Steward Leadership - Parable of the Talents Part 1

 

  This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

As this is a new year, I have begun a new series on the subject of steward leadership. One author defines a steward as “someone who manages resources belonging to another person in order to achieve the owner’s objectives.”

Today we begin a look at the parable of the talents. In summary, Matthew 25:14-30 is a parable about a man who goes on a journey and entrusts his wealth to his servants. To one servant, he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. The servant who received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. The one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the servant who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. Later, when the master returned, he inquired of each servant how he managed (or stewarded) those funds.  

I see in this parable a number of stewardship principles.  Perhaps you will discover additional lessons.

* The servants did not own the assets. The gold belonged to the man who left on the journey. The parable becomes clear if we consider that God is “the man” in this parable, and we are the servants.  The resources that he has entrusted to us belong to him.  God asked Moses (see Exodus 4:2), “what is in your hand?” and I would ask each of us to consider what resources, relationships, spiritual gifts and skills has He given us? We don’t own them; He does, and he requires us to steward them well.

* The servant who was given five bags “went at once and put his money to work…” (verse 16)  Faithful stewards have a sense of urgency and are diligent to provide a good return to their master.

* The owner’s expectations of the results were appropriate for the amount each servant was given.  More was expected of the man with five bags.  The man who received two bags was not expected to return five more, but two were sufficient for him. A principle that I see here is that we should not compare ourselves, and the output of our work, with others.  Some have been entrusted with more to work with – and some with less – than we have received.  We should not look down upon those who began with less and produced less, nor should we be discouraged by comparing ourselves with others who received more from the Lord and who, in turn, produced more.    

 

In our next episode we will continue our study of steward leadership and this parable.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.