Mark 9:38-41* Dear Partner in Preaching, From whom would you accept a cup of cold water? I ask that question because I think this week’s reading contains some of the more heart-breaking lines in Scripture: “And we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” Just pause and think about that for a moment. The disciples come across someone who, as they report to Jesus, was “casting out demons in your name.” That is, they came across someone who was relieving intense misery, following Jesus’ example (keep in mind that Jesus’ first act of power to demonstrate God’s coming kingdom is to cast out a demon), and doing so...