Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
In Mark 9:41, Jesus gives another example of servanthood: “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” Giving “a cup of water” seems like such a little thing. In Jesus’ day, it also would have seemed to be a lowly thing, for providing water to someone was the task of a servant, of a slave (for many servants of the first-century Roman Empire were indeed slaves). Jesus tells His nearest disciples, though, that bestowing just “a cup of water” is a lovely thing. A good application for us is to realize that there are a multitude of ways to serve others and, in so doing, to serve Christ Jesus. I remember watching a pastor friend of mine when we were at a hospital with the family of a girl who was dying. Time after time, he walked down the hallway to get a glass of water for the family members and friends gathered there. Perhaps, due to the overwhelming grief that they were experiencing, those sorrowing folks do not recall his repeated small acts of kindness, of servanthood. However, I remember his example well, and it has always served as a reminder that no task is too small for a Christian and that each task is to be done to the highest and best level possible. The greatest “reward” is the simple knowledge that we have done the right thing in the eyes of our Savior God.