“John responded, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us.” Luke 9:49 HCSB
There was the pride Jesus saw in John.
“We tried to stop someone who was casting out demons in your name because he does not follow you as we do.”
First, it was not John’s role to stop that person from doing what he was doing, but maybe John could have brought that person to Jesus, and then it would be up to Jesus to correct or encourage that person. Or John could have told Jesus about that person and then it would be up to Jesus to let the person continue or to stop them.
Second, notice John did not say, we tried to stop him because he does not follow You.” But he said, “We tried to stop him because he does not follow. us.” John was looking at the outward appearance of the proximity to Jesus, but he did not know the true proximity of his heart with Jesus. As far as we know it could have been an angel or any other heavenly being sent to only cast out a demon of someone God was going to use later in His grand plan.
It is not the role of any person to determine if the other person is following Jesus or not. But it is our role to bring them to Jesus and the word of God to let them be changed or encouraged by Jesus and His word. We can look at the fruit that is in their life and have a good idea of how close to Jesus they are (Matthew 7:16-20).
If John would have stepped back to watch this person he would have seen the positive fruit coming from the action of this person and decided that the demons were submitting to him as they did to John during his missionary journey in Luke 9:1-10.
“You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.”
Matthew 7:16-20 HCSB
“I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of His appearing and His kingdom: Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.”
2 Timothy 4:1-2 HCSB
Remember It is not our job to judge, that is God’s job, but it is our job to rebuke, correct, and encourage. We can only see what is on the outside and not what is going on in their heart.
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