A cup of cold water.
The cup of cold water
The doings of this life are had in remembrance: that no humble action in its relation to high principles is lost; but is retained in a future judgment.
I. The duty of acting from christian motives.
1. Our Saviour points out this by three examples.
2. The duty derives its importance from God’s omnipresence and omniscience. The cup of cold water comes under the Divine notice.
II. The influence of our actions upon the destinies of the future.
1. The history of nations and individuals proves how the past acts upon the future.
2. The promise of reward by Christ shows how every simple act done with reference to Himself is made to react upon ourselves in a way we should not anticipate apart from revelation.
3. Things done out of Christ, having no connection with His love, will perish. (W. D. Horwood.)
Giving to the needy giving to Christ
St. Martin, before he was baptized into the faith of Christ, and while still a soldier, showed a rare instance of love and charity. In the depth of winter, a beggar, clothed in rags, asked an alms of him for the love of God. Silver and gold he had none. His soldier’s cloak was all he had to give. He drew his sword, cut it in half, gave one portion to the poor man, and was content himself with the other. And of him it may be truly said, “He had his reward.” That night, in a vision, he beheld our blessed Lord upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right; hand and His left. And as Martin looked more steadfastly on the Son of God, he saw Him to be arrayed in his own half-cloak; and he heard Him say, “This hath Martin, unbaptized, given to Me.”
Zeal for the young rewarded
I. The objects of compassionate regard alluded TO.
1. In their inherent depravity and their solemn destiny as intended for a state of unending being.
2. In their natural condition of helplessness and weakness amid the circumstances of peril to which they are exposed in their progress through the world.
3. In their influence for good or evil upon the world, and the final account they shall give at the bar of God.
II. The blessedness of those who, under the influence of Christian motives, shall make the young the objects of their devoted care.
1. They shall have their reward in the lovely and appropriate fruits with which the objects of their compassionate regard shall be adorned.
2. In the beneficial influence they shall thus originate and perpetuate.
3. In the approbation of their Saviour and their God. (H. Madgin.)
A good passport
Some few years ago, three small children-a boy and two girls, aged respectively ten, seven, and four-arrived in St. Louis, having travelled thither all the way from Kulin in Germany, without any escort or protection beyond a New Testament and their own innocence and helplessness. Their parents, who had emigrated from the Fatherland and settled in Missouri, had left them in charge of an aunt, to whom, in due time, they forwarded a sum of money sufficient to pay the passage of the little ones to their new home across the Atlantic. As the children could not speak a word of any language but German, it is doubtful whether they would ever have reached their destination at all, had not their aunt, with a woman’s ready wit, provided them with a passport, addressed, not so much to any earthly authority, as to Christian mankind generally. Before taking her leave of the children, the aunt gave the elder girl a New Testament, instructing her to show it to every- person who might accost her during the voyage, and especially to call their attention to the first leaf of the book. Upon that leaf the wise and good woman had written the names of the three children, and this simple statement: “Their father and mother in America are anxiously awaiting their arrival at Sedalia, Missouri.” This was followed by the irresistible appeal-their guide, safeguard, and interpreter throughout a journey over sea and land of more than 4,000 miles-“Verily I say … unto Me.” Many were the little acts of kindness shown to the little travellers, many the hands held out to smooth their journey, by those who read that appeal; and at length they reached their parents in perfect health and safety.
Christ’s appreciation of little services
1. Because they often have great results. A cup of cold water is mentioned here; we can hardly mention a service which one would more naturally think of as a little service, than the giving of a cup of cold water; and yet it may be great in its results. It may allay the fever, and drive away the coming madness of the man who is consumed by thirst-there may be life in a cup of cold water. The fainting traveller in the desert, where the greedy sun has licked all the water up, would die but for the cup of cold water which a provident pilgrim brings to him. Many a castaway on the ocean, drifting on his raft-many a wounded soldier, writhing among the heaps of the smitten on the battle-field-has spent his last breath in crying for a cup of cold water; and a cup of water given at a critical moment would have saved life.
2. When they are the best a man can render.
3. When they are truly rendered to Him. The giving of the cup of cold water, you observe, acquired its character of moral worth from its being given “in the name of a disciple”-given for Christ’s sake. It is possible to work in the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and not serve Christ at all. A soldier may go out in his country’s wars, and make for himself, by his courage and success, an imperishable name, and yet never really serve his country or his king, but only himself; his one impulse throughout may be not loyalty, not patriotism, but the desire of fame, the desire of power, a motive which never takes the man out of himself. (A Hannay.)
Slight services for Christ
1. Slight services are often all we have it in our power to render. What can I do for Christ?
2. Slight services are sufficient to show love for the Saviour.
3. Slight services, after all, may be invaluable services-trivial-“cup of cold water.”
4. Slight services shall be richly requited-“He shall in no wise lose his reward.” (J. Gage Rigg, B. A,)
A small act the embodiment of self-sacrifice
In Bonar and MacCheyne’s narrative of their mission to the Jews in Palestine (Edinburgh, 1839), an incident occurs, illustrative of this passage. “During our ramble” (near Gaza), “ … a kind Arab came forward from his tent as we passed, offering us the refreshment of a drink of water, saying, ‘Jesherhetu mole?’-‘Will you drink water?’” The promise of our Lord seems to refer to cases like this, where the individual, unasked, seeks out objects on whom to show kindness. The least desire to bless shall not lose its reward. We all know how precious a gift a cup of cold water may be, and what self-denial it may involve, from the well-known story of Sir Philip Sidney and the wounded soldier on the battle-field. Sidney, mortally wounded on the field of Zutphen, was about to drink a glass of water which some one had humanely brought him to assuage his agonizing thirst. Just, however, as he was about to press it to his lips, he saw a soldier, in like plight with himself, looking wistfully at it. Unable to resist the pleading eyes of his fellow-sufferer, Sidney handed the glass to him, exclaiming, “Thy necessity is greater than mine.” It is well-known that in Western Australia there is a great want of water, the rivers in that part of the island-continent being few. Mrs. Millett, in her “Life in an Australian Parsonage,” describes the feeling of distress, approaching to despair, experienced by a mother and her child who had missed their way in a remote part of the colony, and who had the dreary prospect, as night came on, of being many hours before they could hope to assuage their thirst; and their astonishment and delight, when, in that remote region, they saw, suddenly emerging from the trees, a woman and a girl each carrying a bucket. “Perhaps,” says Mrs. Millett, “my friend mentally compared the incident to that of all angel’s visit, when the strangers showed her a spring at no great distance, whither they were already on their way to fetch water, having already walked two miles from their own home.” We ourselves remember with pleasure a hot summer evening many years ago, when, tired with a long walk in the neighbourhood of Heidelberg, we asked the mistress of a picturesque German cottage for a glass of water. Readily was it brought, and the peasant-woman, on our thanking her, replied in a tone of true courtesy, “Masser haben wir genug.”-“We have sufficient water.” But, as Jeremy Taylor says, he will have no reward, who gives only water, when his neighbour needs wine or a cordial, and he could give it.