Mark 9:41

A cup of water to drink in My name.

The smallest gift and the largest reward

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.)

A cup of water

There is something very economical about the generosity of kindness; a little goes a long way. (Faber.)

A right motive

It is said that when Andrew Fuller went into his native town to collect for the cause of missions, one of his old acquaintances said, “Well, Andrew, I’ll give five pounds, seeing it’s you.” “No,” said Mr. Fuller, I can take nothing for this cause, seeing it’s me:-and handed the money back. The man felt reproved, but in a moment he said, “Andrew, you are right. Here are ten pounds, seeing it is for the Lord Jesus Christ.”

An act, a motive, and a reward

Here is an act, a motive, and a reward, calling for thought. As to the act, it is both suggestive and comprehensive. A man may live without food for many days; but he cannot exist without water for the body’s cooling and circulating fluids. So there is a moral life that is kept up by the interchange of little acts; the kind salutation, the smile, the “kiss of charity,” the word “fitly spoken and in season,” which cost nothing to the giver, but are invaluable to the receiver. So the little acts of giving, the “mites” of poor widows, the full carrying out of Paul’s universal appointment, “let every one of you lay by him in store as the Lord hath prospered him”-it is these gathered drops that fill the exhaustless reservoirs of worldwide Christian charities. The motive, too, like that which sees in a child the lineaments of an esteemed parent, that recognizes in the livery the servant of a liege lord, it is this recognition of Christ in His disciple that at once honours the Master, and which permits Him to honour the service. The reward, too, is in keeping with the act and its motive. The little badge a prince bestows is more than a life estate. To find true what Jesus declares shortly after (Matthew 25:1), that the rewards of the final judgment turn on these little acts and their motive, that Jesus will say of forgotten trifles, “Ye did it to Me,” the realization of this fact, so as to make it the rule of everyday life-this is to learn the lesson of giving a “cup of cold water” in the name of Christ. (G. W. Samson, D. D.)

Give in Christ’s name-humanity not Christianity

“That man has given more to the poor than any man in the town; now that’s what I call being a noble Christian,” is the remark that a friend made a few days ago. This is also a sample of the opinion of quite a large class of people; they hold that because a man is benevolent he must naturally be a Christian; but this does not necessarily follow. A man may love the poor, sympathize with those in distress, and in the fulness of his heart relieve the wants of the pauper, and yet not be a Christian. He gives for humanity’s sake, while the Christian gives only for Christ’s sake. Humanity must not be mistaken for Christianity. Many noted highwaymen have given largely to the poor out of what they robbed from the rich. That they possessed humanity no one will doubt, but there was not a particle of Christianity about them. The virtue in humanity’s gift lies in the amount given, but the test in Christianity’s gift lies in the amount that’s left behind; and while humanity rejoices in having given so much, Christianity will weep because she has no more to give. The gift for humanity’s sake is good, but to give for Christ’s sake is better. The Pharisee who ostentatiously cast in of his abundance pales into insignificance before the poor widow who cast in her all. Says Christ: “For the poor always ye have with you; but Me ye have not always.” Christ first, the poor afterward. Had Mary given the money to the poor, she would have done well, but in that she gave it to Christ she did better. Had she given for humanity’s sake, three hundred souls would each have the temporal satisfaction of a pennyworth of bread; but in that she did it for Christ’s sake millions have been cheered and encouraged while reading of her devotion and tenderness of Christ. This is all expressed by Paul in a single sentence: “Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor … and have not charity, I am nothing.” To feed the poor is humanity, but charity is Christianity. Humanity is transitory and passes away. Christianity is eternal, and, like a river, is continually fed by countless tiny tributaries that, however small and powerless in themselves, all combine to form one golden current that flows into a far more exceeding and eternal sea of glory. (Frank Hope.)

Whose am I

“Ye belong to Christ.” These thoughts are suggested by this phrase.

I. Proprietorship. There is a sense in which it may be said that all men belong to Christ.

1. This claim to us is based primarily on His Creatorship.

2. All are His by redemption.

3. Baptism is a confirmation of all this.

4. But believers belong to Christ in a more peculiar sense by an act of personal consecration. In the case of many this act of consecration has been repeatedly renewed.

5. Believers are Christ’s by adoption. The soul surrendered all its powers to Christ, and He graciously accepted the offering, and smiled upon the oblation.

II. To belong to Christ implies privilege.

1. Special care.

2. Identity of interests. If I am Christ’s my joys are His joys, my sorrows are His sorrows.

(1) Things done against the saints, Christ regards as done against Himself.

(2) Things done for the saints Christ regards as done to Himself. The act of acing good to you will add to the felicity of the doer forever.

3. Dignity.

III. Belonging to Christ involves responsibility.

1. We are to live for Christ.

2. We are to live like Christ.

3. We are to confess Christ. (R. Roberts.)

Belonging to Christ

I. The connection which Christ claims with His people.

1. They belong to Him by separation and surrender.

2. They possess some spiritual worth. There are in Scripture some hints respecting the Divine estimate of men.

3. They are appointed to high and sacred ministries

4. They engage the interest of Christ in their improvement.

5. They enjoy the honour of spiritual association.

II. Practical suggestions from the subject.

1. The difficulty of holding this truth firmly is seen.

2. It should encourage consistency of Christian life.

3. It invites us to consider the personal signs of connection with Christ. (J. S. Bright.)