"The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men" (9:31), the disciples were told. Such is the way of their Master. They were thinking about something else, about which of them would be the first, higher than the others. But it is not only His disciples' desire to take first place that hinders a correct understanding of the way of Jesus Christ. The Evangelist Mark recounts another conversation between the disciples and Jesus, and names another reason for the disciples' misunderstanding of the path of their Teacher's sacrificial suffering.

Jesus Christ's ability to heal people who were thought to be possessed was so obvious and impressive that even His name became a magical word, like a spell. Thus, for example, we read in the Book of Acts:

"Even some of the wandering Jewish exorcists began to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, We adjure you by Jesus, Whom Paul preaches. This was done by some seven sons of the Jewish high priest Sceva" (Acts 19:13-14).

It is about the same incident that the Apostle John speaks in our Gospel: "At this John said: Teacher! we have seen a man who casts out demons in Thy name, and does not follow us; and they forbade him, because he does not follow us."

In those days, everyone believed that both physical and mental illnesses were nothing more than the harmful influence of specific demons. And there was one typical way to cast them out. If someone knew the name of a still stronger spirit and commanded the evil spirit to leave the person in his name, it was believed that the demon was already powerless to resist, for he could not withstand the power of a more powerful name. This is what we are talking about here. John tells of a man who used the name of Jesus to cast out demons. The apostles forbade him to do this because he was not part of their inner circle.

We must agree that the reaction of the apostles was understandable. For did not that strange exorcist steal from them what was most attractive and convincing to people about them – the power to give freedom from demons and heal in their name, their Master? Jesus is their Teacher! What right did this stranger have to usurp a place in their inner circle? Worse, didn't that miracle worker give the impression that belonging to the society of Jesus' disciples was not so important at all? And should not every honest person agree that it would be "more proper" to join the disciples of Jesus first and then operate in the name of their Master?

But the Master evidently thought otherwise: "Jesus said, 'Rebuke him not, for no one who has done a miracle in my name can soon curse me.'" In other words, it is a person's principled orientation toward Jesus that is decisive, not formal membership in the community of His disciples. For he who is inspired by Him and therefore does good cannot think and speak ill of Jesus so easily and quickly. And "he who is not against us is for us!"

But this is not enough:

Jesus Christ pronounces important words directed against any exclusivity and intolerance, which agrees to reward only those who officially belong to the community of disciples. Jesus states, "And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ's, verily I say to you, will not lose his reward." Attention should be paid to the semantic emphasis in this verse. The point is not that "you will be given water because you belong to the community of Christ," so to speak, by Christians, but that "you will be given water because you are thirsty and suffering, and therefore mine, Christ's. And whoever gives you water, feeds, comforts, will be rewarded, whether he belongs to your society or not." Such a person is truly neighborly, like the Samaritan stranger in the parable. In other words, Jesus explained that no man can do anything truly useful and salvific for people and at the same time be His enemy.

Кто не способен к такому великодушию, как такому понять весь глубокий жертвенный смысл слова о том, что «Сын Человеческий предан будет в руки человеческие» (9.31)?

Этот небольшой евангельский отрывок очень важен, ибо в нем Иисус Христос изложил христианский принцип терпимости: «кто не против нас, тот за нас». О чем этот принцип?

1. Каждый человек имеет право самостоятельно мыслить. Это право мы должны уважать. Бог дал людям свободу мнений.

2. Можно не принимать убеждения человека, можно желать ниспровергнуть его теорию, но не нужно желать его гибели.

3. Свобода мнения приводит и к свободе самостоятельно формулировать свои мысли, то есть к свободе слова. Конечно, существуют какие-то границы элементарного здравого смысла. Во всяком случае, при соблюдении базовых принципов общежития свобода слова – право богоданное.