<p>10:42&nbsp;<em>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-&nbsp;</em>Giving a cup of cold water to the little ones doesn&rsquo;t necessarily refer to sticking banknotes in a collection for Oxfam. The Hebrew writer took it as referring to our love for Christ's little ones, within the ecclesia (Mt. 10:42 = Heb. 6:10). And the context says the same.&nbsp;The Lord was inviting the disciples to see themselves as none less than the likes of Elisha, who were supported in their work by various well-wishers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to the interpretation of :41, these &ldquo;little ones&rdquo; refer to the disciples. But why &ldquo;<em>these</em>&nbsp;little ones&rdquo; and not &ldquo;you&rdquo;? I suggest that verse 42 is effectively a soliloquy, perhaps spoken out loud in the presence of the disciples, but all the same, it is Jesus speaking to Himself.</p>