There were other exorcists during the time of Jesus. When told about this, Jesus warns against intolerance and jealousy towards others, stating “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.” This is an echo of the Old Testament into the New, from the reading on The Spirit on the Elders, whereby Moses said “are you jealous for my sake? If only all the people of the LORD were prophets! If only the LORD would bestow his spirit on them!”. Both address divine tolerance, and both discourage jealousy and intolerance, stemming from notions of Pride. As Catholics, we should be happy and welcome anyone who prophesies (speaking in enraptured enthusiasm in this context) and does good works in the name of Christ.
The second half of the gospel focuses on the temptations to sin. The focus on leading our fellow brothers and sisters astray, through the parable of the infected limbs and eyes with sin, being cut off our body, should it threaten and condemn the whole to be punished and purified by fires of Gehenna (the center of an idolatrous cult during the monarchy, where children were offered as sacrifice). This is tied to the warning to the rich in the Letter of James, which speaks about the denouncing of the unjust rich, who perpetuate the exploitation of the less fortunate, encouraging others to do the same to their fellow man for their profit. The decay and corrosion of the costly garments and metals, which symbolise wealth, parallels the infected limbs and eyes filled with sin. The description of “that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like fire” interestingly also speaks of the cleansing flame for the godless and sinful.
The Gospel asks the reader to be wary of our pride, be it in jealousy and intolerance for others who act in the name of the Lord, as well as to be wary of our own actions towards our community, as our transgressions and sins impact the entire church, not just ourselves, and could condemn others with our actions. This ties into the Sacrament of Reconciliation, for when we confess our sins, it is not just for ourselves, but it is an admission and seeking of forgiveness from the community, with the priest serving as the “head” of the body, and God speaking through him, acknowledging our sins, and absolving them from us by forgiving us, cleansing
By Francis Benedict Lim