Servant—Steward

There are many manservants and maidservants and not a few stewards, but most of them are unfaithful. There are extremely few faithful stewards.

The first make a great noise. They run and serve, wash, throw things around and break things, constantly lighting fires. They sing and preach and talk in season and out of season. They eat and drink, serve food and drinks of all kinds to anyone and at all times. The result is loss and not gain. They also win many people, and the ones they win become like them.

Jesus was not like them; yet He could have gained the many if He had turned to them—but they misunderstood Him! He turned them away by telling them in the strongest terms that they were mistaken. He was not the lord they had expected and whom they applauded. He faithfully turned them away, and He faithfully withdrew in order to gain those whom the Father had given to Him and who would be given to Him. He was the faithful steward who distributed only according to the laws of His Father’s house for their eternal benefit.

The basic rules of these laws have been expressed in the clearest words in what is called the Sermon on the Mount. Blessed are those who hunger; woe to those who are satisfied. Blessed are the poor; woe to the rich, etc. The gospel is for the poor!

There are quite a few people who begin as faithful servants, but they fail before they have become sufficiently mature so they can be appointed as stewards, because no one is entrusted with a stewardship until he has gained a certain amount of knowledge of the duties of the house, and at the same time has also proven to be faithful.

Most people don’t even know that there is such a thing as a stewardship of God’s goods here on earth.

There is an essential difference between a servant and a steward (fellow worker). The one is, as is also so often said, just a channel, something without the ability to discern (or in other words be a steward), whereas the other must think, discern, consider, and execute. He has to find the right place, time, food, drink, the right amount, mixture, strength, form, and temperature in every single case, for every single person.

He has to understand all this himself in his inner man and then execute it.

Not only that, but there is also the other training, the remaining care of the house. His house are we! All of us taken together are a house. Every single church is also a house; every home is a house. In what way? Is it only Jesus and the churches’ overseers, together with every man (and wife or housekeeper in his house) who are or shall or can be stewards?

One could think that, or one is bound to think like this as long as one has not been given another understanding or stewardship.

The way is open to everyone to attain to the maturity of manhood, to discernment, to faithfulness, and to stewardship. We are entrusted with something as a result of faithfulness, and we are to be stewards of the things with which we have been entrusted.

In this way a “house” will arise for the individual, which is in relation to what he has been entrusted with—relative to those who put their trust in him and to the execution of his stewardship. “Bear one another’s burdens.” “Edify one another.” “Minister . . . to one another as good stewards.” These invisible houses fit (if they really are such) harmoniously into each church’s house, and each church’s house fits into the house of the entire body, because they were created for this purpose!

Finally, each member is a house in its own right—in the same way. Each member is his own steward to the same degree as he understands to work out the salvation of his soul, for his profit and not for his enjoyment!

Even this stewardship is hidden to most people! For how could you exercise stewardship with someone whom you don’t even dare to look at, for it is said everywhere that it is very dangerous to look at yourself!

The goal of our ministry in this world is not to make people happy! A faithful servant is thoroughly happy, but the goal is not to be a servant, but a steward!

It is important that ministers of the Word impart this understanding to the saints gradually, according to their desire to understand it. Let it be understood that the way is long and that it is open and clear right to the goal—that it goes through us being broken down. We are broken down to a relatively small measure by being alone in our own room; on the other hand, we are being broken down to a large measure when our ways meet, when we are in close contact with each other. The one person’s folly pumps up the other person’s folly during various difficult circumstances so that there is opportunity for much salvation!

When those who are satiated cry out for more food and those who are carefree call out to be consoled, it is important to be courageous and strong, so that one does not—because of weakness and unfaithfulness—give them royal dainties. It is not for nothing that Jesus said not to cast pearls before swine—satiated and carefree swine.

When the overseer in the church is a faithful steward, and his inner stewardship is constantly expanding, and the others are becoming like him in this respect, then everything is in the best of health. Oh, that there might be many such churches! Amen.