Stewardship: A Defining Image
Dr. Jim Wilson, October 18, 2009 Sometimes significant learnings happen to us in totally unexpected ways. Let me tell you about one such happening. As a part of my doctoral program, our group chose a class on preaching. Dr. John Buchanan, who was and still is, the senior pastor at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, was to be the professor. Fourth Presbyterian is one of the largest and most prestigious Presbyterian churches in the country. Dr. Buchanan is frequently recognized as one of the leading preachers in the United States. Besides leading his flock of some seven thousand members, Dr. Buchanan is a leader in the denomination, having served as its Moderator, a highly regarded writer and one of the “movers and shakers” in the city. I confess that while I had not met John prior to the class, I had formulated an image of him, as a “tall steeple” pastor. John loves art and frequently refers to works of art in his sermons. Consequently, he planned a trip for the class to the Art Institute to view a special exhibit. Not only did he arrange for the visit, he also arranged for our dinner at a fine restaurant, and, perhaps most telling, transported us from Hyde Park in the church van. I was taken back by all he did. On the last night of the class, John invited us to the church for dinner. I commented to one of John’s associates about how surprised I was at all he had done for us and I thought that he would have assigned such mundane duties to one of the associates. She laughed and said, “John is first and foremost a servant. That is how he understands his ministry.” My image of John Buchanan underwent a redefinition. It seems to me that is what Jesus is doing in this story Mark tells us. He is providing us with a defining image of what it means to be a leader among God’s people, one that just might redefine our notions of leadership. Jesus and the Twelve are still on their way to Jerusalem. Jesus has just told the disciples for a third time that he would suffer and die at the hands of the religious authorities. And for a third time, the disciples don’t get it. You will remember that when Jesus first predicted his passion, Peter objected and rebuked him. And when Jesus offered a second prediction of his suffering and death, the disciples got into an argument about who is the greatest. Now after a third and more detailed prediction of his passion, John and James approach Jesus on the sly and ask, “Teacher, we want you to do a favor for us.” Can you believe it? So self-serving and so oblivious to what Jesus has said! Ever so patiently, Jesus replies, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they answer, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left in glory!” Unbelievable! Jesus tells them he is going to suffer and be killed and they respond as if he were a politician handing out patronage jobs! Incredible! Totally incredible!! Do you ever stop to wonder how Jesus felt when he heard their request, when for a third time his most intimate followers fail to understand what he is saying and seem so out of touch with what is going on? It borders on sick humor or tragic comedy. Yet, instead of chastising James and John, Jesus once again attempts to instruct them. He replies, “You really do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” The metaphors of the cup and baptism are First Testament images for the cup of wrath and the baptism of the flood, signs of the tribulation prior to the Messiah’s coming. In essence what Jesus is asking is, “Are you able to suffer as I will suffer and die as I will die?” The question is meant to force James and John to confront reality. I doubt that Jesus expected them to answer. Nevertheless, answer they did. “We are able,” they reply, without hesitation and, I suspect, without knowing what they were saying. Jesus looking at them, knowingly, says, “Indeed, you will share my cup and my baptism, but to sit at my right hand or my left in glory is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.” In other words, Jesus is saying, “Yes you will suffer and die as I will, but the places in glory are not the result of ambition. You cannot elbow your way to the top in God’s New Order.” When the other Ten catch wind of what James and John are up to, they are hot, but not necessarily for the best of reasons. They are hot not because James and John so tragically ignored Jesus’ words, but because they got their claims for position and power in ahead of the rest. Their anger had to do with a clash of ambitions, not concern for Jesus. The Ten had been outmaneuvered and they were not happy. Jesus, as he so often does, seizes the moment and attempts to teach the disciples about life in God’s New Order. This time it is about greatness and leadership among God’s people. He sets a stark contrast between how the world perceives greatness and how greatness is perceived in God’s Kingdom. “You know that among the Gentiles,” says Jesus, “those whom they recognize as their rulers, lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you, must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” Jesus offers a defining image of what it means to be a leader, what it means to be a disciple---the image of a servant leader, an image which turns upside down the perceptions and values of the world. He adds, this vision can now be realized for the faithful because he himself has come to serve and offer his life as a ransom for all; that is, as the means by which the faithful are set free from the world’s values and measures, standards and power structures. I would suggest that it is this defining image of a servant leader that we take away from this story. Such an image stands in stark contrast to our customary image of a leader---as those who are in control, all powerful, demanding, tough-minded, hard-nosed; those who either have worked their way or elbowed their way to the top. Such images are the product of our culture, a culture that teaches us to look out for “Number One,” to be competitive at all times, to achieve at all costs, and rewards those who do with material gifts, prestige, and positions of power. Jesus calls us to another way---“…whoever would be great among you (read leader), must be your servant.” I believe this image defines us in at least two ways. First, it defines how we lead in the Christian Community. We lead by taking on the role of a servant. We follow Jesus and walk in his ways. However, this does not mean we are powerless or weak or without authority, any more than Jesus was. Being a servant is not assuming the role of a victim. In fact, being a servant means being connected to the greatest power there is---the gracious love of God and being grounded in the ultimate authority---the liberating and transforming Word of Christ Jesus. The Christian leaders that have impacted my life, people such as St. Paul, Augustine, Luther, Wesley, Barth, Bonhoeffer, John XXIII, Mother Theresa, Archbishop Tutu, Dr. King, are all people who knew how to use power and to speak and act with authority. But they were servants first. No one would accuse any of them of being weak or passive. However, and this is critical, they used power to empower others and authority to authorize others, not for personal gain. And that is what makes the difference. I also have known many ordinary Christian disciples who were leaders, who occupied positions of power in the corporate world or in the world of education, medicine, law, business, some in this very congregation who were or are servant leaders. These are persons who lived their faith. I am grateful for their witness. It speaks to all of us as we seek to become servant leaders. A story is told about Edward Grubb, a well-known 19th Century English Quaker who was visiting Rufus Jones, one of America’s great Quaker preachers. Every night, in typical British fashion, Mr. Grubb placed his boots outside his bedroom door to be cleaned and polished. Since there were no servants in the Jones’ household, Rufus Jones, without a word, took his guest’s boots each night, cleaned them and returned them to their place outside the bedroom door. As he prepared to leave, Edward Grubb said to Jones, “Rufus, here is a dollar. Would you please give it to the servant who cleaned my boots?” Tactfully, Jones replied, “Yes, Edward, I will see that he gets it.” Rufus Jones knew the defining image. It expressed his discipleship and his greatness as a Christian leader. This brings us to the second way the defining image defines who we are. I believe it defines us as stewards or trustees of God’s gifts. Biblically speaking, a steward is one who oversees the Master’s “house” (oikumene) which could be simply a house, or and estate or a business. The steward directs the household servants, controls the household finances and manages the Master’s property. The steward is not the owner of the house, but oversees its workings on behalf of the Master, ensuring that all is being used appropriately and in ways the Master intends. Later, bishops of the church were designated as “stewards,” overseers of God’s “House.” Not long after that, each and every Christian was considered a steward of all that God had given, as stewards Christians were charged with the faithful use of God’s gifts as a grateful response to God’s generosity---hence the concept of stewardship. Again, the defining image of a servant leader speaks to us as it reminds us of how God has blessed us so generously and called us to serve, to share these gifts that other lives might be transformed. What might this mean for you and me? I think it might mean that when we wake up each morning, our first question is not, “What do I have to do today?” but rather, “How can I serve today that someone will come to know Christ Jesus’ love?” It might mean when we review our financial situation, the question is not, “How can I earn more so I can have more?” but rather, “How can I share what God has given me so others might have enough?” It might mean when we consider our discipleship the primary question will not be, “What do I believe?” but rather, “Whom will I follow?” God’s gracious generosity creates generous hearts and generous hearts serve to transform lives. That is the defining image! Last week I came across a story about a woman who found a stack of checks all made out to a person named “Stacy.” With the checks was a bank deposit slip for something more that $3000. Rather than searching for Stacy, the woman simply to the checks to the band and deposited them in Stacy’s account. She told the teller that no doubt a woman would soon come into the bank upset over losing checks and he should tell her that they had been found and deposited. She also asked the teller to give Stacy a note which read, “Hi Stacy, I found your checks and deposited them in your account. I don’t know if you take the train to work in the morning, but if you do you may have noticed the homeless man who sits near the station each day. If you would like to express thanks for your checks being found, please pass on a good deed and buy him a bagel and cup of coffee tomorrow morning. A friend.” That was Tuesday. The homeless man was seen enjoying a cup of coffee and a bagel Wednesday morning, and Thursday morning, and Friday morning. Gracious generosity creates generous hearts and generous hearts serve to transform lives. Being a faithful steward is expressing the defining image. And so the image defines you and me as servant leaders and as faithful stewards of all that God has given. In response, may our lives bear witness to this defining image. Thanks be to God! Amen! |
