Skip to main content

A Cup of Water

and whoever gives even a cup of cold water
 to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple
—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

There's something holy about sharing a cup of cold water. 

Surely there's holiness in the simple act of compassion when one person takes the time to recognize thirst in another and quench it. 

Certainly, it's a gesture refreshing a thirsty soul wandering in a spiritual desert.

Sharing a cup of cold water facilitates a holy hospitality in our ever-increasing society of disrespect. 

Probably it's a way of teaching holiness to new disciples, "little ones", regarding the meaning of caring for others in Jesus' name.

Clearly, it's a sign of hope in a world that doesn't seem to have a sense of justice and longing for the new age Jesus talked about. 

These types of holy actions are definitely a something and individual can do as part of being a disciple of Jesus.

Jesus reminds the disciples he represents God's vision of a new age, therefore the disciple offering a cup of cold water in Jesus' name represents that same vision.

The book of Acts names people such as Ananias of Damascus, Simon the Tanner, Cornelius, Lydia, Prisca/Aquila, Sergius Paulus, whose hospitality helped Jesus' mission of building God's new age. 

The Jesus promises to reward disciples who find a way to bless the ones offering cups of cold water either now or at the end of the age. 

Think about it:  Is Jesus is calling us to respond with simple kindness? A way of being? A ministry for the church?



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grantchester's Warning

"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, the owner would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (from Luke 12:32-40 ) I regularly watch Grantchester; a murder mystery set in 1950s England. The main characters are a local detective and an Anglican priest who, as a team, solve mysteries set in the town. Two aspects of Grantchester impress me. First, the simplicity of the 1950’s police communications done by a landline phone and not cell phone. Second, the simplicity of daily life with little television and fewer possessions allowing the characters to focus on their vocation of detective and priest. This simplicity is more than a nostalgic return to the “good old days”. Instead, it’s a Shaker type of simplicity where austerity allows freedom from distractions to focus on worship and community. Today’s distraction-filled world has seemingly countless activ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Walking with God

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. (from Ps.103:1-8 ) Thomas Merton, American Trappist monk, writer and theologian, once asked himself a question he immediately answered:   How does an apple ripen? The apple, by simply being in the sun, fulfills its purpose of ripening, The apple doesn't try to ripen faster, it simply allows the sun to do its work.   There is nothing it can do to ripen itself. It can’t do workouts, tighten its muscles and then suddenly be a red, ripened, juicy apple in the morning. The apple just hangs on the branch in the sun, naturally ripening, where it receives its daily nourishment. This is the basic plan for how Christians ripen in their relationship to God. The difference is that Christians don’t naturally ripen in their relationship to God, we have to place themselves where we can be nourished. The beginning place of nourishment I find most helpful is the Guide to Prayer For All Who Walk With God. The daily walk in the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus, Deliverance, and Demons

"Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind." (from Luke 8:26-39 ) Astrid is a streaming program I often watch. The plot is a basic cops and robbers action until the criminal is caught. The uniqueness of the program is Astrid, who is on the Autism spectrum, is brilliant at solving puzzles including connecting clues to solve the crime. Watching this program has given me a more profound insight to people living with this condition and their acceptance in society. My first-hand experience with children on the Spectrum was driving a Special Needs school bus for 6 years. With this experience, I can imagine the life the possessed man was experiencing, especially living among the tombs, bound with chains and shackles, having to live in the wilds. It was no wonder he cried for mercy. Jesus, with his power and mercy, cast the demons out and even...
Post a Comment
Read more