What did Jesus say about Stewardship?

⁴² “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?

⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.

⁴⁴ Truly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.

⁴⁵ But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and to be drunken,

⁴⁶ then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn’t expecting him and in an hour that he doesn’t know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful.

⁴⁷ That servant who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,

⁴⁸ but he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.

¹⁴ “For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them.

¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

¹⁶ Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

¹⁷ In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two.

¹⁸ But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.

¹⁹ “Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and settled accounts with them.

²⁰ He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents in addition to them.’

²¹ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

²² “He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents in addition to them.’

²³ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

²⁴ “He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter.

²⁵ I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’

²⁶ “But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter.

²⁷ You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.

²⁸ Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.

²⁹ For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.

³⁰ Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

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

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

¹⁴ But 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.

¹⁶ The 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.’

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

²¹ for 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 I will 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.

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

²⁴ He 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.

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

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.

⁴⁷ Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.

⁴⁸ But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’

⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,

⁵⁰ the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it and in an hour when he doesn’t know it,

⁵¹ and will cut him in pieces and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.

²³ Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

²⁴ When he had begun to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

²⁵ But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

²⁶ The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’

²⁷ The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

²⁹ “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’

³⁰ He would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay back that which was due.

³¹ So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.

³² Then his lord called him in and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

³³ Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’

³⁴ His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him.

³⁵ So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”

²² “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.

²³ Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

²⁴ Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!

²⁵ Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height?

²⁶ If then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?

²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

²⁸ But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith?

²⁹ “Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.

³⁰ For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.

³¹ But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.

³² “Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

³³ Sell what you have and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

³² “But of that day or that hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

³³ Watch, keep alert, and pray; for you don’t know when the time is.

³⁴ “It is like a man traveling to another country, having left his house and given authority to his servants, and to each one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch.

³⁵ Watch therefore, for you don’t know when the lord of the house is coming—whether at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning;

³⁶ lest, coming suddenly, he might find you sleeping.

³⁷ What I tell you, I tell all: Watch!”

⁹ “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time.

¹⁰ At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty.

¹¹ He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.

¹² He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him and threw him out.

¹³ The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’

¹⁴ “But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’

¹⁵ Then they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?

¹⁶ He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.”

¹⁷ “Then what is this that is written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the chief cornerstone’?

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust.”

¹ “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

² When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

³ He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

⁴ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way.

⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

⁶ About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’

⁷ “They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’

⁸ “When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’

⁹ “When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.

¹⁰ When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.

¹¹ When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,

¹² saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius?

¹⁴ Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.

¹⁵ Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’

¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

³⁹ “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness.

⁴⁰ You foolish ones, didn’t he who made the outside make the inside also?

⁴¹ But give for gifts to the needy those things which are within, and behold, all things will be clean to you.

⁴² But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and God’s love. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

⁴³ Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.

⁴⁴ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don’t know it.”

¹ “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the wine press, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country.

² When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard.

³ They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty.

⁴ Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.

⁵ Again he sent another, and they killed him, and many others, beating some, and killing some.

⁶ Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷ But those farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

⁸ They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹ What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.

¹⁰ Haven’t you even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner.

¹¹ This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’?”

¹¹ “A certain man had two sons.

¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them.

¹³ Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.

¹⁴ When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.

¹⁵ He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

¹⁶ He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.

¹⁷ But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger!

¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

¹⁹ I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

²⁰ “He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.

²¹ The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

²³ Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat and celebrate;

²⁴ for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶ He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on.

²⁷ He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’

²⁸ But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and begged him.

²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

³⁰ But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

³¹ “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

³² But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’”