Ecclesiasticus 4:11-19 / Mark 9:38-40
Whatever our opinions or experiences are about evil spirits, we can't deny that evil exists in this world.
No matter how we want to explain why some people do terrible, bad and evil things like killing and murder, sexual exploitation, abortion, drug-trafficking, in the end we need to recognize one thing.
And that is there is an evil force behind all this and instigating and using people to carry out bad and evil deeds, causing harm, violence and destruction.
We certainly can do with some counter-force against these evil spirits and we would be grateful if there are people who are able to pick out these evil spirits and even cast them out, in order to keep us safe from the harm.
It didn't seem to be the case when John told Jesus about a man who was not one of them casting out devils in Jesus' name and John wanted to stop him.
Maybe it was out of jealousy, maybe John felt threatened about losing the exclusivity that belonged to him and his fellow-disciples.
Whatever it may be, the very evil that they were casting out was now within them, sowing seeds of discord and trying to stop their work.
Certainly we need divine wisdom to know what is from God and what is not.
The 1st reading tells us whoever has this wisdom judges aright, and whoever pays attention to divine wisdom dwells secure.
Let us pray for the gift of that divine wisdom, so that we will know that whoever is not against Jesus is for Jesus, and may we work with them in the fight against evil and bring about peace.