At the end of the 10th chapter, the former tax collector records Jesus as saying:
"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones because he is my disciple,
I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
I've read that passage many times, but something struck me this morning that I had not noticed (don't you just love the fact that His Word is ever new?).
That last phrase.... 'will certainly not lose his reward'... surprised me today.
For all the times I have railed against my own natural (and learned) habit of wanting to 'work to earn salvation', I find this innocuous little phrase - when I wasn't even looking for it - which serves as a reminder that salvation is a priceless gift from a gracious God.
One can infer that 'the reward' is heaven... and that it has been given freely...
But think of the ways Jesus could have spoken this truth... He could have said:
"those who don't care for these little ones will not be saved" or
"if you help someone, you will be rewarded"...
He said neither. The implication is obvious and profound.
We are saved. Christ delivered us. We have our reward. It has immense value. And we do not want to lose it.
May be a subtly different way to look at it... but it seems important somehow. We are not earning the reward... but because of the generosity of the gift, we cannot help but help others. It is our response to the gift, not a price we pay for the gift...
Because that gift was paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ.
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