The Faithful and Sensible Steward: The Adventures of Alfred the Butler, part 2

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"And the Lord said, 'Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.'Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few." Luke 12: 42-48 NASB

Yesterday, we met Alfred the Butler and he returns today to help us with our lesson. 

Alfred, as you may remember, has worked for his employer for years. He's a steady, stiff, faithful butler. He anticipates his master's needs and meets them before the master has a chance to ask. Alfred is terrific and he loves being a butler. Alfred gets to dress up in a nice suit every day and sometimes he wears a tuxedo. He greets all the important people who come to visit his master. After all these years, Alfred knows many important people, too. Alfred's master likes gourmet food. Since it's as easy to cook for several as to cook for one or two, the cook prepares the same thing for Alfred as for the master. As a result, Alfred eats gourmet food every day. He lives in the master's mansion in his own quarters. Alfred has a cushy, interesting job. He works long hours, but what does that matter? Alfred is important.

Alfred has a problem. 

Earlier today, Alfred's master made an announcement. "Alfred, old boy, I'm giving you a promotion. I'm putting you in charge of grain distribution."

What? "Grain distribution, Sir? I'm not sure I understand." Surely not grain distribution, Alfred thinks. 

"Oh, yes, Alfred. I need someone to distribute grain to the workers. It's a big job but I know you can do it."

"Would I work in the warehouse?"

"Definitely, Alfred. I have a little apartment for you on the side of the warehouse. It's not much, but it has a ceiling fan and a space heater. The bed has a memory foam mattress. You'll be comfortable enough, I expect."

Memory foam? Alfred has grown accustomed to down, not foam. Ceiling fan? Space heater? It's been years since he lived without central air conditioning. This does not sound like a promotion. Is there gourmet food in a warehouse? Alfred thinks not.

"Could I think about it, Sir?"

"No thinking needed, Alfred. I've already decided. You start tomorrow."

Alfred stands at a crossroads. He has two choices. He can embrace the change, organize the grain, and establish a workable method of distribution. For today, that's the choice Alfred will make. 

"Well, Sir, this is quite a surprise. I never expected to work in the warehouse, but I trust you. You've always been a good master, so I accept this job. Let me get packed and I can start today if you'd like." 

"Good show, Alfred. That would be great. Let me know when you're ready, and I'll drive you myself." (Which is helpful because Alfred has always driven the master's car when needed and doesn't own a vehicle.)

Alfred hurries to his bedroom. He looks around the lovely room, sits once more on the bed with the down comforter, and gathers his thoughts. "I will do my best," he decides. Alfred pulls out his suitcase and begins to pack. He puts his silk pajamas and robe in the case, his underwear and toiletries. Alfred reaches into the closet for his suits. I don't guess I'll wear suits in the warehouse, but it's all I have. He folds the suits and his butler aprons and puts them in the bag, too. 

When the suitcase is full, he adds a few family photos, closes the bag and goes downstairs to his new life. "I'm ready when you are, Sir."

"Great, Alfred. Let's get going."

As the car enters the parking lot, a crowd is milling about. Everyone in the crowd is thin. Some are holding their stomachs. The children are crying. He notices one mother holding hands with two little girls. They are all terribly thin. Nothing but skin and bones, Alfred thinks. The children are crying. Tears trickle down the mother's cheeks, too. Someone needs to fatten those children up. They look hungry. 

At the warehouse, Alfred is shocked. The last grain supervisor must've been a slacker. The warehouse is dirty and in disarray. Alfred runs his finger along a counter and lifts it for a look. Black slime. Now I see why master wanted a new supervisor. The bags of grain are jumbled haphazardly and some have been gnawed by mice. Grain is spilling on the floor. This is such a waste. No wonder there are children starving.

Alfred stands at the entrance to the warehouse and looks across the vast room. There is filth and waste everywhere he looks. "It wasn't vandals who did this. It was the master's own employees who did it," Alfred realizes. They didn't take their job seriously. 

They should've gone to butler school. Then they'd have known better. 

Alfred is right, isn't he? It's not the master's enemies who have made such a mess of things. It was his employees. The waste and destruction is all because they failed to be faithful in the one job entrusted to them. Distributing grain.

When we fail to be faithful in the work to which God has called us, it has far-reaching consequences for those who depend on that work to be done. People perish without it, sometimes physically and sometimes spiritually.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." (Matt. 28:19)
"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much..." (Luke 16:10)

To what work has God called us? How are we making a difference in the kingdom? What is the result of our work left undone? 

For today, let's ask God to show us where we've been unfaithful and help us to see the results of our failure, then ask His forgiveness and get started, doing the work that must be done.

~~~~~~~

Almighty God, forgive us for our failure to be faithful. Help us to see the tasks to which You have called us and to be faithful to the work You have for us to do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Faithful and sensible steward: The parable of Alfred the Butler

"And the Lord said, 'Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.'" Luke 12: 42-43 NASB

So far in this series, we've studied faithful and sensible servants, sharing the nourishment of obedience as we "feed my sheep." and healing broken hearts (those of the people around us) as one of the objectives of our service.Yesterday, we looked at the job of dispensing the grain. (Click the links to read the previous posts in this series.) 

Today, we are taking another little segue to talk about a literary technique. It's the idea of showing versus telling. 

Yesterday was a busy day and I had less time to work on my novel than I'd planned. I'm trying to polish it before it goes to the editor, and it's harder work than you might think. Late yesterday afternoon, I reached a difficult section. It was the very first part I'd written back in November. As I scanned it for corrections, I realized it was two pages of telling, not showing. The entire section has to be rewritten. 

I looked at my words, calculated how long it would take to fix it, and wondered if the editor would catch it if I left it. Duh. Of course he will. It has to be changed. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I left it for today. (I'm dreading the fix. Can you tell?)

In "telling", a chunk of information is relayed in narrative form. Example: He had a car wreck. In showing, the information is relayed in a way that can be visualized. Example: Jack's eyes scanned the road. A deer stood in the median. Please stay there. Don't run. He glanced back at his speedometer. 68 mph. Too fast if the deer started into the road. Jack hit his brakes, but not fast enough. The deer dashed for the pasture on the other side. No way to miss it. Jack jerked the steering wheel to the right. The car swerved. He slammed on brakes again and the car began to skid. Spin... 

You get the idea, don't you? We know a lot more information about the car wreck if I show you by describing the events that transpired. 

It's the way Jesus taught. He used parables to show, rather than simply tell. He told stories in such a way that His listeners could imagine them as they unfolded, imagine themselves in the midst of the story. It made the truth more palatable. He could ask questions about the people in His story and His listeners could recognize truth without being hammered by harsh words. The truth He shared was not diminished by His stories, but made easier to understand and harder to forget.

This little parable doesn't have all the visual impact of the story of the Good Samaritan, but I can see it in my mind's eye. For some reason, the servant I see is a stereotypical English butler. We'll call him Alfred. 

Alfred is meticulous about his suit. It's always perfectly pressed without a speck of lint or dirt. His shirt is snowy white with heavy starch. His shoes are free of scuffs and polished to a shine. 

Alfred arises before dawn to have coffee ready for his master when he awakens. He hears the sound of running water. My master is awake. He puts coffee into a carafe, then places the carafe, a mug, and napkin on a tray, and carries it up stairs. He knocks on the master's door. "Sir, are you ready for your coffee?" 

He anticipates every need. (I won't take the time to show how he meets the needs. I'll tell to save time, but you've seen Alfred, so you can imagine it.) Stiff Alfred the butler spends his entire day anticipating his master's needs, responding to his wishes. He stays up long hours after his master goes to bed, preparing for the next day. 

* * *

(three asterisks indicates a scene change) 

Alfred is a hard worker and his master appreciates it. He needs someone to help him with an important task. Master says to himself, "I want someone I can count on," and he thinks of Alfred. Alfred is dependable and a hard worker. He has never let his master down.

"I'll promote Alfred," the master decides, so he calls for his butler. "Alfred, I've made a decision. You're such a good worker, I've decided to promote you. I want you to hand out the grain to my other workers."

* * *

"Hand out grain?" That doesn't sound like a promotion. That sounds terrible. Arthur can't believe it. Haven't I done a good job? Haven't I worked long and hard? Now I have to hand out the grain?

You get the idea, don't you? Alfred, a household servant who's had close access to his master for years is not at all sure he wants a job in the warehouse (where the grain is kept) doing manual labor (moving the bags of grain, distributing the food). He's not at all sure about wearing coveralls and work boots (he's always worn a suit). Life is about to change, and Alfred is not sure it's for the better.

What Alfred can't see is that his master is giving Alfred the work that matters most. The master is happy to have coffee first thing in the morning, but he is most concerned that the people who work for him have the food they need to stay strong and healthy. He can't trust that job to just anyone. Only the most reliable person will do. Only Alfred.

Alfred sees how hard the work will be, how different his life will be. 

The master knows how strong his workers will be if they have the food they need. He knows how much they will accomplish. He's going on a trip, but when he returns, he has a big reward for Alfred. He's not going to mention the reward to Alfred. Not yet. It's a surprise.

Alfred stands at a crossroads. He can embrace the new work with joy and throw himself into it with the same precision and enthusiasm of his butler work, or he can seethe in anger that the job is not the one he wanted. He can be a good steward of the grain, distributing it carefully and correctly, or do a slipshod job, taking advantage of the opportunity to skim grain and selling it for a profit on the black market.

Which will he do? We'll talk more about Alfred tomorrow.

For today, let's consider how we would feel in Alfred's place. God has something for each of us to do. It may not be as attractive a job as the one we envisioned for ourselves, but it is no less important to God. The attitude with which we embrace the work God gives us determines the quality of the work we do. 

How's our attitude?

I'm a better servant when I serve with joy. I'm a better servant when I serve from love.

How well are we serving? What changes do we need to make?

~~~~~~~

Our Father, forgive us for our unwillingness to serve you in difficult circumstances. Help us to embrace the job you have for us and to serve with a cheerful heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Faithful and Sensible Steward: Delivering the Grain

"And the Lord said, 'Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.'" Luke 12: 42-43 NASB

We've spent the last few days on these two verses. Jesus is looking  for faithful and sensible servants. We've learned that "giving rations" is a little like "feed my sheep." Doing the will of the Father was nourishment to Jesus and it should be to us, as well. Yesterday, we learned that healing broken hearts (those of the people around us) should be one of the objectives of our service.(Click the links to read the previous posts in this series.) 

Today, we turn to the task of the steward who is put in charge. Usually, the one who is in charge assigns the jobs and those "under" him do the work. In Jesus' hierarchy, it's exactly opposite. In the Kingdom of God, the one in charge does the work. 

Sitometrion is a Greek word translated here as "their rations" and is used only once in Scripture. It literally means "a measured portion of grain." The one given authority by Jesus is not moved into a position distant from the people he serves. Jesus gives authority that moves us closer to the people we serve. 

In Jesus' system of administration, a promotion is to the front lines of service, not to a lofty corner office. He promotes to handing out grain, not handing down edicts. 

It's a surprising system, isn't it?

I like the corner office. I prefer the big promotion that allows manicured nails and well-tailored suits.

The problem with the corner-office promotion is that it provides an additional layer, or two or three, from the very work that earned us the promotion, from the people we intended to serve. We end up serving more paperwork (even if digitally) than persons.

Are we serving Jesus in "front line" ways? Are we touching lives up close or living a remote, lofty kind of faith that is isolated from the people we were called to serve? 

When I give God my hands, He uses them in the most unexpected ways. It rarely ever requires a nice manicure to accomplish His work.

If we are faithful servants of Christ, we should be present with the people we serve.

Let's take a careful look at the service we give to our Lord. Are we serving as "ration givers" or not? Are we delivering the bread of life to those around us? If not, why not?

We have a personal, one-on-one God who knows us intimately and loves us anyway. We can do no less than serve as He served, love as He loved.

~~~~~~~

Dear Father, forgive us for giving more than serving, for serving ourselves more than those in need. Help us to have servants hearts. Make us servants to those You love. In Jesus' name, Amen.