As Luke continues to discuss the present and future kingdom of God, his narrative begins to reach its climax (crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus). Luke emphasizes the growing conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities. In summary, Jesus proclaims those leaders to be very poor stewards who will reap the consequences of their owner-orientation. They do not like that charge or its implications.
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
• Recognize strong leadership skills through leaders in the Bible.
Read(new tab)/Listen(new tab) to Luke 20:9–19.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+20&&version=NIV
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Luke.20
While several of the parables and stories utilized in the course devotionals include some graphic outcomes of the failure to be ready and the resulting responsibility, this parable in Luke 20 is quite strong in its tone. The context for the parable is the religious leaders rejecting Jesus’ authority, his revelation of the kingdom of God, and his description of being a good steward in the kingdom. The larger narrative of the gospels suggests that many of the religious leaders have adopted an owner-orientation, even rationalizing their self-serving behaviors as being good. Yet, Jesus has continually pointed out their wrong perspectives and their hypocrisy (teaching one thing but doing something different). As we might expect, the religious leaders did not respond well to the private and public illumination of their true motives and behaviors. The story moves toward a crescendo with a decision by the religious leaders to kill Jesus.
In the midst of one of the intense exchanges between Jesus and the religious leaders, Jesus tells the parable we have read for this workshop. The parable is a picture of leaders entrusted (stewards) with the care of a kingdom (depicted as a vineyard in the story), who adopt a different reality (reject the true owner), misuse the resources, are unreliable, inappropriately direct their resourcefulness, and are not ready for the coming moment of responsibility – when they will have to give an account for being a poor steward. The religious leaders clearly understood that the story was directed towards them and claimed they are poor-stewards because following the parable they “looked for a way to arrest him immediately…” (New International Version Bible, 1973/1984, Luke 20:19).
Throughout its pages, the Bible articulates an important principle – the principle of reaping what you sow (cf. Job 4:8(new tab), Ps. 126:5(new tab), Ro. 6:22(new tab), 2 Cor. 9:6–7(new tab), Pr. 11:18(new tab); 22:8(new tab), Gal. 6:7(new tab)). Good stewards reap good for their organizations, their members, and the future. Poor stewards… well…
After you have read the passage, consider the following prompts:
1. Where do you continue to see good steward components such as reality, resources, readiness, reliability, resourcefulness, and responsibility?
2. As you think about your life and your work as a leader, in what ways have you “reaped what you sowed?” How have you seen others “reap what they sow?” What are the implications for leaders? Organizations?
3. If you have a perspective different from a Christian worldview, what does that perspective suggest about reaping as an important characteristic of leadership/stewardship?
4. As you consider reaping, in what ways have your attitudes and actions been more consistent with being an “owner” or “poor steward” versus being a “good steward?”
5. What are some initial ideas on how you could begin to make an owner/poor steward a good steward shift in those areas?