God’s Initial Call of People
Hugh Whelchel states that Genesis 1:28 is the
original call (of human beings) to stewardship.[1]
God wanted first human beings to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth,”
for which God created and called them. Then, this calling for blessing
reappears several times (Genesis 9:1 & 9, 17:6 & 20, 28:3, 35:11) as we
examined in Chapter 9. While God blessed Adam, he placed him in the Garden of
Eden as his steward to work and take care of his garden (Genesis 2:15) until
Adam and Eve fell. God wanted Adam and Eve to be faithful or trustworthy in
their stewardship and live there freely with their free will as long as they
would not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
A Steward in the Old Testament
A steward is different from a slave as a
steward has freedom of decision making whereas a slave is only to behave
according to what his master dictates him/her. Genesis 15:2 states: “And Abram
said, ‘Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward
of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?’” (KJV). Eliezer was Abraham’s
faithful servant whom Abraham called here ‘the steward’ (מֶ֣שֶׁק, mesheq), which is also translated as ‘heir’ (RSV). The Hebrew
word, מֶשֶׁק (mesheq), etymologically
means ‘acquisition’ or ‘possession’ although its root is not quite certain.[2]
A Steward in the New Testament
The Greek word, “οἰκονόμος
(oikonomos)” – a compound word of οἶκος (oikos, house or household) and νέμω (nemō,
manage or dispense) – corresponds to the English word, ‘a steward’ or ‘a
household manager.’ This makes sense as we Christians are not the real owner or
master of our household but a delegated owner or a manager to whom God’s
property is entrusted to take care of a small unit of God’s household.
Jesus in Luke 12:42-44 says:
“42Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will
set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43Blessed
is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. 44Truly,
I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.” The steward in this
Jesus’ parable takes care of people in his household (other servants or slaves)
as well as all his possessions. The steward (or manager) should be responsible
and accountable as he should take care of his master’s household, including his
people and wealth. Jesus in Luke 12:48 says: “Everyone to whom much is given,
of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will
demand the more.”
In Jesus’ parable of the
shrewd or wicked steward in Luke 16:1-13, the steward was accused of his
master’s possessions. The master entrusted his possessions to his steward and
let him manage them according to his ability but did not want him to waste them
but make more profit for him. Jesus in Luke 16:13 says: “No servant can serve
two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be
devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon
(=money).” As a steward of a household we may possess or deal with (master’s)
money. But Jesus warns us that we cannot serve both God and money. This is a
matter of priority – we should not place money before God.
Jesus in Luke 19:11-27 tells
us the parable of ten minas (or pounds), which is similar to the parable of
talents in Matthew 25:14-30. This parable seems to be a modification of the
parable of talents as it is incomplete. A nobleman called ten of his servants
and gave them ten minas (one mina per servant) before he went to a distant
country (the kingdom of God) to become a king and then to return. One mina (or
one pound) was about three months’ wages for an average worker. So, one mina is
about $12,000-$15,000 in today’s value. The master wants each of the servants
to do business with the money until he comes back (as an entrepreneur). When he
returned as king, he called the ten servants to find out what they had gained
with his money (Luke 19:15). Only three servants (out of ten), like in Matthew
25:14-30, appear in the passage. The first servant tells him that he gained ten
more minas. The master commends him and gives him authority over ten cities. The
second servant tells him that he gained five more minas. The master commends
him and gives him authority over five cities. The third servant tells him that
he kept the mina laid away in a piece of cloth. The master rebukes him, saying,
“22I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You
knew that I was a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping
what I did not sow? 23Why then did you not put my money into the
bank, and at my coming I should have collected it with interest?” (Luke
19:22-23). The master tells those standing by to take his mina away from him
and give it to the one who had gained ten more minas and says: “I tell you,
that to everyone who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even
what he has will be taken away” (Luke 19:26). In this parable, unlike in
Matthew 25:14-30, every servant was given the equal amount of money (1 mina),
and thus there is no issue of unfairness, jealousy, or hatred. So, the third
servant’s laziness cannot be excused. He simply did not do anything out of his
disobedience, unfaithfulness, and laziness.
Jesus’ similar but more
famous parable of talents is in Matthew 25:14-30. The situation is similar to
that of Luke 19:11-27. The master entrusts the different amount of talents to
three servants according to their ability. Which one is fair distribution
between one mina per servant in Luke 19:11-27 and the different amount of
talents according to their ability in Matthew 25:14-30? It may be debatable,
but we can see different God-given talents/gifts among us. We may not be able
to say it is unfair although we are allowed less God-given talents as it is
probably the will of God who knows each one of us better than we know
ourselves. We as a steward of his household should not complain about the
amount of God-given talents/gifts that we have but should be faithful in
managing them. The master in Matthew 25:14-30 gives five talents to one
servant, two talents to another servant, and one talent to the third servant. One
talent was about 5,000-6,000 denarii, and one denarius was an average worker’s
one day pay. So, one talent is an average worker’s 20-year pay or about $1
million in today’s value. After a long time, the master returned and settled
accounts with them. The first servant tells him that he gained five more
talents. The master commends him, saying, “Well done, good and faithful
servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter
into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21). The second servant tells him that
he gained two more talents. The master commends him, saying, “Well done, good
and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over
much; enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23). The master commends
the two servants with the exactly same wording, which is different from Luke
19:11-27. The third servant tells him that he hid the talent in the ground. The
master rebukes him, saying, “26You wicked and slothful servant! You
knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? 27Then
you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should
have received what was my own with interest” (Matthew 25:26-27). The master
tells those standing by to take the talent from him and give it to the one who
has ten talents and says: “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he
will have abundance” (Matthew 25:29). God wants each one of his stewards to do
his/her best in doing business with the God-given talents/gifts.
When the master gave money
to his servants in Luke 19:11-27 and Matthew 25:14-30, he did not tell them
what exactly they should do but told them to do a business or put the money to
work. The servants were free to do whatever they planned. In this sense, they
were entrepreneurs who could start and run their business using their resources
(money and labor) and creative ideas. In the same manner, God allows us to do
whatever we plan and desire. We are entrepreneurs in our own fields or areas,
exercising our constructive ideas, making good use of our resources – labor,
human capital, and others. We do our best in running our work for God, using
the God-given talents/gifts so that we can maximize profit for God, whatever
profit that is.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2
states: “1This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover it is required of
stewards that they be found trustworthy.” Paul regards himself and his
coworkers as ‘servants of Christ’ and ‘stewards of the mysteries of God.’ The
stewards of God’s mysteries (God’s saving plan that is hidden for generations)
are required to be faithful.
Paul in Titus 1:7-9 states:
“7For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be
arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8but
hospitable, a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy, and
self-controlled; 9he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so
that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute
those who contradict it.” Paul explains the qualifications for a bishop in the
church. He calls a bishop God’s steward (οἰκονόμος Θεοῦ). Not only a bishop but
also every Christian should have the qualifications of bishop in the church as
he/she is the manager/steward in the household of God.
Peter in 1 Peter 4:10-11
states: “10As each has received a gift, employ it for one another,
as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11whoever speaks, as one who
utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the
strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified
through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever.
Amen.” A gift of God is given to Christians. Then, Christians should manage the
God-given gifts or talents well so that God may be praised through Jesus
Christ.
[1]
Ibid., “Three Key Passages
Concerning Stewardship in the Bible,” Institute for Faith, Work &
Economics. (October 19, 2016).
Retrieved from https://tifwe.org/stewardship-in-the-bible.
[2]
Strong’s Hebrew Concordance,
“4943. mesheq,” BibleHub. Retrieved
from https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4943.htm.
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