KEY VERSE:
“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” (MATTHEW 10:42)._

A keen mind once observed, “There are three kinds of givers – the flint, the sponge and the honeycomb. To get anything out of a flint you must hammer it. And then you get only chips and sparks. To get water out of a sponge you must squeeze it, and the more you use pressure, the more you will get. But the honeycomb just overflows with its own sweetness”.

When Christ talked about the offer of a cup of cold water to the little ones, He certainly alluded to the honeycomb sort of givers. As He was about to send His disciples into the unfriendly world, He prepared their minds concerning the challenges they would face. He had told them of the imminence of persecution and the unwarranted hatred by men. Some of them would be killed, others would suffer imprisonment and varied humiliation and harassment.

Whatever they suffered, He told them never to forget that God knew about it. They had no need to be afraid of men and as a result, deny Him. Instead, they must treasure their relationship with Him above any other. He warned them against self-preservation. They were told that whoever received or offered a cup of cold water to them in His name was in reality doing so to Him. Such generosity would be greatly rewarded. On the other hand, there is no hope for those who spurn God’s gracious offer that is presented through the gospel. Eternal damnation and misery are the lot of such rejecters.

There is a difference between mere giving and giving in the name of the Lord. The latter refers to giving that is done purposively for the sake of the Lord and in the course of promoting His mission. It is an expression of our love for the Lord. This kind of giving attracts a handsome reward here and hereafter.

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