Good Disciple Makes a Great Steward

Let’s begin by saying that discipleship precedes stewardship. Before God entrusts us with responsibilities, ministries, possessions, or the care of others, He first calls us to become faithful disciples. A good steward, therefore, is first and foremost a good disciple. In the first reading, St. Paul speaks about his responsibility to preach the Gospel. He describes this mission as a stewardship entrusted to him by God. Paul does not boast about his ministry because he understands that the Gospel is not his possession; it is a gift entrusted to him for the salvation of others. His response is one of humility, sacrifice, discipline, and love. Although he is free, he makes himself “a slave to all” so that he might win others for Christ. His stewardship flows from his discipleship. Paul also compares Christian life to an athletic race. An athlete exercises discipline, trains, and keeps his eyes on the prize. Likewise, a disciple must continually allow Christ to form his heart, attitudes, desires, and actions. We cannot be faithful stewards of God’s gifts if we have not first learned to be faithful followers of Christ. Stewardship requires discipline because everything we have ultimately belongs to God. In the Gospel, Jesus warns us about blindness and hypocrisy. “Can a blind person guide a blind person?” He then tells us to remove the wooden beam from our own eyes before attempting to remove the splinter from our brother’s eye. This is a powerful lesson for every steward. We cannot guide others where we have not allowed Christ to guide us. We cannot effectively correct, teach, lead, or serve others while refusing to allow the Lord to correct and transform us. Jesus therefore reminds us that the disciple must first be formed by the Master: “No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.” The goal of discipleship is to become like Christ. And when we become more like Christ, our stewardship becomes more Christ-like marked by humility, compassion, patience, sacrifice, forgiveness, and love. A good disciple makes a great steward because the disciple knows that ministry is not about self-glorification but about serving God and His people. Whether we serve in the parish, care for our families, teach children, visit the sick, give generously, or use our professional gifts for the good of others, we are stewards of what God has entrusted to us.