What the Bible Really Tells Us by T. J. Wray

Author:T. J. Wray [WRAY, T. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4422-1293-0
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and if he begins to beat the other slaves, 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 that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful. That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required [emphasis mine]; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” (Luke 12:42–48)

This parable follows several warnings from Jesus to his followers to be watchful for the return of the Son of Man—or the Parousia (the Second Coming). Jesus equates faith with patient waiting and readiness, using as models the slaves who vigilantly await the return of their master from a wedding feast (Luke 12:35–38) versus the unexpected arrival of a thief in the night (Luke 12:39–40). Hence, it is clear that this parable is not really about sharing wealth at all, but about the Parousia. In other words, when Luke’s Jesus says, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded” (Luke 12:48), he is referring to the responsibility of leaders within the fledging Christian community. To them much has been given, and they are to continue Jesus’ work on his behalf as they wait and prepare for the coming of the Son of Man. This is, essentially, a call to responsible and loving discipleship. Of course, taken out of its present context, the verse does have a more universal application, but the original intention centers on the importance of leadership for those to whom much has been entrusted.

While this quote may have nothing to do with the obligations the rich have toward the poor, the New Testament does have a lot to say about this issue. It is clear that Jesus, a faithful and religious Jew, embraces the Hebrew Bible’s spirit of generosity: “Give to everyone who begs from you” (Matt 5:42). In the Gospels, this spirit of generosity centers on two central ideas: First, when we give, we receive. This basically means that generosity is not just an act of charity meant to help those in need, but it also is transformative and has beneficial effects for the giver.

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