On Being For or Against

In today’s reading from Matthew (chapter 12), Jesus says something that intrigues me:

• He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters (Matthew 12.30).

When I read that, I asked myself, “Doesn’t Jesus contradict that statement elsewhere in the Bible?”

• Do not stop him… No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us (Mark 9.39-40).
• Do not stop him… for whoever is not against you is for you (Luke 9.50)

What’s the difference? How can Jesus say in one instance, “He who is not with me is against me” and in another instance, “Whoever is not against you is for you”?

Mark and Luke are reporting the same incident. Jesus is responding to his disciples’ report that they had seen a man doing good works in Jesus’ name and had told him to stop, “because he is not one of us.” The followers of Jesus were creating a false dichotomy because they misunderstood the nature of Jesus’ mission. They wanted his mission to be about them. Jesus responded by saying, in essence, “My mission is about everybody. Don’t set up these false divisions in your minds. Make room in your thinking for everybody who would do the work of the Kingdom. If they are not working against us, they are working for us.”

But, the incident in Matthew 12 is different. In this case, the Pharisees (religious leaders) were trying to discredit Jesus and his mission of inclusion. It was indeed about division, but now the division Jesus addressed was actually initiated by these leaders who should have known and followed Jesus’ truth but had instead chosen to divide themselves from what Jesus was doing. So Jesus says, in essence, “I can’t afford to have you leaders undermining my mission. Either get with the program or get out of the way! If you are not with me, you are working against me!”

Jesus’ statement also reminded me that leaders must have the support – the “with-ness” – of those they lead – especially those in subordinate leadership roles. It is not enough for these subordinate leaders to be neutral. It cannot be said, “I am not actively against him, so I’m not dividing.” That is not true. Jesus says, you must be for your leader or you are against him and you are thus dividing the followers.

Jesus gives us something to think about earlier in this chapter:

• Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. (Matthew 12.25)

We need to get behind our leaders! There is too much at stake.