Luke 9:49Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Not out of jealousy, but because they deemed him unfit to perform miracles, as he had not been endowed with the gift of miracles like them, had not been commissioned by the Lord as they had, and had not followed Jesus at all.

I articulate this in admiration for the profound insights conveyed in the recent Gospel lessons you are eager to learn about, as you have gathered here motivated by your love for the sacred teachings. What do the wise disciples inquire about, or what knowledge do they seek from Him who has granted them all wisdom and has unveiled to them the understanding of every good deed? "Master, we saw one casting out demons in Thy name, and we forbade him." Do the holy disciples not feel a pang of jealousy? Are they troubled by those who receive favor? Can it be that they harbor such a detestable passion within themselves? "We saw one," they insist, "casting out demons in Thy name, and we forbade him." Do you truly oppose someone who, in the name of Christ, combats Satan and defeats evil spirits? Shouldn't you consider that it is not that individual who performs these miracles, but rather the grace within him acting through the power of Christ? How can you prohibit someone who is victorious through Christ? "Yes," he replies, "for he does not accompany us." Oh, what blind reasoning! For although he may not be one of the holy apostles, graced with the call of Christ, he possesses equally apostolic powers alongside you. The gifts of Christ are diverse, as the blessed Paul notes, "To one is given the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, and to another faith, and to another the gifts of healings." What does it signify that he is "not walking with us"? Allow me to explain as clearly as I can. The Savior granted the holy apostles the authority to cast out unclean spirits and heal all ailments among the people, and they exercised that authority; the grace bestowed upon them was indeed effective. They returned rejoicing, saying, "Lord, even the demons obey us in your name." They believed they alone had been entrusted with the authority He had conferred upon them. Hence, they approached Him to inquire whether others, not appointed as apostles or even as teachers, could also wield this authority. A similar situation arises in the ancient scriptures. God instructed the high priest Moses, "Choose seventy men from among the elders of Israel, and I will take of the Spirit that is upon thee, and give it," He said, "unto them." When the chosen gathered at the tabernacle, except for two who remained in the camp, the spirit of prophecy descended upon them, and they prophesied not only in the holy tabernacle but also those in the camp. However, it is noted that "Joshua, who stood before Moses, said, 'Eldad and Midad, behold, they are prophesying in the camp. My master Moses forbade them."

I assure you, whoever possesses such divine power, even if he strays from me like others before him, may not easily fall away; this very power of performing miracles will sustain his bond with me. Moreover, he can be of benefit to you as well, for he can promote the glory of my name on your behalf. He who is not opposed to you is aligned with you. Therefore, I reiterate, anyone who not only welcomes you, regardless of who you are, but even offers you a cup of cold water in my name because you belong to Christ: genuinely I tell you, he will not forfeit his reward.

They did not extend grace towards his fragile faith nor did they accept that he could perform acts of faith similar to theirs despite not being part of the visible community of Christ's followers. Their stance towards this hidden disciple was reflective of the intolerance prevalent among the scribes and Pharisees, who dismissed anyone who didn’t fully align with their standards as unclean. Unbeknownst to them, by forbidding the secret believer from working miracles in Jesus' name, they believed themselves to be protecting the sanctity of the Lord's name. Yet, when Christ declared, “Whosoever shall receive one of these children for believing on my name, receives me,” it became apparent to John—though he still pondered the reasoning behind it—that their actions contradicted Christ's teaching. Responding to John’s inquiry, Jesus explained that to prohibit this disciple, along with others of similar faith, from performing miracles in His name was misguided. He who accomplishes miracles in the name of Jesus cannot easily turn against Him. In truth, such individuals already exhibit signs of a deeper and forthcoming faith. For whoever is not opposing you is in your favor, and anyone who performs even the smallest act of kindness towards you as My followers will be rewarded. Therefore, anyone who demonstrates such faith through miraculous works is approaching a full conversion to Christ, and to prevent him from acting in the name of Jesus—whom he believes in quietly—is to lead him away from the Lord.

It is likely that the man who was encountered by the apostles was one of these hidden followers; someone who believed in Jesus but lacked the resolve to publicly identify with His disciples. The apostles did not acknowledge him as a genuine collaborator and instructed him to cease his ministry in the name of the Master: “If you do not walk with us, you are not ours; either follow Jesus openly as a true disciple or refrain from acting in His name!” John recalled this episode and promptly approached Jesus to seek guidance on whether their actions in forbidding the outsider had been right or wrong.