“With great power comes great responsibility.”
Though Peter Parker does not know it at the time, these are the final words he will ever hear from his Uncle Ben. Initially, these words frustrate Peter, causing him to storm out of Uncle Ben’s car. He does not want to face the truth they contain.
His refusal to do so ultimately ends in tragedy.
Later that night, Peter is wronged by a wrestling promoter who fails to pay him for his time in the ring. Moments later, when a thief holds up the promoter, Peter deliberately fails to stop him. He escapes into the night. Later, Uncle Ben is killed by the same thief.
Peter’s refusal to do the right thing and stop the thief – something he had the power to do – results in personal tragedy. Everyone – Peter included – suffers from his unwillingness to responsibly use his superpowers to help others.
Jesus tells a similar story about the importance of responsibly using one’s personal power for the good of others – and the dangers of failing to own up to this responsibility.
Jesus’ Servant Stories, Part 2
After instructing his disciples in the previous parable (Luke 12:35-40) to be steadfast and ready servants, Jesus now calls them to a lifetime of responsible service for the good of others.[1] He does this through another servant story (Luke 12:41-48) that focuses on the role of the chief servant – the “household manager” – and not just servants in general.
The household manager was the chief steward of the master’s possessions.[2] He supervised the household and administrated the master’s business affairs, and therefore, he was chosen for his faithfulness and prudence. Being in charge of the master’s household made him responsible for the welfare of the other servants. His role was “to direct the affairs of the other slaves, to see they did their work, but also to serve their needs.”[3] He was both the leader and nurturer of the other servants.[4] The household manager had the unique role of being responsible to those above him (the master) and those below him (the servants) in authority. “He could not be faithful to one while being abusive to the other.”[5]
Despite his responsibilities within the household and to the other servants, the manager remained a man under authority. Both the “household manager” and the “slaves” were equally subject to the master. This is most obvious in the master’s reprimands to both the manager (oikonomos) and the slaves (doulos) (Luke 12:46-48a).
Faithful and Unfaithful Servants
Jesus pronounces a blessing on the faithful and prudent manager who responsibly and wisely uses his power for the benefit of the master and the good of the slaves (Luke 12:42-44). Everyone benefits from the moral integrity of the faithful manager, who does what is right when supervised and unsupervised. The faithful manager truly embodies the master’s goodness and demonstrates it by his care for others on behalf of his lord. This faithfulness is rewarded with even more responsibility and greater authority.
The unfaithful manager does not embody the master’s goodness (Luke 12:45). He cares only for himself. The delay of the master exposes his flawed character. He is only faithful and prudent when supervised. In his master’s absence, he reveals his true colors. He is not committed to the responsible use of his power for the good of others. When the master is away, he uses his authority to hurt others and help himself. His arrogance, self-indulgence, and wastefulness are exposed for all to see.
Neither ready nor responsible, the master’s unexpected return brings extreme punishment: the master “cuts him in pieces” (Luke 12:46b). The Greek word, dichotomein, literally means to “cut him in two.” The unfaithful manager is dismembered!
The punishment is extreme because the behavior is extreme. The unfaithful manager’s complete self-centeredness and disregard for others does not reflect the master’s goodness. Responsible household managers do not violently strike others. This is the behavior of Gentile kings, not servant leaders. The manager selfishly indulges in excess – gorging on food and wallowing in drunkenness.[6] He behaves as selfishly as the “rich fool” (Luke 12:19) but “with the added note of excess (methuskein) rather than enjoyment (euphrainein).”[7] His punishment fits the crime.
The Many Faces of Unfaithfulness
In meting out punishments for unfaithfulness, Jesus reveals how different levels of responsibility result in various gradations of penalties for failure. Though these chastisements shock our modern sensibilities, they accurately reflect the cultural norms of ancient societies. Unlike a free person, a slave was susceptible “to all forms of interrogation, even torture, by the master, who was able to take justice into his own hands.”[8] Outright disobedience by those who certainly know better results in dismemberment. There is no mercy for the merciless (Luke 12:46). Those who know what the master expects but are disobedient receive “a severe beating” (Luke 12:47). Those who do not know the master’s expectations but still disobey receive “a light beating” (Luke 12:48a).[9]
The general principle behind the master’s expectations is simple: “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded” (Luke 12:48b). Put simply, “the greater the gift given, the greater the responsibility and the greater the judgment.”[10]
There are only two ultimate responses to God’s gifts: faithful and unfaithful. The faithful expression is simple and uncomplicated. A faithful servant responsibly uses his or her gifts for the good of others at all times because they seek to faithfully represent the goodness of the master. They do not serve merely for their own purposes, but for the benefit of the master and the good of fellow servants. They are responsible with the power they have been given.
The unfaithful response is much more complicated, ranging from outright disobedience to ignorant failure. Yet, in spite of their unfaithfulness, the good master considers the depth of their knowledge, the level of their ability, and judges their actions in this light.[11] They are not expected to do more than they know or than they are able. They are expected to live up to the level of their knowledge and abilities.
Grace and Accountability
Grace is not opposed to accountability. We must regularly remember to whom we are ultimately accountable. “Grace does not end accountability. Rather, the goal of grace is to create a people who are faithful and zealous in their service for God (Titus 2:11-14). God cares what we do with his gifts, and at Jesus’ return, he will honor those who are faithful and discipline those who are not.”[12]
We are stewards who must give account of that with which we have been entrusted. God has given us gifts and entrusted us with the responsibility of embodying his love to others. Though the timing is unknown, the promise is sure: Jesus will return and judge the world. “For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). The fact that we know this increases our responsibility.
The responsibility is not simply to perform a certain task, but to be a certain type of person: a faithful person, a person of moral integrity whose actions and attitude are the same when we are in public and when we are alone – and in spite of whether we believe those being served deserve it.
With great power comes great responsibility. With great responsibility comes the need for faithfulness, the hallmark of a responsible life. We possess power – as a gift and stewardship from God – not for our own sake, but that we may be an instrument of blessing to others.
The key difference between a superhero and a supervillain is not the possession of power – both have this. The key difference is in the way each uses power. A villain uses power for his own sake. The hero uses power for the good of others. Though the temptation to abuse power for our own ends is constant, we must remain ready and faithful in our stewardship of it, using it only “to respect and enhance, not demean or destroy, the integrity of others’ lives.”[13]
The hero lives this way because she believes that, in the end, this kind of self-denying, others-oriented life will be rewarded. Therefore, the hero believes in a just universe, where right actions and attitudes are rewarded in the end, because good ultimately triumphs. In contrast, the villain believes in an unjust universe where good actions are only of value to the extent that they build up the ego and expand one’s personal power. Therefore, the villain uses his power for his own sake, and often, at the expense rather than for the benefit of others.[14]
Which kind of world do you believe in? Do you believe that reality ultimately favors good over evil? Do you believe that the self-denying life will be rewarded in the end? Does a God exist who has gifted us all and holds us accountable for how we steward his gifts? Or is the universe an impersonal, amoral expanse – ultimately indifferent to all expressions of power? Uncle Ben believed in a moral universe that favors good over evil – love over indifference. For this reason, he encouraged Peter to use his gifts for the good of others, for “with great power comes great responsibility.”
We may not personally possess “great” power – we are not superheroes, after all – but we certainly have been entrusted with gifts from God. A moral universe, where we are accountable, and where good ultimately triumphs, gives us reason to responsibly manage the power God has given us. Those of us who believe that Jesus will return and bring all things to a glorious consummation – rendering all evil impotent and rewarding all good eternally – should live as if we believe this, no matter how long our Lord tarries. For our concern is not so much when our master will return, but on what kind of people we will be when he does! If we wish to not be taken by surprise by the revelation of Jesus and the reality of a moral universe where great power brings great responsibility, we must commit to remaining vigilant to use the gifts entrusted to us for the good of others.
Appendix: A Word to Spiritual Leaders
Though the lessons of this text apply to all Christians, they have a particular impact on Christian leaders – both paid and volunteer. Christian leaders are given the responsibility to shepherd Jesus’ flock on his behalf. It is, after all, Jesus’ flock (John 21:15-16). He is the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). All leaders are under-shepherds (1 Peter 5:1-3). As such, they are called to reflect to those under their care the steadfast love and compassionate nurture of Christ.
Power can be used responsibly and irresponsibly. Spiritual leadership is not exempt from the abuse of power.[15] The fact that spiritual leadership intentionally attempts to represent God to others leaves it open to great abuse. For this reason, the warning to abusive church leaders is severe. Leaders “know” better – or, at least they should! The level of power and privilege they enjoy should cause them to be extra cautious that they don’t betray their trust. They have been “given” and “entrusted” with much (Luke 12:48).[16] It is for this reason that judgment is strict upon those who play loose with Christian service (see 1 Corinthians 3:10-17; James 3:1).
The call is simple: faithful, loving service to others that truly reflects the goodness of God. The ready and responsible use of power for the good of others and the glory of God is the mark of faithful Christian service. This is especially important in the latter years of Christian ministry. As the years pass for recognized Christian leaders, the temptation to complacency and carelessness increases. The call to remain watchful and faithful must constantly be renewed. The question that all Christian leaders must regularly ask themselves is, “when the master comes, will they be found busy at their tasks, or taking their ease and abusing the household?”[17]
[1] Tannehill notes that the “difference between verses 35-50, where readiness alone is stressed, and verses 41-48, where readiness means faithful fulfillment of an assigned responsibility in the interim.” Robert C. Tannehill, Luke (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1996), 210.
[2] The Greek for manager is oikonomos instead of servant (doulos).
[3] Luke Timothy Johnson, The Gospel of Luke: Sacra Pagina (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1991), 206.
[4] As we will see, this has significant implications for Christian leaders.
[5] Johnson, Gospel of Luke, 206.
[6] The beatings precede drunkenness, so he has no excuse for his arrogance and cruelty.
[7] Johnson, Gospel of Luke, 204.
[8] Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997), 504.
[9] “The rule in verses 47-48 provides some excuse for those outside the church and for those within the church who have had little opportunity to learn. However, it is tough on those with knowledge and those who have been given special responsibility and power.” Tannehill, Luke, 212-213.
[10] Johnson, Gospel of Luke, 206.
[11] Craddock provides a helpful summary: “The unfaithful and arrogant in power will be punished according to the nature of their behavior, their knowledge of the Lord’s will, and the level of power and privilege enjoyed.” Fred B. Craddock, Luke: Interpretation Bible Commentary (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990), 165-166.
[12] Darrell L. Bock, Luke: The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1996), 356.
[13] William Schweiker, “The Spirit of Life and the Reverence for Life” in God’s Life in Trinity, editors Miroslav Volf and Michael Welker (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2006), 30.
[14] This profound quote by William Schweiker summarizes all I’m trying to say: “Still, the real struggle of existence is to answer the call of conscience to live with moral integrity, to use one’s power to respect and enhance the complex array of goods integral to life, to have nothing but the hope that happiness will, in fact, be attained in a life so committed. The resolution of this challenge has sometimes been called the moral paradox, namely, the insight that ‘egoism is self-defeating, while self-sacrifice actually leads to a higher form of self-realization.’ As Christ put it, ‘Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it’ (Matt. 10:39). The truly moral person or community is one who attenuates immediate and wholesale attention to the needs and capacities required to integrate life in order to have their existence defined by the demands of responsibility. In doing so, a new life is found; a higher kind of being and what is best called moral integrity are found. Happiness and holiness are one. Obviously, this moral integrity does not mean self-neglect or abasement. Moral integrity is not another name for servitude, but is rather a proper self-relation mediated by the realm of responsible actions and relations.” Volf and Welker, ed., God’s Life in Trinity, 31.
[15] “Places of leadership offer unusual temptations to the abuse of others and misuses of power, and leadership positions in the church are not exempt. The New Testament is broadly aware of the problems (Acts 20:28-33; Rom. 16:17-18, 2 Cor. 11:19-20; 1 Tim. 4:12-16; 1 Peter 5:1-6; 2 Peter 2:1-2).” Fred B. Craddock, Luke: Interpretation Bible Commentary (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990), 165-166.
[16] This higher call should give people pause before they accept the call to Christian service.
[17] Tom Wright, Luke for Everyone (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2001), 157.
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© Richard J. Vincent, 2006
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