PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Mark 9:38-41
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.” (Mark 9:41)
Jesus shows a lot of trust and appreciation for those who are not against them.
If they even so much as give a cup of water – a trivial kindness – they will be rewarded.
What Jesus recognizes is their heart posture: they are for Jesus.
They give the cup in Jesus’s name, and give it to those who belong to the Messiah.
They’re helping people in Jesus’s name (miracles), and not bad-mouthing Jesus.
The disciples then were trying to divide people as one of “us” vs “them”.
Today the church prefers to follow the disciples, and not Jesus and the Jesus Way.
Many still divide between “us” and “them”, and refuse to share cups with “them”.
A Jesus follower is anyone that is devoted to Jesus, and to blessing others in his name.
Our denominational and ‘true’ and ‘false’ church distinctions do not change this.
There are many Jesus followers not part of “us” who will not only not lose their reward.
They are recognized and honoured by Jesus for their simple faith and kindness.
The only ones Jesus tells to STOP are the disciples doing the dividing.
PRAYER
Lord, your family is so much bigger than my narrow perception of it. Help me to stop stopping others, and to recognize and appreciate all humble, sincere and kind Jesus followers.
My Moslem friend has a lot of good things to say about Jesus – so this response by Jesus gives me hope: “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,” Though my friend doesn’t do a miracle he still does a lot of good for poor and lonely people, especially seniors. He has a heart for them. He appreciates how Jesus loves the poor. Still he does not claim Jesus to be his saviour – does not see that the Jesus way is the way to the God/Allah. Still I hope for him and will continue to love and reach out to him. He does not say anything bad about Jesus!