Demonstrating His Trust

15. Why did Jesus trust his disciples despite their shortcomings?

¹⁵ Love and trust go hand in hand. Love “believes all things.”c (1 Corinthians 13:7) Moved by love, Jesus demonstrated a willingness to trust his disciples despite their imperfections. He had confidence in them and believed that at heart they really loved Jehovah and wanted to do His will. Even when they made mistakes, Jesus did not question their motives. For example, when the apostles James and John evidently got their mother to request that they sit beside Jesus in his Kingdom, Jesus did not doubt their loyalty or dismiss them as apostles.​—Matthew 20:20-28.

16, 17. What responsibilities did Jesus delegate to his disciples?

¹⁶ Demonstrating his trust, Jesus delegated various responsibilities to his disciples. On the two occasions when he miraculously multiplied food and fed the crowds, he delegated to his disciples the responsibility of distributing the food. (Matthew 14:19; 15:36) In preparation for his final Passover, he assigned Peter and John to go to Jerusalem and get things ready. They took care of obtaining the lamb, wine, unleavened bread, bitter greens, and any other necessary items. This was no menial assignment, for celebrating the Passover in the proper manner was a requirement of the Mosaic Law, and Jesus had to live up to that Law. Besides, later that evening Jesus used the wine and the unleavened bread as important symbols when instituting the Memorial of his death.​—Matthew 26:17-19; Luke 22:8, 13.

¹⁷ Jesus saw fit to entrust his disciples with even weightier responsibilities. Recall that Jesus placed in the hands of his disciples the weighty commission to preach and make disciples. (Matthew 28:18-20) As we noted earlier, he foretold that he would delegate to a small group of his anointed followers on earth the important responsibility of dispensing spiritual food. (Luke 12:42-44) Even now, though invisible and ruling from heaven, Jesus entrusts his congregation on earth to the care of spiritually qualified “gifts in men.”​—Ephesians 4:8, 11, 12.

18-20. (a) How can we show trust and confidence in fellow believers? (b) How can we imitate Jesus’ willingness to delegate? (c) What will be discussed in the next chapter?

¹⁸ How can we follow Jesus’ example in our dealings with others? Our showing trust and confidence in fellow believers is an expression of our love. Let us remember that love is positive, not negative. When others disappoint us, which is bound to happen from time to time, love will keep us from quickly assuming that their motives are bad. (Matthew 7:1, 2) If we keep a positive view of our fellow believers, we will treat them in ways that build up rather than tear down.​—1 Thessalonians 5:11.

¹⁹ Can we imitate Jesus’ willingness to delegate? It is beneficial for those who have positions of responsibility in the congregation to delegate appropriate and meaningful tasks to others, trusting them to do their best. Experienced elders can thereby provide necessary and valuable training for qualified younger men who are “reaching out” to help in the congregation. (1 Timothy 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:2) This training is vital. As Jehovah continues to speed up Kingdom growth, qualified men will need to be trained to care for the increase.​—Isaiah 60:22.