They tried and failed in their attempt to cast out the demon in verse 40. Their response to that failure was to try to ‘redeem’ themselves by raising themselves up above each other. Jesus perceived that this was going on in verse 47 and uses the innocence, humility and harmlessness of a child to illustrate their wrong and in verse 48 to teach the lesson of abasing ourselves and preferring our brethren.
I believe that John’s statement in verse 49 is in direct response to Jesus declaration of verses 47 and 48. John’s response is, in essence, “But Jesus, what about that guy over there? He was going around casting out demons in your name, but he didn’t even follow along with us”. This makes me think if Matthew 19:27 “behold we have forsaken all and followed thee”. There’s no doubt that the 12 were well aware of the sacrifices they had made in order to accompany Jesus during His ministry. This is a sacrifice that not everyone who was a follower of Jesus made. A little later in Luke 9, we find a man that declared his desire to follow Jesus wherever he went. Jesus responded to the man with the realities of the difficulty of following Him. Again, not everyone who named the name of Christ was with him night and day through his entire ministry. Those who followed him in this manner were a relatively small group, but they were certainly not the entire flock of Jesus’ fold. On the day of Pentecost, there were at least 120 people (Acts 1:15) that had remained faithful to the Lord. Add to that the 500 witnesses of I Corinthians 15 and it makes a goodly number of people who were faithful to the Lord. So we know that there were at least that many – probably most of them not numbered among those that lived with Jesus during his ministry.
So, it makes perfect sense that John, one of those who was arguing about greatness, when he was called out on it, would point out someone who was not of their traveling group as someone who certainly was not as great as those who had “forsaken all”.
So Jesus’ declaration in Luke 9:50 wasn’t one of endorsing falsehood or someone of another religion or some such thing, simply because they were not “against us”.
That brings up another thought – the world religious organizations of today ARE against us. A quick internet search will turn up great resistance to “Landmarkism”. Yes, there are people out there that specifically target Landmarkers and go to great lengths to try to prove that we are heretics. Now, why would anyone do such? Especially since those that attack us are of the ‘anything goes’ theology, the ‘let’s all just get along’ mentality. The answer to that is painfully simple. The devil HATES the truth and will use any means possible to try to suppress it. To date, it seems to me that his greatest weapon has been in partial imitation. He can fool people into believing a lie (or rather, half truths) in order to keep them away from the fullness of God’s truth and consequently, God’s great promises (the promises of Abraham, but that’s another subject). Anyone who endorses something other than the full truth of God’s word is not ‘for us’ but, quite the contrary, they are AGAINST US. There is no stretch of the imagination that can reconcile error with truth. The two are diametrically opposed. Therefore, how could we ever declare those who live in and teach error to not be “against us”? Jesus himself declared in John 15:14 (quoted above) “ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you”. Not partial truth. Not part of His commands – all of them.
So in conclusion, the man in Luke 9:49 wasn’t some heretic wandering around doing “good works”. He wasn’t someone who presumed to take the mantle of authority upon himself. Rather, he was a disciple of Christ going about doing Christ’s work, endorsed and sent by Jesus Himself.