Stewards

Stewards

“And the Lord said, ‘Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘“My master is delaying his coming,”’ and begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.” Luke 12:42-46.

This tells us that a steward is inclined to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink. Only the expectation of the master’s return changes this situation. The steward has responsibility and sees everything that needs to be done. He thinks that the servants are lazy, and his tendency to rule asserts itself. He looks after himself and mistreats the servants. Such a steward has not understood his task.

In verse 42 we read that it was the steward’s responsibility to give the servants food in due season. He was not supposed to think of himself, but rather take care of the servants and give them nourishment so they had strength to work.

This is a picture of the church, which is the house of God. The overseer is the master, and all of us are servants of Christ by being members of the body of Christ, each with our own particular task. Now the question is whether the overseer or the steward has the members’ best in mind or whether he thinks of himself.

The overseer sees much that is wrong. The meetings are slow, and the majority are lazy and sleepy. Now some of the overseers misunderstand their task and begin to beat the servants. They are like dogs that bark and tear and pull apart. They gorge themselves by receiving the honor for everything that is well and good but blame the others for everything that is out of kilter. It doesn’t occur to them that perhaps there is something wrong with their own ministry—that the members might be lazy and sleepy because they don’t receive sufficient nourishment. If the steward had given the servants food at the right time, everything would have been different.

A steward over God’s manifold grace has a large supply from which he can draw. It is important for him not to have a one-track mind when he distributes the food, because then these lacks and mistakes appear in the church. Certain nutrients are required for the lame to be healed. The faithful and wise steward knows how to give the right nourishment. There is a remedy for everything in God’s manifold grace.

It is easier to tear down than to build up. It is easier to accuse than to help. It is easier to beat than to give nourishment. The evil steward does what is easiest. He doesn’t lack any scriptures for doing what he does. He doesn’t have the spirit of fear over him. However, the master of the house doesn’t show any more care for the steward than he does for the servants. When he comes, he can see whether the servants have received the right nourishment they were meant to have. If the servants are well-nourished and still have not begun to do their master’s will, they shall receive many stripes. All of us will appear before the judgment seat of Christ and receive our reward according to our works.