Coffee With God

Reflection: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

The disciples of Jesus are confronted by a huge confusion: How can someone who does not follow us, who does not belong to our group, perform the same wonders or even greater ones that were copyrighted to us? If someone successfully occupies the field where we are called to carry out our mission, is there cause for rejoicing or concern? Who is authorized to use the name of Jesus? To whom has he bestowed his Spirit, the power that heals every disease? John and his companions are not happy because the other person does not belong to their group. How do we understand who is with us and who is against us? At certain moments, we Christians feel that we are the only beloved children of God and people who do not belong to our group and our religion are outsiders who cannot be in the love and mercy of God. But on our journey, as we look up and look around, we realise that there are many generous, sincere, well-disposed companions walking alongside us. We did not see them because we have been looking through the coloured glass of our presumptions of being the only true Church and the only true disciples. Envy and jealousy prevented us from recognizing the good done by those who were different from us. In our communities, many serve our brothers and sisters, carrying out the tasks with diligence and generosity; however, jealousy and envy often ruin our efforts. And all the works we do, ceases to be a service but turns out to be means of affirming ourselves, our social status and our ego. St. Mark reminds his community to make every effort to make their lives beneficial to the community. God has blessed us with eyes, hands and legs to observe and reach out to the needs of our brothers and sisters to do them good. Whoever wastes their chance to do good in this world loses, forever, the unique opportunity that God has offered him or her; ruins himself or herself like garbage. The word “Gehenna” was the place where all the garbage of the city was dumped. The Gospel speaks of chopping off one’s hand or leg or even removing one’s eye – if we use them to do wrongs and fail to use them to do good. Indeed, it shocks the listeners, but we should remember that it is not an announcement of eternal damnation for the wrong-doers. Rather, it is an urgent call to cut off our wrong behaviours, attitudes, life-styles and ideologies, so that we wouldn’t let our lives be wasted in the garbage bin.