The Smallest Gift and the Largest Reward
J. Alexander. Mark 9:41 For whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, truly I say to you… I. THE DESCRIPTION which is here given of the disciples of Christ, is exceedingly interesting and instructive. They "belong" to Christ; they are peculiarly and emphatically His; speaking of them, he calls them "My sheep," "My people," "My disciples;" and addressing His heavenly Father respecting them, He says, "All Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I am glorified in them." And the Scriptures, which thus represent Christians as the property of Christ, teach us also the way in which they become so entirely His. It is evident from Christ's own language, that His disciples belong to Him primarily by the gift of His Father. "Thine they were," says He, "and Thou gavest them Me. My Father which gave them to Me, is greater than all. All that the Father hath given to Me shall come to Me." And if they thus belong to Christ by His reception of them from the Father, and by His redemption of them by His blood, they are also His by their own voluntary dedication of themselves to Him, as the result of His electing and redeeming mercy. II. THE GIFT which Jesus Christ asks on behalf of these His disciples, is a cup of water. When we consider believers as belonging so peculiarly to Christ, we might suppose that He would solicit for them the most costly and munificent donations that the most wealthy could bestow; but it is a remarkable and an interesting fact, that He never either sought great things for Himself, or led His disciples to expect great things from others. An impostor, or a mere enthusiast, would in all probability have acted differently, and have said to his disciples, "Whosoever shall give you thousands of gold and silver; whosoever shall exalt you to worldly dignity and honour; and whosoever shall clothe you in purple and fine linen, and cause you to fare sumptuously every day;" — but His language was, "Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink." And let not such a gift, small as it is, be despised. In our circumstances, we are mercifully unable to estimate its worth; but a man may be brought into such a situation that even a cup of water would be the most valuable and acceptable present that he could receive. When Samson had slain, single-handed, a thousand of his Philistine foes, he cried unto the Lord and said, "I die for thirst." But when a little water was procured, "his spirit came again, and he revived." The smallness of the gift which Christ solicits in our text, may, however, suitably admonish His disciples to be satisfied with little. III. THE MOTIVE by which you should be influenced in the bestowment of this gift, seems to include both love to Christ and to His disciples; for, says He, "whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, and because ye belong to Christ." Such is the deceit fulness and desperate wickedness of the human heart, that an action productive of good to others may be done merely for the purpose of thereby accomplishing some selfish and unhallowed object, merely because they are following with you, and adhering to the sect or party to which you belong. But, to return to the consideration of the motives by which our gifts are to be influenced — the greatest and the purest is love to Christ. To Him we are laid under unspeakable obligations for the love with which He loved us, when He died for our sins, and to secure the complete and eternal salvation of our souls. Love to Christ cannot exist, however, without love to Christians, who belong to Christ, and who bear His image; "for everyone that loveth Him that begat, loveth them also that are begotten of Him." IV. The reward by which the bestower of this gift will be honoured and enriched is secured to him by the Saviour's faithful promise, "Verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward." 1. He shall be rewarded by the pleasurable feelings which the exercise of benevolence and kindness to others never fails to produce. 2. He shall be rewarded with the prayers, and blessings, and sympathy of the disciple on whom he has bestowed the gift. 3. He shall be rewarded with the approbation and blessing of Christ Himself. (J. Alexander.) Parallel Verses KJV: For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. WEB: For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ's, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.