This coming Sunday is the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In the last few posts we have discussed some background to the reading, now we enter the reading itself.

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” 39 Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward. 

One should not miss the irony in this passage. The disciples were attempting to prevent another from doing what they had just failed to do: “I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” (9:18). Continue reading →