Steward Leadership - Parable of the Faithful and Wise Steward 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 continue our study with the parable of the faithful and wise steward found in Matthew 24:45-51 and also in Luke 12:42-48.

In summary, Jesus told this story to teach his disciples that our actions reveal what we truly believe. Those who obey God will be rewarded, whereas those who disobey God prove themselves to be unfaithful and hypocrites by their actions.  It also teaches that Jesus' followers must live in constant readiness for His return.

Jesus asks this in verse 45 of the Matthew version, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant [in the Luke passage, this word is translated as “manager”], whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?”

I would suggest we see here that:

* Faithful servants, or stewards, have been placed in charge of others. Leadership, or the oversight of people and/or ministry activities, is a privilege and a calling of our Master. The steward did not appoint himself to the role; the master did.

* Faithful servants, or stewards, give the other servants “their food at the proper time.” (The Luke passage says he give them their “food allowance.”) As leaders it is our responsibility to provide for the needs of those we lead.  In VCP, their “food” may be vision, encouragement, motivation, instruction and training, feedback or many other things.  Good and godly leaders also need to provide these things “at the proper time.”

The parable continues in verses 46 and 47.  “It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” Jesus teaches – as He did in the parable of the talents – that those who obey God will be rewarded.  In my introductory episode of this series, I shared 5 themes of Jesus’ stewardship parables. One of those themes is that faithful stewards advance, and we see this demonstrated here.  

At this point, I will refer to the Luke version where we read in verse 45. “But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk.” From this bad example, we see that faithful stewards must avoid complacency, and we must maintain discipline.  

In our next episode, we will continue our study of the faithful and wise steward. This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.