Matthew 10:42, commentary and pictures

Even the smallest act of kindness done in Christ's name for the lowliest and most childlike believers will surely be recognized and rewarded both now and in eternal life. The lowly ones are all who have entered God's family by doing the Father's will, and kindness shown to them counts as done to Christ Himself in the person of His saints. Its worth does not lie in how large the gift appears, but in practical love, sympathy, sincere purpose and faithfulness that would do far more if it had the means. Every such generous act is remembered in heaven and faithfully recorded even when done in secret, and the service heaven counts most precious is small, self-forgetful work done for Christ and then forgotten, while work done for credit ends with itself. This calls for hospitality to Christ's servants even at personal sacrifice, for refreshing words of sympathy and counsel to weary souls, for self-denying offerings to God's work, and for quietly relieving the thirsty and hungry as Jesus Himself did.

Setting and Terms

Jesus spoke these words when He sent His disciples out as His representatives, after training them to work for people's spiritual benefit. They show that His followers have a work to do and that the Lord has helped them in that work hitherto.

The little ones are the lowliest and feeblest members of God's family. They are those who are like children in their faith and knowledge of Christ. They are all who have been born into the heavenly family by doing the will of the Father in heaven, who in a special sense are Christ's brother and sister and mother. The love of Christ binds together all the members of His family, and wherever that love is made manifest the divine relationship is revealed.

A cup of cold water is compassionate care for a thirsty person. It stands for even the smallest act of kindness. That includes giving away food meant for one's own meal to help the poor and suffering. Giving it in the name of a disciple means giving in Christ's name and in the spirit of discipleship, because the receiver is a disciple and a child of God and belongs to God.

Promise and Principle

Even the smallest kindness done in Christ's name to the lowliest will in no wise lose its reward, for it is recognized and rewarded by Him. The lowliest are the feeblest members of God's family, those who are like children in their faith and knowledge of Christ, and giving even one of them a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple will not go unrewarded. Even financial help given in the Master's name is such service, with blessing promised in this life and everlasting life in the life to come.

Christ identifies His own interests with suffering people, so kindness shown to a disciple is regarded as done to Christ Himself in the person of His saints. Giving even a cup of cold water to a disciple because that person is a child of God and belongs to God is treated by Him as given to Him. Even the smallest act toward a suffering person is remembered and rewarded when it is the best one can give.

The value of the act does not depend on how great it appears to people or on the size of the gift, but on love shown in practical service, sympathy, sincere purpose, and the loving principle and faithfulness expressed. A small act of sympathy prompted by love for God and others reveals a spirit that would also give more and do greater good unselfishly if it had greater means and opportunity. Even a small gift given with sympathy and love and a sincere purpose is effective for good and brings a reward hereafter, and the same holds for every family member's self-denying small offering to meet the needs of the place of worship.

Every kind and generous act toward a suffering disciple precious in God's sight is remembered in heaven, written in the book, and faithfully recorded even when done in secret, so God will reward openly. Such small kindnesses have weight in the judgment along with neglected duties and unkind words, and all whose interest, sympathy, and faith are aroused to help have not labored in vain, for every such improved golden privilege will prove for their own advantage in the end. Christ keeps an account of every expense incurred in entertaining for His sake and supplies all that is necessary, and those who for His sake entertain their brethren, doing their best to make the visit profitable both to guests and to themselves, are recorded in heaven as worthy of special blessings. Encouragement, prayers, and generous help with travel out of love and benevolence are likewise recorded, and no good work done to His servants will lose its reward, which encourages preserving strength and using mind and influence to bless others rather than wasting time on needless show and ornamentation, dressing self and children in plain apparel without ruffles or needless stitching.

The most successful work is not great deeds and wonderful achievements but small, self-forgetful service kept as much as possible out of sight, with self out of sight and not made prominent and taking no credit. It includes giving a cup of cold water, speaking a timely word in due season, and teaching line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, coming close in sympathy with human hearts and laboring for souls with gentleness. Such labor done for Christ's sake and then forgotten is counted precious by God alone, for heaven values deeds at their true worth apart from the worker's estimate, and angels gather and cherish them as precious pearls to be recognized at the last day. Work treasured by the giver as a wonderful deed he has done ends there and has already received all the reward it will ever have, but the disciple who quietly does the assigned work without anxiety about success or seeking praise may leave a good influence of words and conduct to spread without knowing its full effect.

Service in Practice

Churches and their members are to open their homes to traveling evangelists, missionaries and servants of Christ, making a home for them even at considerable personal sacrifice and inconvenience. There is to be no lack of hospitality among God's people, for a narrow spirit in this matter turns souls away from the truth, while those who for Christ's sake entertain their brethren and do their best to make the visit profitable both to guests and to themselves are recorded in heaven as worthy of special blessings. Every expense incurred in entertaining for His sake is kept in account by Christ, who supplies all that is necessary for this work, and those who freely entertain God's servants receive the sweetest blessings and do not lose their reward. To ask for pay for such entertainment forfeits those blessings.

The obligation in this hospitality is mutual on both parties. Servants of Christ who are taken in are entitled to care, with a right to tables and home privileges, since receiving them into home and family fulfills the gospel requirement and is done for Christ in the person of His servants and for God and His cause. Just to the degree hosts have favored, cared for and waited on guests cheerfully for Christ's sake, God holds the guests as debtors to those friends, bound to bear their share of domestic burdens. Guests who accept such care as due without feeling obligation, who neglect domestic duties, study only their own convenience and interest regardless of the inconvenience and interest of their hosts, and make others bear what they should bear themselves, fail in duty through love of self and selfishness, and God will not do their neglected duty for them nor fill the claims others have upon them.

Giving a cup of cold water includes speaking words of sympathy, cheer, kindness and appreciation to weary, discouraged, struggling and lonely souls. Looks of sympathy, expressions of appreciation, loving counsel, warnings and admonitions to those who feel deficient, miserable, unbelieving and ungrateful, and to those in perplexity and under attack, are part of the same service. Such words and deeds of unselfish kindness refresh like cold water to the thirsty, lighten burdens resting heavily on weary shoulders, and express Christ's love for lost humanity. To labor for others in this way is to labor as Christ constantly labors, intercedes, sympathizes and helps those in need, and such service done for Christ is recorded in heaven.

The same principle reaches to small offerings and financial help for God's work. Every family member's self-denying gift for meeting-houses, given with sympathy, love and sincere purpose, helps meet the needs of the place of worship, is effective for good, and brings blessing here and reward hereafter. Costly help for the publishing work, given in faith and confidence in God's cause, will not go unrewarded. Encouragement, prayers and generous help with travel, shown because of service to God, are acts of love and benevolence faithfully recorded even when done in secret, which God who sees in secret will reward openly, with blessing promised in this life and everlasting life to come.

Jesus Himself lived out this principle by quietly giving water and food to people in need, sometimes denying Himself food and giving away the food meant for His own meal to help the poor and suffering. He helped the suffering, encouraged those whom others treated harshly, and spoke words of kindness and encouragement. Such acts of mercy fixed truth in minds and made the truths He taught more memorable, and God does not forget them.

The promise that no good deed done to His servants will lose its reward calls for preserving strength and using mind and influence to bless others. Time is not to be wasted on needless show and ornamentation in dress for self and children, but spent in plain, useful service to others.