Follow Me: & Enter the Kingdom of God

In this morning’s Gospel, the jealousy of Jesus’ disciples is exposed. They find a man who is driving out demons in Jesus’ name. The problem is not what he is doing, but who he is—or isn’t. Jesus rebukes their sinful envy and ours. In the book of James, we see that the gifts of God are so rich and varied that the devil uses that very generosity in God to stir up jealousy and envy—especially in our materialistic day and age. Expect envy in others. Find it your heart and mind as well! That weakness makes it crystal clear that our need for a Savior is a constant one. It makes it equally clear that our struggle against our own flesh gives us much more difficulty and anguish than the hostility or the persecution from the world. We need God’s mercy. We find it in the person and work of his Son, Jesus Christ.