A Letter to My Brothers

Hold Fast - Plus Mark 9 Pericope Notes

Brother,
It’s no light thing to carry clarity in a foggy world. But sometimes, I wonder if the weight you're lifting—though true—might break more backs than it heals. Not because the truth is wrong, but because not every soul is ready to bear it. Some are still beneath the weight of lesser things, unable yet to see what you see. That doesn't make them lesser—it makes them in need. And it makes you a bearer, not a breaker.

Remember this:
Not everyone has been given what you've been given. Some hearts are cracked, others calloused. Some eyes are shut by years of weeping; others have never yet learned how to look. And God? He lets the storm fall even on those He loves.

Scripture is filled with the wreckage of the righteous. Just men dragged through mud. Saints starved and forgotten. Prophets sent to cold rooms and deaf ears.

So if you speak as one holding fire, hold it with care. Because if you wield the Word like a hammer, the wounded will only feel the weight, not the warmth.

And though the Bible speaks hard truths, it never leaves us without hope.
It is no black pill—it is a seed, buried deep, dying before it rises.

Yes, there is a great divide between the hope of the world and the hope of God.
The world’s hope flickers and flatters and fades. God's hope roots itself in eternity.
It is slow, often silent—but it is sure.
And when it arrives, it does not apologize for the wait.

So to the weary messenger,
to the one shouting through the walls of his neighbor's heart—
You are not alone.
You are not unheard.
Even if they ignore you, even if your words fall like dry leaves to stone,
heaven hears.
And the God who sees in secret sees your effort too.

You are not a fool for trying.
You are not a failure for being refused.
You are a watchman. A gardener.
A faithful friend of the Word.

Stand firm.
Speak still.
But do so with the voice of one who knows that Christ died for the unready, the resistant, and the rebellious.
And if He could wait with such grace for us, surely we can wait with mercy for them.

There is no shame in being misunderstood.
Only in ceasing to love.

Hold fast, brother.
The soil may be hard, but the seed is alive.

Bonus: Unedited Notes on Mark 9:38-41

38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our side. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

I. Historical & Narrative Context

1. Placement in Mark

This pericope immediately follows the disciples’ failure to cast out a demon (9:14–29), Jesus’ second passion prediction (9:30–32), and the argument over who is greatest (9:33–37). It is part of a cluster showing the disciples’ spiritual immaturity:

• They can’t cast out demons.

• They argue about status.

• They try to police others doing what they cannot.

This passage is Jesus rebuking their exclusivity and redirecting them toward humility, charity, and faithful recognition of Christ’s name wherever it truly acts.

2. Thematic Triad

This scene strikes three core themes in Mark:

• Authority in Jesus’ name (Greek: en tō onomati mou)

• Non-sectarian ministry

• Reward for faith-born charity

II. Greek Key Terms and Roots

Greek Term

English

Notes

ὄνομα (onoma)

Name

More than label; means authority, character, reputation. Hebrew analog: שֵׁם (shem).

δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλοντα

Casting out demons

Sign of kingdom power. The outsider is doing what the disciples failed to do.

ἐκωλύομεν (ekōlyomen)

We were forbidding

Present tense: repetitive action, not a one-time protest. Root: kōluō, to hinder or restrain.

δύναμις (dynamis)

Miracle/power

Signifies true authority. Used in reference to Jesus’ own miracles.

κακῶς εἰπεῖν (kakōs eipein)

Speak evil

Literally, “to speak badly” — implies slander or blasphemy.

οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ

Shall not lose his reward

Mistos means “wages” or “due recompense”—here divine and lasting.

III. Old Testament Echoes

1. Numbers 11:26–29 (LXX)

Two men prophesy in the camp, though not with the 70 elders. Joshua protests. Moses responds:

“Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets!”

Parallel:

• Joshua = John

• Moses = Jesus

• Unauthorized prophesying = Unauthorized exorcising

• Moses’ answer: Let God’s Spirit work where He wills.

2. Psalm 110 & Daniel 7

By allowing His name to be used, Jesus echoes Messianic enthronement theology: the name of the Son of Man has real-time effect in battle, even when invoked by those not yet visibly inside the camp.

IV. New Testament Cross References

1. Luke 9:49–50 – Parallels Mark almost verbatim.

2. Matthew 10:40–42

“He who receives you receives Me... And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water... he shall by no means lose his reward.”

3. Philippians 1:15–18

Paul rejoices even in “false motives” as long as Christ is preached:

“What then? Only that in every way... Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice.”

4. Mark 3:22–30 – Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

• Those attributing Christ’s power to Satan do blaspheme.

• But here: the outsider using Christ’s name rightly cannot blaspheme. The name protects the vessel who does not mock it.

V. Theological Themes

1. The Power of Jesus’ Name

• The name itself bears objective authority over unclean spirits.

• This is not “magic” (like Acts 19:13-17), but faith-activated invocation—even from those outside visible church order.

2. The Nature of the Church

• The Spirit’s work is not limited to the visible disciples.

• Jesus implies that belonging to Him is not determined by the Twelve alone.

• This anticipates the inclusion of the Gentiles and the decentralization of Jerusalem (cf. Acts 10–11).

3. Kingdom Loyalty Over Tribalism

• “He who is not against us is for us” is the inverse of Matthew 12:30 (“He who is not with Me is against Me”)—both true in their own setting.

• The difference? In Matthew, Jesus confronts accusers who attribute His miracles to demons.

• In Mark, John confronts a fellow worker whom he just doesn’t recognize as such.

4. Soteriology and Mercy

• The “cup of water” represents the smallest act of kindness, yet it secures reward.

• Implies faith need not be perfect to be real.

• Also echoes Matthew 25:31–46: what is done “to the least of these” is done to Christ.

VI. Eschatological Insight

1. Judgment by Deed in His Name

• A cup of water given in His name is remembered eternally.

• Likewise, a demon expelled in His name marks alignment with the kingdom—whether visible or not.

2. No Neutral Ground

• While charity in His name is rewarded, speaking against His name (i.e. denying His work) remains a dividing line.

• The name cannot be treated lightly—it calls out allegiance or opposition.

VII. Pastoral and Contemporary Application

1. Church boundaries must not eclipse Jesus' actual work.
   We must ask: is Christ being honored? Is His authority being called upon rightly?

2. Beware spiritual gatekeeping.
   The disciples’ instinct was to protect turf. Jesus rebukes them—His name is not their property.

3. Ministry outside institutional bounds can be real.
   Denominations, clerical orders, and even formal discipleship can miss what the Spirit is doing through the unassuming servant who casts out darkness or offers a cup.

4. Small acts matter.
   A glass of water, when given because someone bears Christ's name, echoes into eternity.

VIII. Chiastic and Structural Insight (Mark 9:33–50)

• A. Disciples argue over greatness (33–37)

• B. Unauthorized exorcist (38–41)

• C. Warning against causing others to stumble (42–48)

• B’. Everyone will be “salted with fire” (49)

• A’. Be at peace with one another (50)

Centerpiece: The one who gives in Jesus’ name is honored.
This humility is the salt. That outsider may be more inside than the disciple who fights for control.

IX. Conclusion

Mark 9:38–41 is not a sidebar. It’s a fundamental crack in the walls the disciples try to build around Jesus. It prefigures the open borders of Pentecost, the global expansion of the church, and the profound simplicity of true faith: trust in His name, do good, don’t hinder.