Wanted – Faithful Stewards
A recent Lectionary Reading (Sunday 30th June 2024) was Paul’s letter in 2 Corinthians chapter 8, verses 7-15. In verse 9, Paul reminds us of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, “who, though rich, became poor for our sake so that we might become rich through His poverty.” This ultimate act of giving sets the standard for Christian stewardship – and even more, provides us with the power to follow Jesus as ‘under-stewards’. Let me explain.
A Lesson from Apu
You may remember the “Simpsons” TV show (I’m showing my age here). My favourite character was Apu, who managed a convenience store called a Kwik-E-Mart. Seeing Apu always took me back to my student days when first in Melbourne, working night shifts at a 24-hour convenience store called “Food Plus.” The job was convenient and right around the corner from my house.
Eighteen months into the job, a new family bought the shop. They were nice folks, great to work for, and they themselves worked tirelessly, eventually reaching the point where they very badly needed a holiday. They were in danger of burnout. To my surprise they entrusted me to manage the store for a week. I’m not sharing that story to promote myself – but to share that at the time it felt absolutely awesome, and daunting, to be trusted with such a responsibility. I really wanted to do a fantastic job for them. Managing the store was a significant responsibility, teaching me much about stewardship and trust.
What Does It Mean to Be a Steward?
Have you ever been the manager of something that wasn’t yours? Have you ever been trusted with someone else’s property? Have you ever had to look after someone’s business or house or some other precious item so that you were responsible for it for a time, caring for it as if it were your own, but remembering it ultimately belonged to someone else?
The Bible uses the Greek word “oikonomos” to describe a steward or manager. In ancient times, a steward was responsible for managing the household affairs of a wealthy family. Joseph in the Old Testament is a prime example, rising from slave to Pharaoh’s right-hand man, managing all of Egypt’s resources (Genesis 41:45).
We Are God’s Stewards
The truth is, we are all stewards of God’s resources. God, our Heavenly Father, has entrusted us with parts of His creation to manage on His behalf. Nothing we have is truly our own; it’s all a gift from God. As Martin Luther outlined in his explanation to the Apostle’s Creed God is the generous provider of everything we need: food, clothing, home, family, daily work, and all our daily needs.
Lutheran Pastor Harry Wendt, in his Divine Drama Bible Studies used to illustrate stewardship with an image of God’s hands cradling the earth. Inside the circle representing the earth are symbols of everything we manage: people, food, homes, families, possessions, and money. At the bottom of this image are smaller hands open and ready to receive, symbolizing our role as beggars before God. Everything we receive comes freely from Him, highlighting our dependence on God.
Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” As we serve with our time, talents, and money, we represent Jesus, who came to serve and not to be served (Matthew 20:28).
Our sinful nature often leads us to believe that everything we have is ours to keep. We hoard our resources instead of sharing them. Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians 4:7: “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?”
Despite our selfishness, God responded with the greatest act of generosity – giving His only Son. John 3:16-17 reminds us of God’s sacrificial love and his love for the world. Paul echoes this in Romans 8:32, affirming that if God did not withhold His Son, He will also give us everything else we need.
We are called to be trusted managers who are even partners with God. Partners with him in His mission to bless the world. The Corinthians understood this and gave generously to help the Christians in Jerusalem. Paul encouraged them to complete their good work, inspiring them by reminding them of all that they had received through Jesus and that they were stewards of God’s resources, especially His grace.
We are God’s Stewards Together
In our congregational life we are stewards together. We have this vocation ‘in team’ with our fellow congregational members and our congregations have wonderful gifts of many kinds. I believe that our opportunities to share the good news are gifts as well. We are stewards of all of these things! What has your congregation been given responsibility for? What are your opportunities to serve? Let us continually re-evaluate how we manage what we’ve been given, trusting God to guide us in our stewardship.
As stewards of God’s abundant resources, may we faithfully manage all that we have for His glory, knowing that He will bless our efforts and multiply them for His mission.
May the peace of God keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
