"As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." [1 St. Peter 4:10] It was probably around the end of the year 65. The blessed apostle, St. Peter, writes in a critical time at Rome to the churches for which he is responsible. The Christians at Rome have begun to experience the growing threat persecution during the time of the emperor Nero - a persecution that will likely spread to other parts of the empire, such as Asia Minor, as well. St. Peter writes to encourage his sisters and brothers to be faithful stewards - to let the trials they face purify their faith. Still fresh in his mind is the life-changing reality of the days so long age which he spent with Jesus - a reality kept fresh and alive by his continuing experience of the risen and ascended Lord in the ongoing life of the Church.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, He left His disciples with the vision of continuing the work which He Himself had begun. And He left them with the promise that they would be " endued with power from on high" for the accomplishing of that work. Jesus had said: "Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry; ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." And then, He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And while He was in the very act of blessing them, He was carried up into heaven.
Time and again Jesus had told them, and anyone who would listen, that what He did was not of His own accord. For Jesus, His entire life and ministry had been about doing the Father's work and will. He had been their model and example of being a "good steward of the manifold grace of God," and now He was entrusting His disciples with essentially the same vocation and ministry. They too were to center their lives on doing the Father's work and will. They too were to be "good stewards of the manifold grace of God."
Like Jesus, St. Peter points out, one who is a good steward of the manifold grace of God sees the Church and its ministries as essentially belonging to God, ordered by God, and accountable to God. A steward may have his or her own personal opinion about many things, but that must not affect one's stewardship.
For example, I may have many seemingly good ideas about how church should be done or about how life should be lived, but none of them have preeminence over the ways of God or the purpose of God for the ministry with which His Church has entrusted me. You may hear some of my "good ideas" over a cup of coffee in the kitchen or sitting on the sidewalk in front of McCreary’s, but they have little or no place in the pulpit.
Throughout His life, Jesus was pointing people to the Father, reminding them of the Father's will and the Father’s ways, repeating over and over and over again the Father's word. Like Jesus, the Church does not speak on the basis of its own authority, but rather is called to present to her members and to the world a continuing "thus saith the Lord." To the extent that the Church is faithful in so doing, to that extent the Church is faithful in its stewardship of the manifold grace of God - to that extent the Church is obedient to the commission of its risen and ascended Lord.
On the other hand to that extent that the Church presents to her members and to the world a continuing "thus saith the Church," to that extent, the Church is an unfaithful steward of the manifold grace of God, and to that extent it is disobedient to the commission entrusted to the Church by her Lord.
A similar principle applies in our individual discipleship. To the extent that any of us are able to proclaim "Thus saith the Lord" - whether by thought, word, or deed - to that extent we are individually "good stewards of the manifold grace of God." To the extent that we proclaim, by thought, word, or deed "thus saith me," again, to that extent we are unfaithful and poor stewards of the manifold grace of God.
There have always been times of trail and times of testing for God's people. It is just as true in our day as it was in St. Peter's day. There is a popular deception widespread in our time - a deception whose author is Satan - a deception which would have us refrain - both as individuals and as Church - from any proclamation of "thus saith the Lord." This deception lies behind all those actions that would put folks like us out of the synagogues. This deception - in whatever form it might take and from whatever voice it might use - this deception would have us act as if it were somehow presumptuous for us to proclaim "thus saith the Lord." "How can you presume to speak for God?" the deceiver asks us. We are so frequently caught off guard in our response. Yet the mandate is clear: "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God: if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified..." [1 St. Peter 4:11] A pretty clear, straightforward, uncomplicated mandate; yet the enemy does not usually let us off the hook. Through our minds may well flow such thoughts as "You certainly don't have the gift, the talent, the ability, etc." The words of St. Peter break through this deception: "As every man hath received the gift . . ." The Greek word that St. Peter uses is ÷áñéóìá - a gift originating in God's grace. Who has received the gift? Everyone! Every member of the Body of Christ has received the gift. Talents, abilities, training - these are not the issue here. What is important is that one's gift be employed for God's purpose. For when our gift is employed for God’s purpose - and every time it is - God is glorified. Freely we have received. Freely we are to give. Every time our gift is offered freely and ungrudgingly, God is glorified and God's people are edified.
At the end of this month I shall conclude my sixth year as your Rector here at Holy Cross. Jeanne and I feel that this has been a very blessed season in our life, and we want to thank all of you for your love and support during this time.
Today’s Scripture readings bring to mind some things for reflection as we look back over this time and as we look ahead to what Our Blessed Lord may have in store for us. This might well be an appropriate and propitious time for all of us to consider the faithfulness of our stewardship of the manifold grace of God - both individually and as Church - a time for us to reflect upon the gift and upon our relationship with the Giver of the gift.
"As everyone has received the gift . . ." - I may well ask, "What is my gift? How am I doing in terms of ministering that gift to others? To what extent is my gift, my life being poured out for others? What portion of my thoughts, words, deeds are done as ‘oracles of God’ and as the ministry of God? What portion of my thoughts, words, and deeds are simply my agenda, my plan, my will? And how does my agenda, my plan and my will correlate with that of God?"
"As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."
