Week Two: Understanding Stewardship as Discipleship:
“It is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them…” Matthew 25:14
Question: What can the parable of the talents teach us about discipleship?
Logical Speculation… reading between the lines:
The servants had an established relationship with their master. They were entrusted with large sums of money. A talent (by some scholars) was equal to 15 years of wages of a day laborer (common worker). So it is reasonable to assume that they had to know what was expected of them. So it is also reasonable to assume that the first servant had a longer relationship with the master because he was entrusted with more than the other two. Likewise the one entrusted with one talent may not have been in his service very long in that capacity.
With that in mind the Master entrusted to them more than money. He gave them a way of thinking or understanding of what he wanted done and how he wanted it done. In terms of conducting his business, he probably trained them to think and act in the manner that he did so that they would be able to accomplish the tasks he had set for them.
Personal example: remember my years as an employee (first as a sales person and then the sales manager) I had instilled in me an attitude of how to approach, address and establish a relationship with every customer… listening to not only what they said they wanted but by asking questions learn what their need was with the purpose of offering them the best possible choices. It took time and practice to develop that attitude towards sales and have it become effective.
God entrusts us with a gift of incalculable value… the gift of himself through faith in Jesus. But He also provides us with the means to invest that gift effectively in ourselves and in others… the means by which we do that is discipleship and how effectively we use and give that gift is stewardship of the gift and both are means by which we grow into the character and nature of Jesus—they themselves are not the goal. So with that in mind God entrusts us with a way of being… a way of living in relationship with God, each other, and the world around us—discipleship. Discipleship is not something we are called to do; discipleship is a way of life through which God achieves His creative purpose—redemption of creation. He brings people back into relationship with Himself through us—His people. Healthy discipleship is an expression of stewardship in that we make us of what God entrusts to us to grow in our relationship with Him, each other, and with those he calls us to reach out to.
I often refer to discipleship as growing into the character and nature of Jesus. Perhaps a more accurate description is that discipleship is a process of growing into the character and nature of Jesus. It’s like I said before, discipleship is a way of being or living. But the transformation that takes place in our lives does not come about at the end… it takes place as we give ourselves to the process… it’s like riding a bike… you can read all you want to about how a bike works, the physics of why it works, and the basics of how to ride it; but none of that will help until you actually get on it and try. And then it’s only as you practice that you will gain confidence in what you’re doing. Most of us needed help and instruction and encouragement along the way. There are going to be times when we fall down and will need that help and encouragement to get back on and try again. So not only is discipleship a process of growing into the character and nature of Jesus it’s also a community process… it’s a life lived together…
So when we think of discipleship we need to think of community. There are a couple of reasons for this but let’s just focus on one for the time being—that’s how Jesus did it. How many disciples did Jesus have? One? Two? Eight? Twelve? How about hundreds. Literally Jesus had hundreds of followers but from those hundreds, he chose twelve to disciple personally and of the twelve he chose 3 to disciple intimately (Peter, James, and John).
So what does that mean? They spent three years not only learning information on how to be a disciple but three years growing closer to Jesus… having instilled in them a sense of justice, compassion, mercy, forgiveness. They became like their master so that when people saw them; they didn’t necessarily see Peter or James or John… they saw—and more importantly—experienced Jesus.
Let’s take it back to discipleship being an expression of stewardship. Stewardship is about giving, right? It’s about trust (God trusting us and then in response us trusting God); it’s about investing in God (so God’s creative purpose is realized through us), it’s about gaining our freedom (from greed and fear), it’s about meeting our most basic human need (being restored in our relationship with God). What did Jesus entrust to his disciples? Was it his teaching? His ministry? His knowledge? His time? To a degree, yes. But most importantly he entrusted himself… he poured his life into them and it happened as they walked and talked and shared meals and as they listened to Jesus open God’s Word to them. And as the final act of self-giving, of entrusting Himself to the them he gave them the gift of His Holy Spirit after he had left them with the promise that he was going to return to claim what was his.
Does any of this sound familiar? “For it is as if a man… going on a journey… summoned his servants… and entrusted his property to them…”
Here’s the thing. Stop and consider for a moment what and who we claim to be; Christians. That name implies that we are followers of Jesus… that we are disciples. We claim the same heritage that Peter and James and John and the other disciples claim. That’s good news… that’s something to be celebrated. It also means that God has entrusted us in the same way; with the same purpose… and again this is good news! God wants to grow closer to us and wants us to grow closer to Him. And, He wants us to do it in the same way that the 12 did. He wants us to spend time with Jesus and do it with others—remember that discipleship is a process where we grow into the character and nature of Jesus… AND… it is not a solitary process. We’re supposed to do it in community with other followers and those who want to be followers of Jesus.
Now traditionally when we talk about discipleship we bring up Bible study and prayer groups in addition to our own reading of the Bible and daily prayer and I want to encourage that and I will make myself available to help start as many as we might need. But also consider this; where did Jesus do most of his teaching, even with his disciples? It was in the streets, in the market places, in the work places, and in the homes of the people. Here’s the point… Jesus developed his relationship with his disciples while he was in the process of reaching out to the people. In fact it was often his interaction with the people that Jesus used as the means to not only teach but also grow in his relationship with the disciples.
So what does this mean for us? Well let me ask it another way… what has God entrusted to us?
What is He asking us to be stewards of? People. Relationships. First with God, then each other and then with people who are not a part of the church—the body of Christ; as well as the rest of His creation. So For us to be good stewards we need to really know God. But not only through prayer and Bible study and small groups as vitally important as those are… we also need to go where Jesus is in the world around us… in the lives where Jesus is at work and waiting for us to show up and share in that work… in the schools, at work, with the folks in our community that we may not normally associate with… sharing with them what we’ve experienced of Jesus in our lives in the past and in the moment… inviting them along in our journey, our process of being formed into the character and nature of Jesus.
Loved ones… Discipleship is a gift… the gift of Jesus… not just knowledge about Jesus… but the living and transforming presence of his life being lived in us… God entrusts us with that gift so that we in thankful response to God can give it to others…
When we can live lives like that… then we will hear Jesus say… well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master.
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