Jesus had been teaching His disciples for over a year at this point, and by all accounts, they were zealous for Him. Yet, surprisingly, even after all their time with Jesus they still had much to learn. Even Jesus seemed shocked at times that they were so slow to understand (Mk 8:17). For example, in our text, we see that they were quick to condemn those who were not members of their cadre of disciples. However, Jesus pointed out that they should not dismiss or condemn others that are ministering in His name.
