Matthew 10:42. “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”
What a well-known verse this is! I’d like to take a little closer look at it today and see if there’s any nugget of truth I’ve overlooked.
The phrase little ones is a term that is used both for new believers and for children (I John 2:1, and many other references). It denotes a tenderness toward these little ones, and a sense of protection and nourishment.
We in America don’t value a cup of cold water in the same way as do those for whom it is more difficult to come by. Water is not so easily available in many areas of the world, and some places in Israel were pretty dry. It may seem like a small thing to us–we walk around with bottles, thermoses, even jugs of water and never think about what a huge blessing such abundance really is.
It seems like a small detail until you go without water; then, the blessing of water becomes more real. No detail done for others in the name of even a disciple, with the right motive and the right goal, is going to be overlooked by God.
Think of that. Changing a diaper in the church nursery; helping a two-year-old at the drinking fountain; holding the door for a person with full hands and little kids hanging onto her; stopping to help somone change a tire; just a heartfelt thank you when someone holds the door for you; none of these acts of kindness, done in a heart of service, goes unrecognized by God.
What I’m wondering is how many times I’ve overlooked such simple opportunities, and the heart of God has been grieved because I was to busy to notice or too worried to care.
It is the offer of a cup of cold water that can open the door to leading someone to Christ. We should never underestimate the importance of simple acts of kindness. We live in a dangerous, self-centered world. Living as Jesus lived will surely set us apart from those who need most to know Who He is.
Linda's Bible Study 