God's Stewards Series

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been able to learn about the ways that God considers us and how He searches for us and welcomes us when we come home, when we truly repent. While life with God is one of peace and rest because of His great love for us and because of Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf, it’s also a life that is fraught with challenges as we are confronted daily with the question of “whom will we serve?” Will we serve God or ourselves? Will we serve God or money? Will we serve God or the world?

In response to Jesus’ parables about the lost sheep, coin, and son, Jesus turns aside to his disciples, with others clearly listening in, and begins to instruct them about the struggle of stewardship.

If you’ve not already done so, open your Bibles to Luke 16. Since Bryan just read that, I’ll not re-read it here. I’ll summarize some things and help us reconsider other things as we reflect on what Jesus is teaching here.

Jesus begins by telling the parable of the unjust steward. One commentator suggests that God is the “rich man” in that story and we are the “steward.”

Psalm 24:1–2 ESV

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,

the world and those who dwell therein,

for he has founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the rivers.

There is a sense in which all that we have and all that we are is God’s. He has numbered our days and equipped us to fill them. In many ways, our very lives are on loan to us from God. As Christians, we understand that our lives have been ransomed from the domain of darkness. As a result, we are His.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

So, if we are His, we belong to Him, then what we do with our lives is an act of stewardship to the Lord.

So as we think about this stewardship that God has for us, we’re going to think about it in relation to the things that Jesus seems to address in this chapter - namely our resources, righteousness, and relationships.

Let’s begin by thinking about how we can…

Serve God with our resources.

In the parable of the unjust steward, this man is accused of mishandling the master’s possessions. As a steward, he was charged with managing resources on behalf of the owner. Since he is now on the verge of being out of a job, he begins to get creative - as the saying goes - “Necessity is the mother of invention.” He notes that he’s unable to work and too proud to beg, so he devises a scheme in order to be welcomed into other places after his employment has ended. He is essentially using “shrewd” methods in order to save face.

So he calls several of the master’s debtors before him and in order to ensure that they are complicit in the matter, he asks them to share how much they owe. Jesus only provides two examples, but it can be assumed that this scheme may include many more. These debts are not insignificant either. The oil, which was given a 50% discount was the equivalent of a couple of years of wages. The wheat, which was given a 20% discount, would have been up to 10 years of wages. These are big write-offs.

A a couple of commentators have considered some of the potential motives behind why this scheme worked. Here are a few of their suggestions (McKinley):

“The reduction makes the master look generous.” The steward is clearly acting in his role as manager of the masters goods. These debtors would’ve been grateful for this discount.

“The master must pretend to have authorized the scheme, otherwise he will be shamed by his lack of control in his house.” Because the manager would have presumably been acting on behalf of the master, if the master changes course then he looks bad.

“The reduction of debt is really just a reduction of interest.” Interest in this way would have violated Deuteronomy 23:19 “You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest.”

“The amount by which each debt is reduced is really the manager’s personal commission, meaning that he is only giving away his own money.”

No matter what the underlying motive may have been, the manager is commended for his shrewdness.

Jesus comments on this parable by stating: