In this passage, John approaches Jesus to let him know that when he and the rest of the disciples saw someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name, they tried to stop him. Why? “Because he was not following us.”

This week’s passage is the older brother of last week’s passage. In the previous passage, we saw the disciples infighting about who is the greatest —“I am greater than you”—in this passage, the disciples graduate from fighting with one another and decide to take their energy outside the group: “we are greater than them.”

If Hebrews 11 details the “Hall of Faith,” pictures of faithfulness in the midst of difficult circumstances, then Mark 9 should be dubbed the “Hall of Doubt.” The disciples’ blunders are listed one after another, and Jesus’ corrections closely follow. It’s almost too discouraging. But I’m thankful that, in the face of the disciples’ constant failures, we can be encouraged by Jesus’ patience, forgiveness, grace, instruction, and commitment to see them through.