Thursday, February 26 He gave gifts in men.​—Eph. 4:8.

[Tish Hues]

 

Thursday, February 26

He gave gifts in men.—Eph. 4:8.

 

No human has ever been as generous as Jesus. When on earth, he freely used his miraculous power to help others. (Luke 9:12-17) He gave the greatest gift of all by laying down his life for us. (John 15:13) Since his resurrection, Jesus has continued to be generous. Just as he promised, he has asked Jehovah to pour out holy spirit to teach and comfort us. (John 14:16, 17, ftn.; 16:13) And by means of our congregation meetings, Jesus continues to equip us to make disciples all over the earth. (Matt. 28:18-20) The apostle Paul wrote that after Jesus ascended to heaven, “he gave gifts in men.” (Eph. 4:7, 8) Paul explained that Jesus gave these gifts in order to support the congregation in various ways. (Eph. 1:22, 23;4:11-13) Of course, these men are imperfect, so they make mistakes. (Jas. 3:2) But our Lord Jesus Christ uses them to help us; they are his gifts to us. w24.10 18 ¶1-2

 

[dljbsp]

 

Jehovah could have governed the congregation through flawless angelic direction in visible ways. He did not. Jesus could have written a complete manual in His own hand. He did not. Instead, He entrusted responsibility to humans who depend on spirit, Scripture, and prayer. That choice forces us to see beyond personality and beyond weakness. It trains our vision.

 

If we focus only on imperfection, we miss the gift. If we look for Christ’s hand behind the arrangement, we begin to see something deeper.

 

A gift is not defined by flawless wrapping. It is defined by the giver’s intent. Let's not lose track. Jesus is the giver. 

 

The verse does not say the men are perfect. It says they are gifts.

 

Seeing them that way requires maturity. It requires trust in Jesus’ present rulership, not just admiration for His past sacrifice. It calls us to cooperate, to pray for those taking the lead, and to look for evidence of Christ’s shepherding rather than human limitation.

 

The real question is not whether the arrangement is flawless. The question is whether we recognize the generosity behind it.

 

If Jesus is still giving, are we still receiving?