Scripture: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” Matthew 10:40-42 ESV
Observation: Having addressed his disciples’ challenges in completing their mission, Jesus ends on an upbeat note with their reward—not just for the Twelve but for all who receive and care for them. And the flow of these blessings finds its source in Christ, for as much as others show hospitality and care for the Twelve, they express love to Christ because his disciples are his agents: they go under his authority and proclaim his message.
Christ’s distinction between a prophet, a righteous man, and a little one is not mutually exclusive:
- The prophets speak on behalf of God (Matthew 5:10–12; 7:15–23).
- The righteous are those who obtain righteousness through obeying Jesus (Matthew 5:20) and those who lived before Christ’s incarnation who looked forward to his arrival (Romans 4:1-25, Hebrews 11)
- The little ones, as theologian Michael Wilkins contends, are those disciples who often go unnoticed under the shadow of the prophets and the righteous and frequently go amiss from community care.
Together, they form the body of Christ and thus must care for one another, for one cannot fully utilize their gift of the Holy Spirit without the aid of the others (1 Corinthians 12).
Takeaway: Referring to Matthew’s earlier account of Jesus marveling over the faith of a centurion who sent emissaries to request that Jesus heal his servant, we better understand why Jesus praised the centurion’s faith. He grasped what Jesus’ disciples did not fully understand: they more than represent Christ; they are an extension of their Master. This oneness is what Paul means when he states that Christ is in us (Colossians 1:27). As such, the Christian community must function as an interdependent body bound by an intimate love for our Lord and Savior that overflows onto each other. And our reward is none other than the privilege of serving Christ as we love one another.
Indeed, on the eve of his crucifixion, after washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus gives his “little children” a new commandment: “I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35 ESV). It is fascinating that Jesus addresses his disciples in this passage as “little children” (v.33) before stating his new commandment. In a sense, even though the church leans toward a hierarchy, in God’s economy, there is no distinction between gifting: all of us are “little ones.” Thus, when we exercise our gifts with humility and grace, we find unity in our faithful expressions of our love for the Father and Son that flows through us in loving service to one another. And our ultimate reward is an eternity of glorious, joyful worship of our Triune God with those we have loved well in this life.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who, being one with you, has extended that oneness to us. And we thank you for his exemplary mission: not to be served but to give his life as a ransom for us. So would you please help us “little ones” grow in our knowledge and understanding of our mission: to love and serve one another as Christ loves us? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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