Stewardship

1He also said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions.

2He called him, and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

3“The manager said within himself, ‘What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management position from me? I don’t have strength to dig. I am ashamed to beg.

4I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.’

5Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my lord?’

6He said, ‘A hundred batos of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’

7Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred cors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

8“His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are, in their own generation, wiser than the children of the light.

12He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

13He called ten servants of his, and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’

14But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’

15“When he had come back again, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business.

16The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’

17“He said to him, ‘Well done, you good servant! Because you were found faithful with very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’

18“The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, Lord, has made five minas.’

19“So he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’

20Another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief,

21for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn’t lay down, and reap that which you didn’t sow.’

22“He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn’t lay down, and reaping that which I didn’t sow.

23Then why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?’

24He said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina away from him, and give it to him who has the ten minas.’

25“They said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’

26‘For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.

27But bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.’”

1So let a man think of us as Christ’s servants, and stewards of God’s mysteries.

2Here, moreover, it is required of stewards, that they be found faithful.

10As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms.