“With great power comes great responsibility.” –Uncle Ben to Spiderman. Also, Jesus: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.”
You are a parent. You leave your teenage kids home for the weekend. You return home to a strong odor, a broken lamp, trash everywhere, a pile of dishes, and a hungry dog. While you were away, you entrusted your home and responsibilities to your people and it was abused and squandered.
Or– upon your return home, you’re greeted by a happy, healthy dog, trash cans emptied and brought back in from the curb, the smell of warm bread in the oven, happy siblings, and warm candlelight.
Once again Jesus has used a parable (a metaphorical story), that connects with the people he is among, to help teach them about the Kingdom of God. They are about to witness his death and endure his absence for a time. Jesus wants to equip them to be ready, to be watchful for God’s movement, and to be attentive to the work of the Kingdom in their waiting.
What’s more is that the hypothetical story above, of teenagers caring for the home while the owners are away, only begins to depict the abuses incurred by vulnerable people in Jesus’ example in Luke 12:41-48. Here, Jesus teaches that his leaders have a great responsibility, that abuses will be punished, and that our role in stewardship matters in this life and the next.
