05-12-20

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 12, 2020
Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-13
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

Thought for the Day: “…for the work of ministry,” is one of those rather bland statements that doesn’t appear to have much depth of meaning. Yet the Greek word we translate as ministry is where we get our English word Deacon. The Greek word described someone who waited tables, not in a restaurant, but in a home. It was a servant, and so Paul was describing the work of serving by putting other people’s most basic needs above your own. You add that little tidbit of information, and suddenly there is a growing depth to this passage. We are being equipped, not to achieve personal gain or greater recognition, but to serve those around us for the purpose of building up the body of Christ. In serving, there will always be those who do not recognize what has been gifted to them, and they will go on expecting to be served. There are others, and I believe the potential is great, who will recognize the servant’s heart and be compelled by what they see. And in the end, they will choose for themselves to practice humility and take on the role of serving the basic needs of others.

Prayer: Holy God, help me stick to the way of Jesus, the humble servant. It may not have the immediate impact I would hope, but you never asked me to be successful, only faithful. It will be a daily challenge, but by your grace, I will try. Amen.

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