RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM
Luke 12:41-48 11/09/03
As human beings, we have the ability and freedom to make choices. Some choices are essentially ours, such as what to believe or what to do next. Most choices, though, are only partially under our control: what physical or mental activities to excel in, whether or not to work for a living, what we want other people to do.
One choice we do not have is whether or not to be stewards. A steward is one who has been given the responsibility to manage the property and affairs of another. Though we have the use and enjoyment of the earth and its bounty during our mortal lifetimes, we do not own anything.
The beauty and joy that is life, the things we create or nurture, everything we accumulate—all this is ours but for a season. We are, however, entrusted with its management during our lifetime. We are stewards. We are managers.
What we can choose is what kind of steward—manager--we will be. In Luke 12:41-48, Jesus is telling us how to live until He comes again. Listen to what He said:
“…the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions.
But if that slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and if he begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful.
That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.”
Jesus, our master, is telling us how to live. We must watch for him, work diligently, care for others around us. This passage tells us that the more resources, talents, and understanding we have, the more responsible we are to use these gifts from God effectively. Jesus is explaining to us that God will not hold us responsible for the gifts he has not given us, but to all of us who have been given a lot, a lot will be required.
Whether we are “faithful and prudent” stewards is told by the way we relate to God, other people, the Union community, and the rest of creation. Do others see in the way you live and relate a good steward?
The concept of “steward” is very Biblical. Many Christians think of it as church finances and management of the church property, but it is much more than that. The steward is actually a symbolic model of the meaning of life—who we are in relation to God, ourselves, others, and the universe. The term, “steward,” is first used in the very first book of the Bible, in Genesis. There it describes Joseph’s assistant, the second in command to Pharaoh. That steward was given great responsibility and even given the authority of Joseph in his absence. (Gen 43:16-44:13)
In 1 Chronicles 27 and 28, the stewards of King David’s property and kingdom are mentioned by name along with the commanders and other VIPs. The steward appointed over Daniel while he was a prisoner made the decision to change the diet of the prisoners without any need to consult with anyone else. (Dan 1:8-16). But Isaiah 22:15-25 makes it clear that stewards do not have final authority, but are accountable and replaceable.
In this passage from Isaiah, Shebna, the steward, was just as materialistic and self-serving as the rest of Jerusalem and ignored Isaiah’s advice. Because of Shebna’s mismanagement, God replaced him with Eliakim, who would be more responsible.
A steward, or manager, of God’s people and property and earth, because they are closely identified with the Master and often acting with the authority given by the Master, is not in total control and must justify the choices made.
In the New Testament, the concept of manager is used as a symbol in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of the apostle Paul. The theme of manager and servant with responsibility over resources until the time of giving an account to the owner is in many parables. In all of these lessons, the owner trusts his property to the steward to manage with a large degree of freedom in the decision making. But the steward is expected to be faithful to the interests of the owner and ultimately to account to the owner for whatever happens.
Paul used the term steward to describe his own role and that of all who follow Jesus (that includes you and me!) in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2. Listen to these words: “Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” And in Ephesians 3:2: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you.” In this case, Paul was the manager of God’s grace for Jesus’ followers.
And in 1 Peter 4:10-11, this image has been extended to everyone. It says: “Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ.”
Friends, this is serious business! God is the creator and therefore, the owner and authority over everything; we are the stewards or managers of all that God has trusted us with. We have freedom in managing God’s resources and affairs, but it is freedom with responsibility. Individually and as a group, we will be one day accountable for the priorities we set, the choices we make, the energies we expend, and our faithfulness in sharing and carrying out God’s mission for us and for our church.
But a steward is more than a servant or slave, more than just a manager. A steward is part of the household community, sharing the bounty and blessings with other members of the human race. A steward shares the vision of the church family, the best interests of the church is also the best interests of the steward. The well-being of the church is also the well-being of the steward.
And stewards, which is the title all of us have been assigned by God himself, stewards are accountable to each other. The needs change, the tasks of the members of the body change, but all of us are to believe and participate in the mission of the whole body. Christ set the example of serving and sharing and we, as stewards, seek to share that example to others, to live it, and to preserve it.
I think we would all agree that we have been given much: life, abilities, riches. God has given us natural resources in the form of water and earth, to sustain life. But actually, he has really just loaned us those things, trusting us to use them now in a responsible manner because they are also intended for the use of generations to come.
Every single thing we have has been given to us in trust. The implications of this for the “faithful and prudent steward” are considerable. We are accountable to God for every little and big thing he has loaned us and we are accountable to each other for our faithfulness to God.
Every day, every moment of life is an account to be used to the fullest. The number of days we each have was not given evenly—some of us will have 80 years, some 40 years, some only a few days. It is not the time we are allocated that is important, it is the way we use that time that is significant. This irreplaceable resource of time is not to be spent casually!
And then there’s our bodies. Our physical selves are marvelous gifts from the Creator—unique, ever changing, with all kinds of capabilities. The care of our bodies affects our ability to function as stewards. Balanced nutrition, proper exercise, adequate rest and relaxation, moderation in all things, and avoiding harmful and dangerous things should be concerns for each of us.
Because each of us is unique, our individual skills and creative talents are to be used for the good of everyone. When we lose the contribution of even one of us because he thinks he’s too old, or she thinks it’s time for the young people to take over the work, or because we think we’re not good enough or we might fail, we are taking away from everyone. God’s plan calls for the full use of the talents that we have been given.
One person cannot do everything, but every person can do some things. Living as members of the household of God means careful distribution of responsibilities. Are you giving your part in this family of God for the betterment of all of us?
Stewardship of the gospel should be a natural response for the stewards of God. The opportunity to know and study the good news of Christ’s love is a gift we are commanded to share. The faithful and prudent steward does not leave this important role to chance but joyfully tells others through words and deeds all about Jesus and what he has done for humankind.
Of course, material possessions and money are a part of stewardship. Our money and the things we have acquired with that money—our homes, our cars, computers, clothing, the list goes on and on—those things should be our instruments of service to others as God intends. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matt 6:21) This is so true! But it can also be our challenge for sharing with others.
Sharing our possessions and money to the point of qualifying as sacrificial giving is very hard for most people. So often security, our sense of self-worth, and our value as individuals are based on what we have rather than on who we are as children of God and members of His household. The ultimate test of Christian stewardship is in how we relate to God and to the faith community and how we live that out in service and sharing.
There are several reasons why we must share our material possessions and money. Probably the most important reason we share is as a response of gratitude for the love and blessings we receive from God. If your giving was directly in response to what you have received from God, how could you even think of holding back? God’s love and care for us is boundless! Our natural response to that kind of love should be to share joyfully and unselfishly.
By the world’s standards, there are rich and poor and if you are rich, the world’s ways say it is because you worked hard to achieve it. But by God’s standards, we are loved and valued equally but given blessings according to God’s grace. And remember, “to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.”
God expects us to provide for one another. As his stewards, we are to work together to feed the hungry, to be friends to those who have no friends, to work for peace and justice in our world, and to work so that everyone has equal amounts of the earth’s bounty.
Being able to share, whether it be your personal possessions or your talents, is a personal journey resulting in maturity of your faith in God. Jesus’ teachings and his own life of total commitment to God and his sharing are wonderful examples. It should challenge us to live our neighbors and serve their needs.
We can do these things as individuals, but as stewards of God, we come together as a church body and as we continue the work of Jesus as a whole. Through the church, we unite our unique abilities, our labors and the fruits of our labor, which is our money, and we bring them to God who blesses them and distributes them in the name and service of Jesus Christ.
See, God has a yearning that all the people of the earth know and accept the divine love and salvation of Christ. Clearly, we are called to share: our talents, our knowledge of Jesus, our time, our possessions, and our money.
Those living during the Old Testament times had a guideline for their giving. It was called a tithe, and it was a measure of what they had: 10 percent of all then became their offering. It was a law. But when Jesus came, he replaced the laws with love. So as Christian stewards today, we don’t have the convenience of a law or formula to help us determine whether or not we are being “faithful and prudent stewards.” There is no percentage of our income that, if shared with the church, automatically pays off our debt to God, or to others.
The difference between the Old Testament and New Testament models is that Christian stewardship today requires more. Jesus was concerned with ALL of a person’s life and possessions. When He called the first disciples, “they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:11). And Jesus told the rich young ruler to “Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven…” (Luke 18:22)
Another New Testament model is that of the early Christians living in community, sharing all they had with each other. We must be aware of the use of all our resources, even those we use to maintain ourselves. And although we do not have a law requiring us to give a tenth of our paychecks to the church, it provides us a model of measurable standards for our giving. It also shows how seriously the people of God thousands of years ago took stewardship.
Our stewardship of our money, our talents and our time must begin somewhere. According to a nationwide Gallup poll, in the average church `7% say they tithe but only 3% actually do. Forty percent will give nothing in a year, yet 91% say they make more money now than they ever have before in their lives. Last year, only 3% of all church goers actually tithed, down from 8% the year before. Most of us spend more money eating in restaurants each week than we give to our church.
Through the discipline such as tithing we take the first step in responsibility as God’s stewards of all He has created for our pleasure. I encourage you and challenge you to think seriously about what I’ve said today. Think seriously about tithing—if not 10% of your income, begin with 5% or even 1%. Apply the same measuring stick to your time and your God-given talents.
We have the freedom to choose the portion we share with our church and its work, but it is freedom with responsibility. As followers of Christ and believers of God’s Holy Word, how can you do less? Remember that we are ultimately accountable to God.
PLEASE PRAY WITH ME: Precious Lord Jesus, you told us that we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free. Help us to apply the truths we have heard here today to our lives in an effort to improve our world and prepare ourselves for life everlasting. Amen.
AS WE SING THE LAST HYMN, I INVITE ANY OF YOU WHO WOULD LIKE TO GIVE MORE TO COME FORWARD AND PLACE IT IN THIS BASKET. THIS CAN BE IN THE FORM OF MONEY OR A WRITTEN NOTE PROMISING YOUR TIME OR TALENT.
BENEDICTION: Go now to a world in need of your justice, a community in need of your generosity, a life in which you may demonstrate all that is right and true. And may God’s love surround you, Christ’s peace uplift you and the Spirit’s power grant you wisdom and strength.
