The Wicked Stewards

And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty" (v. 3).

  Not everyone who takes an oath of faithfulness proves faithful. The Bible presents many examples. Some of them are heart-breaking. Absolom turned on his father, David. Judas gave up on Jesus and sold him for the price of a slave. Demas forsook his ministry team because "he loved this present world." But the Bible has its humor. Acts 19 tells the story of the sons of Sceva. They claimed to be doing God's work by driving out evils spirits, but even the evil spirits were not convinced. "And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded" (Acts 19:16).

  Claiming to act as a steward is a serious matter, especially when you claim to be acting in the name of Jesus. The tenants in this parable agreed to give the landowner his due share, but in the end, selfishness changed their plan. Unimaginable evil followed. And their actions brought the tenants to ruin.

  It is better to be a heathen than an unfaithful servant of God! (Gordon L. Snider)