A Cup of Water
Mark 9:41- "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."
Reading this passage the other day was very enlightening. I had always looked at this saying (and the parallel saying in Matthew 10:42) as showing how the smallest ministry to someone would be rewarded by the Lord. I am not denying the truth of that concept by any means. However, for the first time, I looked at the context of this saying of Jesus in Mark. Here is what was happening.
The disciples of Jesus noticed someone casting out demons in Jesus' name and this person was not part of their group. He was an "outsider" to the 12 disciples. John came and reported to Jesus that they had told this man to stop doing that, "because he does not follow us". (Ironically, just a little earlier in verse 28 of this same chapter, the disciples asked "Why could we not cast it out?")
Jesus replied to them that they should not forbid the man, because "he who is not against us is on our side". The very next verse is the text at the beginning of this blog. "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."
It just struck me that this is the context for this saying. Jesus is not talking about a cup of water ministry in the church...as a ministry of his disciples. He is clearly talking about outsiders....and clearly is talking about an outsider giving a cup of water to a disciple "because you belong to Christ".
This is another picture of the Person of Peace principle. This person does not lose his "reward". It does not say that the person is "saved" by this work of giving a cup of water, but he will be rewarded. This is a person of goodwill who is (by God's grace) favorable to someone who obviously belongs to Christ (through conspicuous spirituality?) Perhaps this person's reward is now being the person of peace who hears the word of the gospel and becomes the believer who's household becomes the core of the church.
Although not this exact example, one very close to it might be Cornelius, who was a God fearer, and even as a Roman Centurion, used his influence to help the Jewish community of Caesarea. This person who ministered to the people with alms and prayed to God was "rewarded" with an angelic visitor who told him to send for Simon Peter. Then Peter was prepared with a vision, and finally the word of the gospel from Peter and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius birthed the church in his house.
Practically speaking, here is one (of many) principle of how to identify a person of peace in a community. Who is the person who gives you a cup of water after becoming aware of your conspicuous spirituality. The person who shows favor to you for being a Jesus follower and becomes sensitive to your needs may be opening the door for relationship with himself and his household.
Here is an example of how CPM principles open us to a new realm of understanding Scripture.
Reading this passage the other day was very enlightening. I had always looked at this saying (and the parallel saying in Matthew 10:42) as showing how the smallest ministry to someone would be rewarded by the Lord. I am not denying the truth of that concept by any means. However, for the first time, I looked at the context of this saying of Jesus in Mark. Here is what was happening.
The disciples of Jesus noticed someone casting out demons in Jesus' name and this person was not part of their group. He was an "outsider" to the 12 disciples. John came and reported to Jesus that they had told this man to stop doing that, "because he does not follow us". (Ironically, just a little earlier in verse 28 of this same chapter, the disciples asked "Why could we not cast it out?")
Jesus replied to them that they should not forbid the man, because "he who is not against us is on our side". The very next verse is the text at the beginning of this blog. "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."
It just struck me that this is the context for this saying. Jesus is not talking about a cup of water ministry in the church...as a ministry of his disciples. He is clearly talking about outsiders....and clearly is talking about an outsider giving a cup of water to a disciple "because you belong to Christ".
This is another picture of the Person of Peace principle. This person does not lose his "reward". It does not say that the person is "saved" by this work of giving a cup of water, but he will be rewarded. This is a person of goodwill who is (by God's grace) favorable to someone who obviously belongs to Christ (through conspicuous spirituality?) Perhaps this person's reward is now being the person of peace who hears the word of the gospel and becomes the believer who's household becomes the core of the church.
Although not this exact example, one very close to it might be Cornelius, who was a God fearer, and even as a Roman Centurion, used his influence to help the Jewish community of Caesarea. This person who ministered to the people with alms and prayed to God was "rewarded" with an angelic visitor who told him to send for Simon Peter. Then Peter was prepared with a vision, and finally the word of the gospel from Peter and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius birthed the church in his house.
Practically speaking, here is one (of many) principle of how to identify a person of peace in a community. Who is the person who gives you a cup of water after becoming aware of your conspicuous spirituality. The person who shows favor to you for being a Jesus follower and becomes sensitive to your needs may be opening the door for relationship with himself and his household.
Here is an example of how CPM principles open us to a new realm of understanding Scripture.
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