The objective of this lesson: (1) to help students understand stewardship concerns focus in what you actually have and the ways you actually can serve, not on what you do not have and the ways you cannot serve; (2) to help students understand that stewardship issues are founded in a person's faith, attitudes, and heart, not merely on his or her use of material things.
A common Christian misunderstanding: stewardship is concerned about your use and management of material resources.
"What would you do if you won a million dollars?" "Let me tell you what I would do if I won a million dollars." How often have you imagined using the one million, five million, or ten million dollar grand prize of some well known sweepstakes? How many times have you 'daydreamed' about how you would use a large, unexpected sum of money? How many times have you listed [in your mind] all the good things you would do if you suddenly received a large, unexpected inheritance? Have you ever made this statement: "If I had the money, I would take care of 'X' need in the congregation."
Observation: A primary evidence of good stewardship to many Christians: "How I would use what I do not have [materially or opportunity] if I had it." It is easy to regard fantasized intentions to be of greater significance than actual actions or involvement.
It is amazing to consider what we would do with the money we do not have. It is amazing to consider how our priorities would change if we acquired a large amount of unexpected money. It seems we would use the money we do not have in ways that we infrequently use the money we do have. It seems if we had more than enough money, we would use the surplus differently than we use what we actually have.
Note to teachers: do not transform your class into a "bash" forum. The more we attack the problems that spiritually irritate us, the more closed our students' minds become. If the student feels personally attacked, he or she begins to react rather than think. Reactions trigger emotions. Sharing stimulates understanding. Understanding is the key to transformation.
Every person finds it natural and easy to "defend my present situation." The wrong perspective produced by self-justification often does not arise from evil intents. To challenge people to evaluate their old concepts of stewardship and advance new, biblical concepts of stewardship requires them to think in ways that are demanding and threatening. Use approaches that challenge students to think and evaluate for themselves rather than to react to indictments.
Perhaps the needs that we see overwhelm us. Perhaps they are so enormous we are convinced our help would be less than insignificant. "I am willing to do what I can, but what I can do will not make any real difference. The need still will be there."
Perhaps we are infected with the "sickness" of the American perspective. The typical perspective of the American culture is the "fix it" mentality. Most Americans believe there is a solution for every problem and a permanent fix for every needy situation. Commonly, Americans believe that solutions and fixes depend on money. The world's poor rarely consider permanent solutions or fixes. To the world's poor, such solutions and fixes do not exist. They think in terms of doing the possible at the moment of need. Most American Christians cannot reason from their perspective.
Perhaps we believe the significance and meaning of our actions depends on resolving a need or destroying a problem. If we cannot produce a permanent solution, we are powerless. So regret becomes the acceptable substitute for action. "I'm sorry," "I wish I could do something," and "I feel terrible about the situation" is justification for inactivity. "If I cannot destroy your hunger indefinitely, there is no point in feeding you a meal." "If I cannot destroy your indebtedness, I cannot help you with your immediate need." "Addressing the immediate situation is pointless because the same problem will reoccur next month."
Note to teachers: help your students follow the reasoning some Christians use to conclude good stewardship refuses to respond to "unfixable" needs. While some problems have enduring solutions, no solution "permanently fixes" any earthly need.
Perhaps the most curious justification for inaction is stewardship. The reasoning proceeds in the following manner. "God expects us to be good stewards. Any attempt to address this need would be wasteful. The problem exists because of evil, irresponsibility, and ignorance. Anything we do will not produce lasting results. Nothing will change. So, being good stewards, it is our Master's will that we do nothing."
Note to teachers: acknowledge openly, freely that Christian stewardship is a complicated responsibility. There are no simple, easy answers. When answers and responses are based on hearts and attitudes instead of systematic procedures, the situation will be complex. Most hostile reactions to stewardship responsibilities begin with emotional reactions.
Christian stewardship is a complex, complicated matter. Christians do not want to enable a person to continue [deliberately] a wicked practice. But, it is not the Lord's will for Christians to be void of compassion, kindness, and mercy. Jesus fed those who tried to exploit him (John 6) and healed those who did not even say thank you (Luke 17:11-19).
To begin to understand Christian stewardship, Christians need to understand Jesus' greatest priority and God's greatest concern: helping people. Christians need to understand that helping people involves material assistance but is not limited to material assistance. Whatever their form, material wealth and prosperity are unimportant to God. God created both. Unless a material gift expresses the will and heart of the person, God is unimpressed. Because God values people, God's steward values people.
Note to teachers: this lesson should bind all previous themes in this study together. We cannot understand stewardship unless we understand Jesus as a servant. We cannot understand stewardship unless we understand that we are servants. We cannot understand stewardship unless we understand that surrender is a natural aspect of servanthood.
The only thing people possess is their wills. Certainly, a good steward obeys his master. Certainly, a good steward yields to his master's authority. God's good steward gives his or her will to God by giving his or her heart to people [Matthew 25:31-46]. God's steward does what he or she can do for people.
The only thing that a person controls and has the power to give God is his or her will. Everything else already belongs to God. A person's will belongs to the person because God gave it to him or her.
Read Mark 12:38-44.
The disciples should "beware" of the scribes. The word "beware" is a word of warning. Warning is given to alert the person or persons to danger. The scribes were an important part of the Jewish religious system. First century Jews [as do we] believed scripture was the living word of God. They believed that it must be carefully, accurately preserved. The scribes [among other things] copied scripture in a careful, methodical manner to preserve it. Their copies replaced worn out copies and made new copies available. As a group, the scribes occupied a position of religious prominence and influence on the level of the Pharisees and the priests.
They paraded in long robes. They loved respectful greetings when they were in public. They coveted prestigious seats in religious assemblies. They coveted seats of honor at banquets.
They "devoured" [evicted widows to steal their homes] the homes of widows. To preserve appearances in the face of such evil and greed, they prayed long prayers. Note the purpose of the prayers was to preserve their religious position and appearance.
Jesus watched people give monetary gifts to support and maintain the temple and its sacrificial system. These gifts helped maintain the Jewish center of sacrificial worship. Maintaining the temple and that system was quite expensive. As an example, think about the actual expense of offering animal sacrifices for thousands of people a week and ten of thousands on a special day of worship. [One of the requirements for a person who converted to Judaism was a gift given to the temple. When a person who was not born to Jewish parents became a proselyte, he was required to give a gift to the temple.]
She contributed two small copper coins known as leptons. These were the smallest coins made. Two leptons had the value of one quadrans. The standard day's wage for an unskilled laborer was one silver denarius. One denarius [day's wage] had the value of 144 quadrans or 288 leptons. It took eight of the coins the widow gave to buy one loaf of bread. "All she owned" (verse 44) was two of those coins. We would say she gave nothing. Jesus said she gave all she had.
"Out of her poverty, she put in all she owned, all she had to live on [her whole livelihood]."
God's highest standard for acts of stewardship is sacrifice. The amount given is not God's greatest standard of stewardship. God's concept of stewardship makes it possible for a poverty stricken person to be a better steward than a prosperous person. A small amount given (1) with great trust in God and (2) in great personal sacrifice is of greater significance to God than a large amount that represents little sacrifice. Whether the amount [or the act] is large or small, the key measurement of stewardship is sacrifice.
Note to the teacher: emphasize that sacrifice is the highest standard of stewardship. Make the contrast between the scribe and the widow clear.
The contrast between the scribes and the widow is intentional. The scribes were among Israel's religious elite. They preserved scripture and safeguarded its integrity. Their work made them experts in the scripture. Jesus said [as a group] they were motivated by (1) a hunger for recognition and (2) greed.
The widow was part of a defenseless group. She lived in a male controlled society, and her husband was dead. She was defenseless, without power. Jesus said the religious, elite scribes [speaking of them as a group] stole defenseless widows' homes. They religiously compensated for their greedy deeds by offering long prayers.
There are several contrasts. The scribes wore fine clothing. The widow did not. The scribes held significant religious positions. The widow did not. The scribes were honored. The widow was not. The scribes were prominent in religious assemblies. The widow was not. The scribes [the experts who preserved God's word] were horrible stewards who would receive greater condemnation. This widow symbolized the trust in God necessary to be an exceptional steward. Her sacrifice expressed her stewardship.
Link to Student Guide Quarter 4, Lesson 7