A rich man had a steward” (Lk 16:1). So begins Jesus’ telling of the parable of the dishonest steward. In this parable, the steward was placed in charge of overseeing the rich man’s affairs. Jesus is directing this parable toward his disciples. If we consider ourselves to be disciples of Jesus then he is speaking to us as well.
Might help us to understand that a steward is given the task to oversee someone’s affairs. In our case then we are overseeing God’s affairs and to be successful stewards we must remember who we are. The steward in the parable squandered the property of his master. He was not adequately fulfilling the charge he was given. Most likely because he was serving himself and his own needs instead of those of his master and as Jesus would later state, “No servant can serve two masters” (Lk 16:13).
For us to be good stewards, we must agree with the foundational principle that God is God and we are not. Maybe a pithy statement but if we don’t get this point right from the start we are going to be in trouble, because we are forgetting who we are. That is exactly the misstep with Adam and Eve. They were tempted and fell when they grasped at what God freely had given. Instead of excepting the gift of their humanity, their role as stewards, they sought to define their own path, they put themselves in the place of the master, instead of the steward, and there can only be one master and that is God.
When we place ourselves in the role of the master instead of God or attempt to force God, from our perspective, to fit into our image, then we are going to have problems. We can see the effects of this fallen reality on full display in our world today. The reason why Jesus never sinned was that he never forgot who he was. Jesus is the steward we are called to be. His mind and heart is open to following the will of God his Father. “Though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7).
Jesus, though he was divine, did not grasp at his divinity, but received and embraced the gift of being human. That meant he was willing to be the steward and not the master. As Son, he was sent by his Father to do his Father’s will. Jesus did so with every thought, word, and deed. He showed this most profoundly in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus submit himself to the will of his Father and gave his life. Die he did and in willing to do so, he conquered death through the power of the Holy Spirit, rose from the dead, and leads the way for us to take up our cross and die to ourselves.
Being the steward and not the master is not easy for us because we are not willing to give up our control. When we let go though and surrender to God, we can feel safe in the assurance that God has our best interest in mind. St. Mother Teresa put it best when she sought just to be a pencil in God’s hand. By making the time to slow down and discern God’s will, we will remember who we are, God’s children. When we resist impulsively reactions, relinquish our control, and follow the lead of our Father in heaven, we will be more prudent stewards. Then we can begin to help our corner of the world to be a little more peaceful, caring, and loving.
Photo: Praying with some great stewards, Mary and Joseph.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 