A Cup of Cold Water

A Cup of Cold Water

Psalm 13; Matthew 10:40-42

Our first reading, this morning, is a short Psalm that is easily heard in three distinct parts. The first two verses are a description of a desperate situation. It seems that God is absent as my life is be falling apart. The middle two verses are essentially a prayer, a cry to God for help. The closing two verses are then an affirmation of trust that God will be faithful and will deliver. Let us listen for God’s word in this Psalm of a deserted soul:

Psalm 13

Our Gospel reading is also a short passage: three verses long. And it comes at the end of a rather long speech by Jesus to his disciples. Prior to Chapter 10, Matthew has piled up several stories of Jesus and his ministry. Matthew recalls stories of healings, of lepers being made whole, a woman with a hemorrhage touching the hem of Jesus’ robe; Peter’s mother-in-law is restored to health. There are also stories of a girl being given back her life, of demons that are destroyed, of a raging storm that is calmed. Sight is restored to the blind and a person who was unable to speak found her voice. I can just imagine that as the word spread around the countryside that there was this miracle worker and healer among them, the crowds grew day by day. Some were curious, others had real need and an aching hope. We are told, at the end of Chapter 9, that “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them. . . .Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” So, in response to the human need that was evident, Jesus told the disciples to pray for laborers. Now, as we all know, you need to be careful what you pray for. The very next thing we learn, as Chapter 10 begins, is that Jesus sends his twelve disciples. And the disciples now become the Apostles, ones who are sent.

When you think about this image of laborers being sent into the harvest, what kind of work do you imagine they are given? Matthew tells us “Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.” In other words, they are commissioned with a ministry of compassion.

What follows through Chapter 10 is a speech by Jesus where he gives further direction about where to go, how to behave, and what to expect. “Not everyone will welcome you with open arms. In fact, your ministry of compassion will also stir up a lot of resentment and opposition. But always remember who and what you represent.” And now, we come to our passage from Matthew. It lies at the end of Chapter 10. These are the closing words of Jesus’ instructions and warnings as he sends his disciples. Listen for the word that God has for us.

Matthew 10:40-42

You know, as scary as it can be to be given a difficult job to do, something new and different that needs a different set of skills than what you have ever used before, as scary as that is, how cool to be selected! Wow! Jesus wants me to do the things he’s been doing: healing the sick, casting out demons, helping the lame to walk and the blind to see. And he has given me authority and power to carry out this work. How cool is that! And to add to that, Jesus says who ever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me, and the one who sent him. So, whoever welcomes me is essentially welcoming God and God’s Son, Jesus. Wow! And, Double Wow!
Then Jesus makes references to prophets and righteous persons, with the idea that I am being counted as a prophet and a righteous person. Can my head get any bigger? And then Jesus turns everything upside down and backwards. “Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple -- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” Suddenly my big head feels a bit deflated. So what does it mean when Jesus talks about giving a cup of cold water to the little ones? What is this cup of cold water all about?

Simply stated a cup of cold water is about hospitality. There have been countless number of times that I have been visiting as a pastor or chaplain and was offered such hospitality. A woman who has been active in the church longer than I can begin to imagine has been expecting my visit. We have an appointment. When I arrive, she brings me into her parlor and offers me my choice of a glass of cold milk or cup of hot coffee to go with the slice of delicious chocolate cake sitting on the coffee table. I visited with a man who was a hospice patient, in his home. He was still able to be home, with help that came in at times through the day. His home very humble and in rather poor condition, and frankly, not so clean. This man graciously offers me a glass of water on a hot summer day. And then there is the woman in a nursing home who is embarrassed that the pastor is visiting and she is not able to show proper hospitality. She has nothing to offer for him to eat or drink, only her kindness. To be offered such kindness makes me feel special, and it is quite humbling, at the same time. There is tremendous power in the simple hospitality of offering a cup of cold water.

To be clear: Giving a cup of cold water is NOT about me. That is where I imagine the disciples getting tripped up. They were drawn into the seductions of their own importance and then Jesus comments on the little ones. How easy it is to think about ourselves. After all, I spend more time with myself than anyone else. I have my own hurts and hopes. I have my desires that are not yet met, and memories of good and not so good times. So, when Jesus is giving out jobs to be done and I am chosen to do something pretty special, it is easy to think of how special I am to be called to this work. I am chosen to be a pastor or elder or deacon. I am selected to go on mission trip to a far away land. I am appointed to be responsible for a large number of people with a particular ministry or project. I am special. Except, it’s not about me. It’s about the little ones. It’s about the person who is feeling alone and lonely because she has outlived her family and friends. It’s about the person who comes to church hoping for some word that will help him get through another week. It’s about children who need to be safe from harshness of life and who need direction for learning and growing. It’s about giving a cup of cold water to those who are thirsty.


A cup of cold water is about the little ones, the least of these. Can you imagine having to encourage people to be kind to the children? Of course we are kind to children. They are so little and helpless and most of the time, so cute. But over and over I am reminded that little and helpless simply means that big and powerful can do what they want. In some families children are lucky when they are treated as if they are not there, seen but not heard. In other places they are subjected to the rants and rages of adults who are stressed and confused and disturbed. And around the world children are the ones who suffer the most when there is war or poverty. When times are tight and governments make decisions about the services they can provide, the little and the weak are the most vulnerable to the budget ax. So giving a cup of cold water is not about me receiving hospitality of my parishioners. It’s about me showing hospitality to the little ones who are helpless and vulnerable, no matter their physical size or their chronological age. It is about ministering to “the least of these.” Sometimes that ministry involves literally giving a cup of cold water to someone. More often it is about seeing the needs of little ones, the vulnerable ones, the forgotten ones, marginalized ones, and taking some action on their behalf. It is about how we see “the least of these.”

A cup of cold water is about showing kindness. Sometimes it really is that simple. Say, you are in a parking lot trying to get out into traffic. Cars are bumper to bumper. Everyone seems impatient and no one is letting you out. Finally, someone slows down enough to leave an opening and she waves you on, so you take it. You appreciate her kindness. Now you are in the bumper to bumper mess. You see another person trying to merge into the traffic. You’ve waited so long, you are not about to slow yourself down now so you pass them without a further thought. And the person behind you lets them out. Or maybe you try to size up the person in the car before you decide whether to let them in front of you. Do they look respectable? Do they deserve the kindness? It can be argued that showing kindness to someone that you determine deserves it is really not showing kindness, at all. But offering a hand to someone without judgment, without evaluation, without evidence that the help could be reciprocated, offering a hand based solely on the possibility of need, that is kindness. That is grace. That is a cup of cold water.

Giving a cup of cold water is about paying attention to who it is that we represent. It was clear to the disciples that when they went out in Jesus’ name, they would represent Jesus and the one who sent Jesus. Do you give much thought to whom you represent? During the work week, when I am doing my work with Community Hospice, I wear a name badge that identifies not only my name, but my employer. For the most part that is a good thing. When I make a quick trip into the grocery store or stop in at drug store, people will see my badge and often comment on how much they appreciate the way some hospice took care of someone they love. Every now and then, however, I have had the foresight to remove my badge before going into some business. Like the time I was having problems with my cell phone. I went into a store for my cell phone provider and I was ready to let them know how unhappy I was about the service I was getting. Before getting out of the truck I took off my hospice badge. No sense in complicating the matter. When I am representing my company I am paying attention to my attitude and my behavior. When my attitude or my behavior is not in keeping with what I try to represent, it seems prudent to hide that relationship.

Jesus has sent us, along with the first twelve of his apostles. We are sent into the world to offer a cup of cold water to the little ones, to show kindness, to be aware of those who are vulnerable and in need, we are sent to show hospitality to strangers. And being sent, we represent the one who sent us, and the one who sent him. It is prudent for us to be aware of who it is that we represent. Perhaps if we are more aware of who we represent we might be more aware of what we do and what we say.

Barbara Brown Taylor writes in a sermon, “Bread of Angels,” about how we in the church are not simply consumers but we are providers of God’s love. She writes: "In a world that can be hard and scary sometimes, it is tempting to think of the church as a hideout, the place where those of us who know the secret password can gather to celebrate our good fortune. As we repeat our favorite stories and eat the food that has been prepared for us, it is tempting to think of ourselves as consumers of God's love, chosen people who have been given more good gifts than we can open at one sitting: healing, forgiveness, restoration, resurrection. Then one day the Holy Spirit comes knocking at the door, disturbing our members-only meeting and reminding us that it is time to share" (Bread of Angels).

Jesus gathered together men and women. He loved them and showed them God’s grace. He taught them, equiped them and empowered them. But it was not enough for Jesus to form a new sect of people who sought to understand God. These disciples were sent to find little ones everywhere and to offer a cup of cold water. This is the task of the church, today. We gather together men and women and children. We love them and show them God’s grace. We teach them, equip them, empower them. But our task is not complete until each person is sent into their part of the world to look for the little ones, the vulnerable ones, the marginalized and forgotten ones, and offer them a cup of cold water. And in Jesus’ words, “Truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”


Let us pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, you sent your disciples into the world to increase your love and grace through acts of compassion. Help us to open our eyes to the little ones, the least of these, and give us courage to minister in your name. May all that we do and all that we say be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.



Jess McCrosky
Orange Park Presbyterian Church
June 26, 2011