For Whom Are You Working?

Dane Ortlund had a brief but insightful post yesterday at his blog, Strawberry-Rhubarb Theology.  In it he pointed the reader to the following two passages of Scripture from the Gospel of Mark:

Mark 8:33, "Get behind me, Satan!" (spoken by Jesus to the Simon Peter), and Mark 9:38-39, where we find the disciples saying, "'Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.' But Jesus said, 'Do not stop him.'"

Dane then wisely observed,

Even the chief apostle, the one on whom Jesus founded the church, is capable of falling into patterns of thinking that align with Satan rather than God (Mark 8). Yet shortly later, the disciples are concerned that strangers are casting out demons in Jesus’ name (Mark 9).

In Mark 8 we learn that the work of Satan can be done by those close to Jesus. In Mark 9 we learn that the work of God can be done by those far from Jesus.

May we all remember this lesson and pray that we might humbly and consistently walk in the good works that God has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10).