HE FOLLOWS NOT US by T.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 17, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 11.

“HE FOLLOWS NOT US.”

By T.

“AND John answered Him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us; and we forbade him, because he followeth not us.” Such is the language with which the Saviour, upon a certain occasion, is addressed. The disciples had found a man casting out devils, but he did not belong to their company. Their “zeal for the cause’ led them to promptly forbid him. The disciples at that time were young in the faith, and so did not have the broader view of Christian work that further years with the Master and labors in His service gave them. They had not yet learned the great lesson that the Lord would use every lawful means to draw men away from sin and its eternal consequences.

And so they came to him to tell of the man they had found, whom they thought was to be censured. And as children coming to parents to tell of some deed that they believe is worthy of praise, they relate to the Master how promptly they had forbidden the work of this man, whom they say “followeth not us.” What must have been their surprise to hear the Lord, instead of commending them for their course, say decidedly, “Forbid him not; for there is no man which shall do a miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of Me.”

There is a great lesson for us in this scripture, else the Lord would not have caused it to be recorded. Study it well, Christian brother or sister. You will find it in Mark 9:38-42 and Luke 9:49, 50.

Our Lord knew that the tendency all down the ages would be for a few men to get together, formulate a creed, and outline methods and plans of church work and discipline. And having it all formulated, they would then say, “Unless you subscribe to that, you are not orthodox.” The Master knew that John and the disciples who were with him would not be the only ones who would get disturbed by finding persons “casting out devils” but “following not us.” He knew that the tendency of mankind would ever be to form in cliques and combines, and that this spirit would even take possession of some who would be seeking to do His sacred work. Hence He gives a lesson by which we can know that even some who “follow not with us” may after all be doing the Lord’s work.

“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:20), and not by the fact that they follow with us. The Christian knows the Master, and his acquaintance with the Lord enables him to recognize His work, wherever and whenever he sees it. And it is the work that the Lord bids us know and recognize, and not look so much to see that the man is following with us.

So then when we meet a work that is being done in the Master’s name, let the first inquiry be, What is the character of that which he is doing? Is the “fruit” good? If so, then do not stop to ask if he has started this work in the veritable orthodox fashion, and is he following with us? It may be that the Lord desires to use you, as He did Aquila and Priscilla of old, to instruct some one in “the way of God more perfectly.” But it is very evident that He has not commissioned us to forbid work in His name simply because the worker follows not with us.

How comprehensive and complete are the Scriptures! And how closely should we study them, lest we become narrow-minded, and possibly bigoted, and so be found hindering the worker for Christ, simply because he “followeth not us”!