Walking with Jesus Through His Word as Stewards

A Biblical Vision of Faithful Stewardship – Part 4

Jesus’ Plan for Stewardship

In earlier posts, we’ve discussed stewardship, the struggles stewards face, and our ultimate help in Jesus. Today, we consider the practical plan Jesus gives us: walking with him through his Word. (Thanks to Prof. Dennis Johnson for this phrase, copied from the title of his excellent book, Walking with Jesus Through His Word.)

Understanding Scripture with Jesus

After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to disciples on the road to Emmaus. He “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). This shows how the Old Testament points directly to Jesus—his suffering, death, resurrection, and glory (Luke 24:26-27).

St. Augustine said, “The New Testament lies concealed in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New.” This means every part of Scripture directs our attention toward Christ. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) describe who Jesus is and what he demands from us. Acts shows Jesus ruling by his Holy Spirit in the church. The Epistles explain how we apply the gospel in our daily lives, including stewardship.

God Owns Everything

In How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart highlight that Scripture’s overarching story is about stewardship. God owns the world and everything in it (Psalm 24:1). We are stewards—not owners. Our lives, possessions, and even our talents belong to God. Our role is to manage these faithfully for his purposes.

Faith, Repentance, and the Means of Grace

The Westminster Shorter Catechism explains our stewardship growth clearly. To grow as stewards, we need:

1. Faith in Jesus Christ: Trust Jesus, the perfect steward, who left us “an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
2. Repentance: Martin Luther wrote, “All of life is repentance.” Turn continually from selfishness, fear, and dishonesty toward contentment, honesty, and generosity. True repentance rests fully in Christ’s completed work.
3. Using the Means of Grace: Regularly read Scripture, pray, participate in the sacraments (Baptism, Lord’s Supper), and engage in the fellowship of your local church (Acts 2:42).

Final Encouragement

Follow this simple yet powerful plan. Grow faithfully in stewardship by walking closely with Jesus through his Word. By God’s grace, you will one day hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).

Note: Generative AI was used in creating this post. First, I made an audio recording of what I wanted to say. Then, I transcribed the audio using TurboScribe.ai. Finally, I transformed the transcript into a blog post using ChatGPT.