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Question #277

Could the song “Follow Me” be referring to Matthew 10:42?

Dear Friends in Christ,

I came across your web site while looking for the lyrics to Ira Stanphill’s song, “Follow Me.” Like you, I am committed to challenging Christians to think Biblically so I found your site helpfully thought provoking.

Your web site has this appraisal of Stanphill’s song: “If just a cup of water I place within your hand, then just a cup of water is all that I demand.” The author of this song must never have read the parable of the talents! If just a single talent I place within your hand, then just a single talent is all that I demand?

Is it possible that you were thinking of a different scripture than the author was? Since he wrote “cup of water” and not “a single talent,” I believe Stanphill was referencing Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:42. There Jesus said, "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

If I have a cup of cold water, it sounds like Jesus wants me to give it in his name to “one of these little ones.” And if I do, he promises a reward. It doesn’t appear the reward or his approval is contingent on the cup of water being multiplied like the talents.

I could be wrong, but it sounds like a simpler explanation for Stanphill’s lyrics.

Please keep up your good work and let me know what you think.

Hoping to help.

The Answer:

Your point is well made and the spirit in which it is made is appreciated. However, note that Jesus did not say that the cup of cold water to a little one was all that he demanded. It is the parable of the talents that demonstrates that which Jesus expects of his brothers and sisters who are God’s children – use them wisely and develop more. In one case (cup of water) a person is responding to a particular need; the emphasis is on the needy recipient. In the song the emphasis is on the giver who, if your understanding is correct, is to be satisfied with just one talent that is given away, leaving him with none at all. When the master gives a talent he expects us to be good stewards, use them wisely, and develop the original talent and add others. Stanphill has the one talent given away leaving the servant without talents.

Sometimes lyricists become to concentrated on achieving rhyme that they overlook, unintentionally perhaps, harmonizing words with truth. A good example of this is No. 577. Instead of having human beings crown Jesus, why not make it read “King of my life to thee I bow, Thine shall the glory be.” It is scriptural and it still rhymes. Stanphill might have found something else to put where the cup of cold water language is. It seems out of place, anyway, in the context of taking up our cross and following Jesus. Jesus demanded more even of the person who gave the cup of cold water, even assuming that that was all that he had.

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