We each are called upon to be stewards with all that God has bestowed upon us. In ancient kingdoms it would be the job of the steward to oversee the Kingdom in the absence of the King. Whenever the King would return the steward would then be expected to give a full accounting for everything that took place in the king's absence. A steward would also be expected to run the daily affairs of the kingdom. Despite all of the authority that was given to Him we must remember that he did not own the Kingdom, but instead he was only a servant for the king's needs. Scripture is filled with stories of stewards: Abram had a steward named Eliezer and even Joseph was named the steward for Pharaoh. We can also trace back to the beginning when Adam and Eve were given dominion over all of creation. In this passage they and all of their descendants are being called upon by God to be good stewards of all that God has created. For this reason God will account for our own stewardship as the King expects this same accounting from his steward during his absence.
So what exactly is the stewardship that is expected of us from God? From Proverbs 16:14 we are told: "The Lord has made everything for its purpose." This is the very way that we are able to live out the stewardship that is excepted from us. We are to take all of God's creation and in return use it for its proper purpose. We must remember that in the Garden all was created good, but sin entered into the world because something good was not used for its proper purpose. Every time that we commit sin we follow this same pattern because we take something that is good such as sex or the need to eat and we twist it away from its proper purpose. In these moments we cannot say that we have been good stewards of what God has given to us because we have not used our many possessions for its proper purpose. Stewardship calls us to give of our time, treasure, and talent while properly using everything that we have for its true purpose.
This is the problem that lies with the steward who is found inside of our Gospel. Instead of going out and using all that was at his disposal for its true purpose, he did the opposite. He squandered what was given to him by the King and therefore when he was asked to give an accounting He was found to be inadequate at his role of being a steward. Nevertheless, all hope was not lost for this man because he was able to realize that his wealth could not save him and therefore in all his future dealings with these people he was willing to sacrifice his wealth in order to be saved. He realized that if he continued to walk down the path that he was currently upon that there would come an hour when he would be cast off from the king's midst and therefore he was finally moved towards a conversion of heart. This conversion required him to see the many ways that he was unable to properly order everything in his life after its true purpose.
We should think of the many ways that we can become a better steward with all that God entrusted with us. Stewardship always respects the vocation that we find ourself within. If you are married and have children there is the obligation to teach the faith to your children in order that it may be handed on to them. We must also be concerned with being true disciples who faithfully live the Gospel message and are willing to bring it into the world through evangelization. We must also have a concern for creation where we are willing to speak up for the importance of life and why it must always be respected. We must also be concerned with the well being of the Church and be willing to offer our time, talent, and treasure for her well being. We must also look into the many activities that we participate within and the many items that we own and ask if these impede upon our ability to truly love God and to be properly ordered towards Him.
Today may we be willing to see the urgency that lays before us because we have all been called to be stewards. Due to this fact there will also come an hour of great urgency when we will have to account for our own stewardship to the Father who reigns in Heaven. When this time comes may we not be found squandering the many gifts that God has given to us, but instead may we be found faithful in our desire to give proper glory to God by allowing everything that we do to be properly ordered to Him. May we also remember that God's mercy is infinite if we so desire it to enter into our life, as the steward was willing to do, when he truly began to act as a steward of the king's kingdom. May he be our example as we become faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted with us.
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