Lesson 11: Stewardship 125
While each servant was given an amount commensurate with his
ability (25:15), all were commissioned with the same opportunity and
responsibility. Today’s disciples are to focus less on the exact amount
of money and instead recognize that they too are graciously stewarded
with incredible resources, abilities, giftedness, passions, experiences,
and time to be utilized by publically identifying with the name of their
Master and working to advance his kingdom. Though Jesus is physically
absent, he has invested gifts into his disciples and anticipates that those
disciples will utilize the gifts in his name for the advancement of his
kingdom.
A Habit of Stewardship Advances the Kingdom (Matthew 25:19–30)
25:19–30. Disciples should realize and anticipate Jesus’ accounting or
“settling,” a word only used in the Gospel of Matthew (25:19). The first
two servants demonstrated the results of their investment and both were
praised, not explicitly for their success, but for their faithfulness. The
significance is not the amount with which we start, but the faithfulness
with which we live according to what God has given us; and the extent
to which we employ our resources for the advancement of his kingdom.
Notice it was only the third servant who failed to use the word
“entrusted”, indicating he did not view the gift as an investment to be uti-
lized. The third servant accused the master and in doing so attempted to
shift blame and place responsibility for his failure on the absent master.
This servant failed in several ways. Perhaps he did not move forward out
of fear, laziness, or procrastination. Perhaps he misunderstood the true
character of the master or preferred to live according to his own agenda
rather than the priorities given by the master. Whatever the reasons,
he failed to identify with the master and when given an opportunity to
publically work on his behalf, the servant intentionally chose not to do
so. In the end he was condemned.
Can we identify with the third servant? If Jesus, our master, asked us
why we did not publicly identify with him and use our gifts to advance
his kingdom, what would be our reply? Highly effective disciples under-
stand they are gifted and are expected to develop the habit of stewardship
in order to advance the kingdom of God.